"I knew..." He croaks. "I did it anyway and would do again."

He spits blood on the floor, and I rock harder.

"I am sorry Trav, so sorry."

"Hush," He whispers. "Hush now."

The ambulance arrives a moment later, and takes Travis to the hospital. I get in with one last glare at Chief; then we disappear. I will never forgive him for this, and he knows it. Trav gets treated quickly, and when he is done and put back in his room, I crawl into the bed and lie with him. I feel his body shake every now and then, and it breaks my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I am sorry Trav."

"Stop saying that; I did it baby. I knew what would happen if we got caught; it's done now."

"I should have said no; I knew even better than you what would happen."

"It's done," He croaks. "No more hidin now."

"No more hiding." I whisper and nestle into him.

"Mischief?"

"Hmmmm." I say, stroking his hand.

"It was worth it for you, don't feel guilty..."

"I can't help it Trav, I do."

"I wanted you, I pushed you, this is something that had to happen. Don't hate him over it..."

"Right now I do Trav, he hurt you and I can't like him for that."

"He loves you."

"He hurt you."

"Forgive Mischief, he is all you have."

"Tell him I said goodbye." I say to the nurse, and give Trav's hair one last stroke.

"I will."

"I will come by later; he needs rest."

"No problem honey."

I walk out of the hospital and drive home in silence; my heart aches for Travis. When I pull up and see Chief's Harley Davidson, I feel anger swell in my chest. I storm inside the house to see him sitting at the dining room table with my mother. He stands when I come in, and I hiss out a curse.

"Why is he here?"

"Honey...let him talk with you."

I shoot a glare at my mother. "You have no right to force that on me."

"Mischief, let me talk with you."

Chief grips my arm, and I yank it out.

"Don't touch me! You knew I loved him; I told you I loved him and you did it anyway with no thought about me."

"I had no choice."

"It's about that club, always about that fucking club. No one ever comes before it, not me, not Momma. You tore this family apart for that club."

"I made vows," He chokes, looking like he might actually shed a tear. "I made vows that I can't get out of. I had no fuckin choice."

"There's always a choice daddy! ALWAYS."

"No; I made a vow. What would you have me do, take a bullet? Because that is what I would have to do to get out. Would you rather me dead?"

"Right now yes!" I scream. "You ruined my life!"

He takes a step back and grips his chest. "Violet..."

"I love him daddy, and you did that to him; I love him!"

Chief lunges at me gripping my shoulders and shaking me. Feral tears slide down his cheeks.

"You think I wanted to fucking hurt him? That is my boy, like my fucking son, and I have loved him from the fucking day he came into my life. I never fucking wanted this for him. I had to do it; I had no choice. You knew that, and you lied to me, you never came and asked you just lied knowing what would happen if I found out. You knew, and you didn't stop..."

I crumble, my knees buckle from underneath me. Chief goes down with me and I grip onto his shoulders, pulling him close. I cry into his shirt, and he strokes my hair, holding me so tightly I can hardly breathe.

"Baby girl, I had no choice. I am sorry."

"I know." I wail. "It's my fault."

"I hid you Mischief; I never made things clear to you. I am going to now; it's time you saw the way I live because you are never going to understand until you do."

"Caden no..." My mother cries.

"She is twenty one Mandy; she has to see it."

"What for?" She cries again, gripping her apron.

Chief stands and walks over to her, and I watch as he grips her face in his hands. I can see the love there; it radiates off him. He leans in and brushes his lips over hers; her knees buckle, and she grips his shoulders. He strokes his lips so softly, so gently over hers that I am frozen on the spot watching the love pouring off him. He tangles his hands in her hair and whispers just loud enough that I can hear.

"I am giving her a choice; I never gave you a choice, I never showed you the life you were getting into. I am showing her; she needs to see it so she can make that choice."

He lets her go and she stumbles backwards, gripping the table. Chief turns and reaches his hand out.

"I am taking you to the club, it's about time you see how the men and I live."

He grips my hand and goes to leave, but I turn and rush towards my mother. I grip her face and pull her towards me.

"You are my heart Momma; I might turn away from daddy, but I will never turn away from you. I love you."

"I love you, my baby. I love you."

I kiss her once more and pull away; I rush down the stairs after Chief. He is already on his bike. He tosses me a helmet, and I catch it, then I slip on behind him. I have never been to the club, and I don't know if I want to, but I know it's time I see these things. Time I see what Chief is truly like. I have only ever witnessed him at home; the men have always been placid there.

We pull up outside, and it's a smoky hazed junk heap. Wooden and old, there are bits of timber peeling from the sides. Bikes line the outside and surrounding the whole thing is a massive barbed wire fence. I get off the bike and stare, shocked. Chief takes my hand and leads me inside. The first thing that I see is smoke and red lights; when it clears I get a good look at my surroundings.

"Chief, oh...Mischief..." Biker Bill, Chief's second in charge says.

"It's time Bill."

"I don't know about that..."

"It's time."

He leads me in further and I come into a clearing. It is filled with a bar, couches, pool tables and rude posters on every damned wall space in the place. That isn't the shocking part however, what is shocking is the men and women mingling in ways that are just...wrong. I see one of the bikers leaning against the wall; a woman is kneeling between his legs, sucking him slowly while he tangles his hand through her hair.

Off to the side another man is sitting on a couch, two women are butt naked and dancing all over him. I gasp and look around some more. Drunken men, some covered in their own spew. Two are fighting over a game of pool, whacking each other with the cues. Women are strewn about everywhere; all of them are topless, and some are naked. One saunters up to Chief and runs her hands down his shirt.

"Chief, I haven't sucked your cock in weeks..."

"Fuck off Sandra, this is my fucking daughter."

She blushes and peers down at me. "Very sorry."

I glare at Chief, and he stares at me with a 'sorry' look.

"Daddy, you cheated....didn't you?"

He takes my arm and leads me down to a quiet part of the bar. He tells me to sit, and then joins me. The couch smells like cigarettes, sex and booze. Grosse.

"I am going to tell you things tonight Mischief because it's time you knew. Travis had rights to this club; he could have been president if he wished, but he didn't. He still has a certain involvement. He still follows the same rules. Travis didn't join, so therefore he lives his own life, but the rules with you are the same as they are for all the men. Nobody touches my daughter, or they die. End of story."

"I know that..."

"Travis is a good man and he isn't tangled in this world, but he is in a world just as dark Mischief. All I ever wanted for you was a life without darkness."

"You are wrong daddy."

"Travis is a rockstar, they do drugs, fuck women and do all the things we do; just in a different location."

"No, Travis isn't like that."

"Maybe not now but that is only because he has eyes for you. What if that fades in a few years and he decides it's boring? I knew Travis before he got with you baby; he slept with women every weekend. He did drugs...he drank. You slowed him down, but you didn't stop him, it will come back Mischief, and I don't want you being in the firing line."

"Daddy, don't you believe in love? I told Travis once that I didn't, but I was wrong. Love changes people, love makes us want to be different. I trust Travis, and I know he won't hurt me."

He strokes my cheek. "I know all about love Mischief, I also know how much it can hurt."

"Momma loves you daddy, you were the one who let that go."

"I know that."

"Why?"

"You know why; I was tangled in this world, and she couldn't take it. I couldn't get out of it; I was trapped. It was better for her without me."

"It could have worked daddy."

He sighs. "Maybe, but it didn't."

"It might not for you but I won't stop seeing Travis daddy, please don't try and stop me."

"I ain't going to stop you, but I will tell you to think long and hard about it. I don't want my daughter being hurt."

"I'm a big girl."

"No," He says, pulling me into his arms. "You will never be anything but my baby."

CHAPTER 13.

Trav is released two days later and goes home when I am working. As soon as I am finished, I hurry over. When I get through his front door, I hear the music right away, and I follow it. Trav is on the balcony, strumming away at his guitar. He is shirtless, and the sun glistens against his skin. I walk over, just listening for a long moment. When he hears me move, he spins around.

"Hey rockstar."

He smiles at me, but it's weak. He looks lost. I get on my knees and crawl over to him, considering he is sitting on the ground. I take the guitar from his hands, and I carefully straddle him. I kiss his cheeks and his neck, then move up until I am kissing his lips. He runs his hand up and down my back, then pulls back and stares at me.

"Why do you keep coming back, when you know I am no good for you Mischief?"

"That is my choice, and I see it the other way around. I think my life changed the day you came into it; I don't want to be without you Trav."

"I don't deserve you."

"I will be the judge of that."

I lean in and kiss him, hard and long. He responds with a groan, but winces when he moves his hands up to touch me. I lean back and slowly remove my shirt, knowing that is what he was going to do. He looks into my eyes, and I can see the pain in his. I stroke his cheek, then raise my chest so he can take my nipple into his mouth. I moan when he does, relishing in the feeling of his tongue tweaking my hardened tips.