Devil's Sons M.C. (Manxman)

07.

Jesse

I lay lazily on the couch not really in the mood to do anything. The stress ball bounces off the wall back at me and I throw it again, literally all I've been doing for the past half hour.

"You've been in a mood for the past few days, care to share who pissed in your pants and forgot to wash them?" Why did that sound extremely descriptive? I continue throwing the ball at the wall and catching it when it bounces back.

"It's nothing." I reply. It's been exactly five days since the fundraiser and at first I'd thought that the whole reason my brain was a mess was because for once I stood up to my sperm donor. But then I laid my eyes on my sister, her eyes holding childhood innocence in them and I knew that I did the right thing. What else had happened that day?

Oh right, I'd flirted, dirty talked, what did that whole conversation even count as? I'd scampered away like a little mice at the sight of the house cat, when his words started affecting me in weird ways. It was different, blunt, a little lewd and it had turned me on beyond explanation. I'd felt so warm and fuzzy like a teenage girl at a Harry Styles concert and then, I'd felt hot and bothered like the sight when watching pro wrestling and hot sweaty men in underpants came on. It was an unexplainable feeling and I just had to get out of there to clear my head. I wasn't even picking Laney up, it just came out of my mouth.

"It's not nothing if I can't take my nap because you keep throwing your ball at the wall." Her eyes hold clear irritation at my activities.

"I had a little chat with Mr mayor some days back."

Mel immediately walks to take a seat directly across from my position, although we're not face to face as my body is turned towards the ceiling. "Wow how did that go?"

"He threatened to revoke your allowance because of me." I explain simply.

"But he's not going to do that right?" Mel's voice breaks and I quickly turn around to face her, to reassure her that everything would be okay. She didn't deserve this life not at all but yet she didn't let it bring her down in any way. As far as I know, she's the strongest teenager I know and nothing was going to change that fact. "He's not going to do that to his own children right?" Tears begin to run down Mel's face.

I quickly sit upright and pat the space next to me. In the blink of an eye, she rushes over and is instantly buried into my chest where I hold her still.

"He won't Mel, I might have threatened him with blackmail."

"Jesse please I don't want you doing something that'll get you in trouble, promise me."

I don't care what I have to do as long as she was happy and safe but to reassure her I reply "Promise."

"Would it be so bad if he stopped the allowance? We could always figure things out Jesse, I feel like I'm collecting money from the devil every time and it makes me hate myself. It makes me feel like a charity case." Her bright tear stricken green eyes stare at me curiously waiting for my reply.

"Without his help there's not much to take care of you Mel, you're too young to get a full time job and go to school at the same time. I understand how you feel but we can't be choosy right now." Splitting my income from my night job as a transport supervisor at a factory doesn't seem realistic at all. Between taking care of Laney, taking care of house expenses like food, utility bills, other miscellaneous expenses, and saving some change for the future. Cutting ties with Mr mayor in regards to Mel's expenses wasn't an option right now.

"I know Jesse I-I j-just feel so helpless when he feels he can dictate your life because he helps with taking care of me. You have your own life and son but you're stuck taking care of me. I'm so sorry Jesse." More tears run down her face and all I can do is hold her tighter as she lets it out. The fact that she feels like taking care of her is a burden for me breaks my heart into pieces.

"Don't ever be say that again Mel." I chastise her before continuing "You deserve a good childhood and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you have one. You're not a burden, you're my baby sister and family never departs from one another so best believe we're in this together. Alright?" I pull her face into my hands to make sure she believes everything I'm saying is nothin but the truth.

"I love you and thank you." She whispers with a small smile on her still teary face.

"I love you too little sister." She reminded me so much of mom everyday, the physical features are like carbon copies. If only she could be here to see the amazing girl Mel has grown up to be.

We seat in a comfortable silence for a long time before Mel speaks up again, it's quiet and I almost didn't hear her. "Do you ever blame her for all this?" Mom? I think she did what she could, granted it wasn't enough but she made her lemonade with the lemons life threw at her.

"No" I state simply.

"How do you do that? Because I blame her every single minute of my life for everything."

"Remember when we were younger and she used to tell us the story of David in the bible? And how God loved him but David's sons were some of the worst people that ever graced earth?" She nods in response, clearly confused with where I'm going with the reminder. "Thing is even the best people could fail as parents, not everyone is built to be a parent and not every parent is fit to have kids. So no I don't blame mom at all, I think she tried her best."

She's silent for a long time before speaking "When did you get all smart and philosophical?" She asks non maliciously, a smile playing on her lips.

"I've always been, you're just too slow to grasp all that knowledge." I raise my arms to shield myself from the onslaught of slaps that begin to rain down as a result of my insult. Ouch. Speaking of knowledge "Oh I forgot to tell you yesterday that you're grounded till further notice." Mel jumped up immediately from where she was seated as she stares at me trying to look menacing, she looked more like an angry puppy.

"What? Why am I grounded Jesse?"

"Principal Hale called me yesterday, says you skipped school for the past two days." It had come as a shock to me because she knows better than that. "Care to share what the important event was that has you skipping school?" I ask sarcastically.

Her arms drop and she lands on the chair with a loud thud. "I'm sorry." She pouts. I'm sorry is not a place last I checked but I choose to give her the benefit of doubt as it's the first time a report like that has ever come in.

"School and back home till those grades are in order." I instruct and she doesn't bother to argue about the punishment instead opting for the walk of shame back to her bedroom.

I continue my ball throwing exercise while mulling over our earlier conversation. But my mind keeps going back to a certain man who wouldn't get out of my thoughts and fantasies.