Page 10 of Torch

“Hell yeah,” all my siblings said in unison.

The few brothers who were awake chuckled.

“Damn, it’s like that?” I asked them.

Blade didn’t bother lifting his head off Bianca’s shoulder as he replied. “Don’t even go there. We made a pact a long time ago that if you were on Mom’s bad side, then you would face it alone.”

That is true. Our mom was the greatest woman I knew, but she didn’t play. Seeing as I rarely got into trouble growing up, I really never had to deal with the pact. Don’t get me wrong—I wasn’t an angel by any means, but I definitely had never done anything to this magnitude. The second my mother found out about this, I was going to be a dead man walking.

“Preach!” Sofia praised. “Don’t nobody got time to stand against Mama’s crazy ass because you went and married a complete stranger.”

I glanced around and saw them all looking at me like I was out of my mind. “That’s cold. Y’all are really going to leave me high and dry?”

“Like a deadbeat father.” Cara nodded her head, causing more laughter around the plane. “And I’m warning you now. If I get wrapped up in this shit because of you, I am kicking your ass.”

I waved my hand, not having a rebuttal. Cara could indeed kick my ass. After years of being a government agent, plus all the martial arts training she had, Cara could take down a man three times her size.

“I’m just trying to figure out why most of us can’t remember much after the club?” Sara questioned.

“I think one of them bitches roofied us, like that fat guy from The Hangover.”

A frown formed on my face, hearing Cara refer to Brittney as a bitch. “Don’t call her that,” I hissed angrily.

Cara's brows rose to her forehead as she turned to Blade. “I told you.”

He nodded his head, smirking at me. “You told him what?” I asked her.

“Oh, nothing. I’ll just wait to see how this unfolds.”

I shook my head in annoyance. “What do you mean? I’m going to find Brittney and get an annulment. That’s how this is going to end.”

“If you say so,” she said and shrugged.

I looked at each of my siblings one by one and asked, “Soooo, just to be clear, no one is going to help me out with Mom?”

They all sucked their teeth, closed their eyes, and tuned me out. Silence fell over the plane. I couldn’t help but stare down at my ring finger that had Brit tattooed on it. Although I was shocked by my actions last night, a little part of me was happy with the thought of seeing her again.

I didn’t want our encounter to be one and done. I actually wanted to try and pursue something with her. I was a mix of emotions, and I really didn’t know how to receive them all. The only thing I did know was that I had to get a handle on this and fast.

Once we made it back to the clubhouse, the single brothers headed to their rooms, while the rest made their way to my parents' to pick up the kids. They had just gotten back from their vacation last night.

My parents, along with Smoke and his Ol’ Lady, Victoria, who was also Bianca’s mother, took all the grandkids to Disneyland in California. Will’s grandmother Nina and Aunt Toya tagged along. Even Big Red’s mother, Paula, went since she had been formally introduced to his kids.

I really wanted to go straight home to avoid my mother, but I knew that wouldn’t go over well. It would only have her pounding on my door, demanding to know why I hadn’t come by to see them.

As we shuffled into my mother’s living room, I noticed how unusually quiet it was. My parents sauntered into the living room and took a seat on the sofa.

“Where are all the kids, Ma?” Viper asked, looking around.

“They’re all taking a nap. Sit down. I need to talk to you all.”

“Did something happen while you all were on vacation? Is Miracle okay?” Tech questioned frantically. He hadn’t been doing this dad thing for too long. Naturally, he was nervous about Miracle traveling without him.

“This talk has nothing to do with the kids. Now, sit.” She gestured toward her custom-made sectional that could easily seat fifteen people.

We all nervously moseyed inside from the tone in her voice. She hadn’t cracked one smile or asked us how the vacation was. Something wasn’t right. After we were all seated, my mother grabbed her glass of water from the table. She took a slow swig, eyeing every last one of us over the rim before placing it back on the table. My dad was beside her with a stoic expression, giving nothing away.

Clearing her throat, she sat forward. “This morning, I decided to check all your social media to see how your last night went,” she said with a chilling calmness. My mouth suddenly went dry. I was ready to bolt.