What Doesn't Destroy Us (The Devil's Dust #1)(20)

“Stop it,” I yell at her, but she keeps grabbing at me. “Get off me!” I can feel my face turning red; my body temperature rising; my vision blurring with rage. Finally having enough of her scratching my arms and neck to get at the black shirt, I snap.

“Back off, damn it!” I push her violently, her body flying to the floor like dirty laundry. I jump back; startled by my lack of self-control and anger. Where did it come from? I have pushed my mother before, yelled even, but never have I practically tossed her like a rag doll.

She is trembling as she stands. “What’s gotten into you, Dani? First you are riding around with... with that biker trash; then, wearing that God awful shirt like you're a club member; and now you're violent to your own mother.” She is hysterical now. “This is wrong. I raised you better than this. I gave you a better life than this; hell, I gave you life.” Other than trembling, she isn't moving a muscle.

“It’s a f*cking t-shirt,” I shout at her as she eyes it with a deadly stare.

“No, No, it’s more than a f*cking t-shirt. You are becoming one of them; biker trash. You're becoming your… your father.” She went from being loud and hysterical to whispering those last few words. I may have barely heard the words, but even her whisper was dripping with hatred.

“Yeah, well, I never asked for your lies and betrayal,” I snap back at her in self-defense.

“You know, I had a premonition when I realized you shared your father's green eyes. I loved those eyes until he tossed me aside. I knew I had to hide him from you; keep you on the right path, or you would turn out just like him.” She's avoiding eye contact which always raises my suspicion.

“What’s so wrong with being like him?” I ask.

“Really?” she says, snidely. “You have been here but a minute. You have no idea what he is capable of, any of them. They lie, cheat, murder, rob. They are unstoppable. You stand in their way, they will kill you.”

She points at me. ”That boy you are hanging around... keep your distance. He just wants in your pants; you being the president’s daughter won’t stop him. I got an earful of the kind of man he is. He is a womanizer and he’s messed up in the head,” she bluntly spits at me.

Now I can’t look her in the eyes. I'm afraid she might see I'm not as pure as I was when we arrived here.

“Everyone has a few skeletons in their closet,” I justify. Looking at my closet right now, I can relate.

“If I hear of that boy trying to push himself on you, I will get your father involved. Messing with the president’s daughter does not go without repercussions.”

Gee, I wonder if she said those same lines to all the boyfriends I had growing up, that would explain them suddenly dumping me.

“Why did we come here if you hate my father so much; if you hate everything about this place,” I calmly point out.

She sighs wearily. ”I had no choice. It’s what had to be done,” she whispers, her head hung low.

She steps close to me. “Before you go thinking you belong, know your place here. There are club laws; some you will never be able to identify with.” She straightens her clothes and leaves.

I sigh tiredly as the door closes. Wow. Who knew just wearing a t-shirt would make my mother go bat-shit crazy. Maybe she needed my shrink more than I did. Seems she has a lot of issues with the Club, so being here is still a mystery to me. And what did she mean by she got an earful of how Shadow was messed up? I turn to the closet, waiting for Shadow to come out.

“Shadow?”

He opens the door and walks out, his presence actually bringing calm to my battered psyche.

“You okay?” he asks.

“As okay as I can be. Sorry you had to hear all that.”

He shakes his head as if he’s not bothered by it.

“What did she mean about you being messed up?” I ask. I got the part about him being a womanizer. That was no shocker. It still stung to hear it after just sleeping with him, though.

“Everyone has a past, Dani. I’m not perfect; I told you that before you climbed in bed with me,” he barks back.

Another knock at the door snaps us from our conversation.

“Damn, you’re popular,” he says irritated. I raise my eyebrows and dart my eyes toward the closet. “Again, really?” He asks flippantly while climbing back into the closet.

With Shadow hiding, I yell, “come in!”

In comes Candy; this ought to be good. She has on a tiny black dress with black hooker-heels. Her blond hair is in beautiful curls hanging loosely around her shoulders. She is beautiful, yet slutty at the same time. I hate her.

“Is Shadow in here?” she asks sweetly.

“No, I’m staying in here,” I inform her.

“Right. I’m pretty sure I saw him come in here,” she replies with a high amount of bitch in her voice.

“Right. Well as you can see, no Shadow in here.” I return with as much bitch as I can muster.

“You’re cute.” Her sweet tone is as fake as her boobs.

“I can see why Shadow likes you,” she laughs like she has a secret I am oblivious to.

“Is that right?” I ask, curious at what she is getting at, but trying not to sound it.

“He’s going to eat that innocence and spit you out, honey. That is, if he hasn’t already.” She puts her hands on her hips, proud of herself.