Twice Shy (The Restraint Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

the door. Opening it, peeking out, she saw a bartender with a handlebar moustache whom she presumed was Cotton. Sarge was in his usual spot. Mary was in the first stool seat and West was in the second. Brendan wasn’t in sight.
    She wondered where he went. Or maybe she had imagined the door and his voice after Mary’s revelation.
    All three looked at her. She made a motion for them to come inside.
    Mary placed herself on her beer crate. West wiped the unoccupied beer crates before he sat on them. Sarge rolled his eyes and chuffed a quasi-chuckle. Stacy sat on the desk, off center and near to the door.
    “Talk.” Stacy commanded.
    Mary took a breath. “You ever heard of MM?”
    Puzzled, Stacy said, “No, what is it?”
    Sarge cleared his throat and Stacy shifted her hips so she could see him. “Montana Militia. Neo-Nazis.”
    Her non-mother nodded. “There’s them in Montana, White Nations in Idaho. They’re the big groups. There’s smaller ones too. They’re usually more fucked up. You were born in one of the smaller ones. Called Montana Freedom.”
    “You were born there too?”
    Mary shook her head. “Family moved into MM when I was a kid. Then a few years later upped stakes and went to Montana Freedom. There was some fucked-up shit that went on there. MM was sane compared to Freedom. Ours was sorta a combination of survivalists and cult.”
    “Okay, so what was my name and date of birth so I can get a birth certificate?”
    “You can’t get a birth certificate.”
    “Why not, Mary?” Calling her that seemed strange on Stacy’s lips.
    “Because your birth wasn’t ever recorded with the government. I was born afore we joined the camp. If I woulda been born in the camp, I wouldn’t have a birth certificate either. You were born on the camp with a midwife. Patriots believe we are citizens of the state, and,” Mary made air quotes and said the words in the same manner schoolchildren recite the Pledge of Allegiance, “Americans have been duped inta rejecting their sovereign status by unknowin’ly placing themselves unner U.S. jurisdiction through illegal contracts.” Jurisdiction sounded more like ‘jurisdicshun’.
    “What in the hell does that mean?” Stacy was getting agitated.
    Sarge cut in again. “To them, an ‘illegal contract’ is somethin’ like a birth certificate, social security card, even a driver’s license.”
    “So what was my name? And how in the hell did you end up with me?”
    Mary shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Don’t matter. You can get a fancy lawyer to help you.” She looked at West. “Looks like your sugar daddy has some bucks.” She eyed West up and down and turned her body to him. Sarge chuffed again. Stacy gave him the evil eye but he shrugged.
    West looked straight into Mary’s eyes. Whatever his eyes said it sent the appropriate message and her non-mom moved back into her former position.
    Stacy decided not to clarify her relationship with West. But she persisted. “Why did you raise me?”
    Mary looked defiantly at her. “You know when I said life coulda been worse? If I wouldn’t have gotten you out and left myself, who knows how you woulda ended up? My sister was only thirteen when she had you. And she died because the fuckin’ midwife didn’t know what she was doin’. I was only seventeen when she died. Our mom was long gone, ran off with someone else when I was five. Then Daddy got with these Patriots. I decided that I needed to get out. And I couldn’t not take you. Didn’t want you, but couldn’t leave you there. So I left with you when you were six months old. You had the croup, and I was allowed into town to get the medicine. So I hid and took off. Hitchhiked. Ended up here and stayed.”
    “Why didn’t you give me up? Leave me at a hospital somewhere?”
    Mary got a sour look on her face. “Wish I woulda thought about it when I first ran. Once I was in Cutters Creek, I was stuck with you. I liked it here.”
    It didn’t sound like the whole