Chapter 7: The Voice From the Past
For twelve years, I had imagined what I would say if I ever heard her voice again.
I imagined anger.
I imagined questions.
I imagined silence.
I imagined everything except this.
Hearing her tell me not to trust the man who had stood beside me through every storm.
Marcus.
My best friend.
My brother.
The man who had carried me home when I was too drunk to walk.
The man who had stood beside me when my father died.
The man who had just admitted he helped hide a part of my life.
I stared at him.
He didn’t move.
He didn’t deny it.
That hurt more than anything.
“Bear?”” the voice on the phone whispered.
My fingers tightened around the device.
“Say it again.””
There was a pause.
A painful pause.
“I said don’t trust Marcus.””
My eyes stayed locked on him.
“Where are you?””
Another silence.
“I can’t tell you.””
My heart sank.
“After twelve years, you call me and you still won’t tell me where you are?””
“I’m sorry.””
That apology almost broke me.
Because it was the same apology Amara had repeated earlier.
The same word passed down from a mother to a daughter.
I walked away from everyone.
I needed space.
I needed air.
But the clubhouse walls felt like they were closing in.
“Are you alive?”” I asked.
The line went quiet.
Then:
“Yes.””
One word.
One impossible word.
My knees almost gave out.
I grabbed the edge of the table.
“You’re alive.””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you come back?””
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Finally, she spoke.
“Because they would have found me.””
“Who?””
“Bear…”
Her voice cracked.
“You don’t understand what happened.””
“Then explain it.””
“I can’t.””
My anger rose.
“Twelve years.””
“I know.””
“Twelve years I thought you left me.””
“I know.””
“Twelve years I thought I wasn’t enough.””
Her breathing changed.
“Don’t say that.””
“Why not?””
“Because you were the only reason I survived.””
The words stopped me.
I closed my eyes.
For one second, I was twenty years younger again.
Standing beside her.
Believing the future was simple.
Then I remembered Amara.
My daughter.
The child I never knew existed.
“Why didn’t you tell me about her?””
The line went silent.
When she answered, her voice was barely audible.
“Because you weren’t supposed to know.””
I froze.
“What?””
“I wanted you to know.””
“Then why?””
“Because someone was watching you.””
I looked back toward Marcus.
His face was unreadable.
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
“That’s a lie.””
“No.””
Her voice became desperate.
“Bear, listen to me. The person who erased your memory wasn’t trying to hurt you.””
I frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
“They were trying to protect you.””
I looked at Marcus.
“From who?””
A long pause.
Then she said:
“From yourself.””
The words made no sense.
“What does that mean?””
“I need you to remember.””
My chest tightened.
“I’m trying.””
“No.””
Her voice softened.
“You’re fighting it.””
I looked at the photograph on the table.
The baby.
The woman I loved.
The missing years.
“What happened that night?””
She took a deep breath.
“I can’t tell you over the phone.””
“Why?””
“Because you’re not alone.””
I looked around.
Everyone was watching me.
Amara.
Denise.
The bikers.
Marcus.
“What are you saying?””
“She knows.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
“The person who took me.””
The line suddenly became distorted.
“Wait.””
“Bear, you need to—”
The call cut.
I stared at the phone.
Nobody spoke.
Then Marcus finally moved.
“Bear.””
I turned slowly.
“Don’t.””
His expression changed.
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
My voice was calm.
Almost too calm.
“I understand exactly one thing.””
I pointed at him.
“You lied to me.””
Marcus looked down.
“Yes.””
That answer shocked me.
“You’re not even going to deny it?””
“No.””
“Why?””
His eyes filled with pain.
“Because I made a promise.””
“To who?””
He looked toward the stairs.
At Amara.
Then back at me.
“Her mother.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You keep saying that like it explains everything.””
“It does.””
“No, it doesn’t.””
I stepped closer.
“You made me forget my own daughter.””
Marcus swallowed.
“I saved your life.””
I froze.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“That night, you weren’t just a man who lost his memory.””
“What was I?””
His voice dropped.
“You were a man who was about to die.””
Nobody moved.
The room went silent.
“What happened?””
Marcus looked away.
“Someone found out what you discovered.””
“What did I discover?””
He didn’t answer.
“Marcus.””
He closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
“You discovered who Amara’s real enemy was.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
I looked at my daughter.
She looked terrified.
“Who?””
Marcus didn’t speak.
Because suddenly, we heard something outside.
A motorcycle engine.
Then another.
Then another.
The sound grew louder.
Several bikes.
Stopping outside.
Marcus immediately reached for his jacket.
Everyone noticed.
“Who are they?”” I asked.
Marcus didn’t answer.
He looked at Amara.
May you like
And for the first time in my life, I saw fear on his face.
“They found her.””
