Chapter 1

Being the 18 year old daughter to a drug addict is not the life anyone would want. I know I don't. But that is the life I have. My father has been using since I was 14 years old when mom died. He blames me. She was in a car accident on the way to pick me up from a friend's house and so now he blames me. I blamed myself for so long but as I got older, I started to realize that I didn't have that kind of control. Unfortunately, my father doesn't agree. So, when he gets high, he gets mad and I am the focus of his rage. I have had broken ribs, broken wrist, and even a broken jaw bone. But I can't leave. I don't talk to anyone so I have no one to help me leave so I am stuck here. Or at least that is how it seems. But the last thing I expected was for my dad to sell me to the highest bidder. But that was just what he did.

I had just graduated high school and was home full time. Sitting in my room, trying to stay out of my father's way hoping that would be enough to not get hit this time. I was reading a book that I had gotten at the local book store here in Stockton. I have read this book before but it is one of my favorites. Things have been quiet for a little while so I was hoping he had passed out but then I hear motorcycles coming up in front of the house. I still had not left my room. I hear my father talking and then hear voices that I have never heard before. "Julie! Get out here!" My father yells. I rush out there knowing that he hates to be kept waiting. "Get your shit together. You're there problem now" He tells me walking away. I look at him confused. "What are you talking about Daddy?" Before my dad could answer, a gray haired man looks at me. "You are coming with us Sweetheart. You are going to work for us for a while to work off the money your dad owes us." He tells me. I look at my dad and he just tells me, "Get your shit and go."

I walk to my room and start packing the few things I have when I hear a someone at the door. I turn and he is a nice looking man with blonde spiky hair, nice arms and beautiful blue eyes. "Hey." He says. I don't say anything. I just turn around and finish packing. "Are you okay?" He asks. "Yes Sir." I tell him. I learned a long time ago to be respectful or I would get hit. "You don't have to call me Sir, Sweetheart." He says smiling softly. I finished packing my bag and as I go to pick it up, he grabs it. "I got it." "Thank you." I tell him. Grateful that he is carrying it because my ribs still hurt too much to really lift it. Walking back out into the main room, the man from before who I learned was Clay started talking to me, telling me what would be expected of me. "Sweetheart, you are going to be working around the clubhouse and you will do whatever is asked of you. We will take care of you but you we are taking you in exchange or wiping your father's debt clean. I knew about the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club and I knew that they passed girls around. I look down at my feet, wringing my hands together. "Yes Sir. Whatever you want." I tell him thinking that I will be one of those passed around. Wouldn't be the first time.

Walking out to the bikes, the blonde who I find out is named Kozik, walks me over to the waiting van and puts my bag in the back. Walking to the passenger seat where I am climbing in he tells me, "It's going to be okay." I asked him "Am I going to be passed around?" He looks at me with a sad look in his eyes. "I won't let it happen okay. Trust me?" I nod my head yes as we head towards Charming. I didn't say a word, only looked out the window scared to death of what I was going to have to do to clear this debt. I could not believe that my own father sold me off like that. That easy. He must have hated me more than I thought. That thought alone made a tear fall down my cheek. I quickly wipe it away as we pass the 'Welcome to Charming' sign.

Pulling onto the TM lot, we pull into a parking spot and before I can open the door, someone opens it for me. Kozik is standing there with his hand held out to help me out of the van. I take his hand and let him help me. My ribs are really hurting at this point but I have learned to hide the pain really well over the years. We walk inside and the one that I rode with, named Rat, took my bag and sat it in a chair at one of the tables. "Have a seat. Rat get her a water or something. Sweetheart, we have church so that we can decide what to do with you. Stay here. We won't be long. Rat! Keep an eye on our friend here." Clay says before he calls all of the guys into the chapel for church. Rat brings me my water and sits at the table but seeing that I am not very talkative, he just sits there quietly and for that I am grateful.

About an hour later, they all come out of chapel and Kozik walks up to me. "Come with me please Julie." Kozik asks me. I stand up and follow him down the hall. I think to myself 'I guess he's the first one I get passed around to.' hoping that I am wrong. He unlocks one of the dorm room doors and steps inside. I follow him inside and he closes the door and locks it. I can feel more tears threaten to fall but before I can say anything Koz starts talking. "Julie, I just want to fill you in on what is going on. We all talked and voted on how you were going to be able to pay your dad's debt and Clay suggested you basically be a cleaning girl. You would do whatever anyone here told you to and that would include the croweaters. They would treat you like shit. I couldn't let that happen." He tells me. I still have not said anything, just listening. Looking at my feet, he walks up to me, tipping my chin up to look at him. "The only way to clear the debt and keep my promise to you was to claim you." He tells me. "Claim me? What does that mean?" I asked him stepping back from him. "That means you are my Old Lady. You will get my crow tattooed on you and in this life, it means you are more or less my wife. You are faithful to me. You will live with me and I will take care of you. But the thing is that, here, Old Ladies are respected. Old Ladies are feared. You will be protected as long as you have my crow." He explains. "Why are you doing this? That is a big step." I asked him. "Because there is just something about you. Something I can't put my finger on but there is something about you that just draws me in." He tells me stepping forward and placing a soft kiss to my lips. "Thank you Koz." He pulls me to him hugging me as I wince in pain. He pulls back "Julie, what is it?" He asks me. "Nothing. I'm okay." I tell him playing it off. "Show me." He tells me softly. I just stand there and he walks back over to me and starts raising up my shirt seeing the bruises. "Who did this to you Sweetheart?" He asks concerned. "Doesn't matter." I tell him. "Baby, listen to me, you can talk to me. I promise no one will ever hurt you again." He assures me. "My dad." I whisper. He kisses my cheek and walks out of the room. Next thing I know a woman in her late 20's early 30's walks in. "I'm Tara. Koz asked me to come and check on you. I'm a doctor. Can I check on your ribs?" She asks me. I nod yes and she starts examining them. Turns out that my ribs are not broken only bruised.

A couple of hours later, the pain meds Tara has given me had kicked in and I was asleep. I felt the bed dip down on one side and I feel arms wrap around me. Koz pulls me closer to him and I lay my head on his chest falling back to sleep. He kisses the top of my head and we fall asleep together.