“Call the neighbor and whoever else. Let them know I’ll be heading that way and will be there as soon as I can. I’m in Arizona right now. It might take me a few hours or maybe even a day to get there,” I mutter, already out of bed and pulling on a pair of jeans.
“Okay, Soren, I’m so sorry,” Ashley says.
“Just do as I ask. I’ll talk to you later,” I grumble and hang up.
After getting dressed, I head out of the room I’d been staying in for the night. Since we’d gotten in late, I left all my shit in my saddlebags and came in to crash.
Finding which room Runes is in, I beat on the door until he throws it open.
“What the fuck, VP?” he snaps as he gets a good look at my face.
“Need to get home. Amanda’s dead,” is all I can manage to say.
Speaking those words out loud is like a branding iron searing my throat as it hits me. The mother of my children, the woman I once loved with all my heart, is gone. We might have drifted apart but that doesn’t mean we didn’t still care for each other. She’d been there for me as I’d been there for her.
Fuck.
And now, I’m all my kids have left in this world besides an aunt who lives in a completely different country.
I have to beat back the emotions as I face my Prez.
He, as well as all of our brothers, knew Amanda and loved her like a little sister. Every time we’d get to Tallahassee, she’d make a big deal about throwing a BBQ together for all of us to share.
With her gone, they’ll feel the agonizing pain right along with me.
“Then let’s get you home,” Runes grinds out as he punches his fist through the drywall.
“Yeah, my kids are gonna need me for a while,” I rasp, meaning my life is about to change in one hell of a way.
“I get it, VP. We’ll talk about it later. For now, you need to get to them. Get ready, and I’m gonna go find Marker, see if he’s able to get you there quicker,” Runes says, understanding what I’m speaking of.
Nodding, I head out to my bike to get my shit that I’ll need for the time being. My brothers will do the rest for me while I take care of the rest.
Chapter One
Charm
I stand where I am in the archway to the kitchen and stare at this place in awe. It’s all mine, and it’s still so hard for me to believe it is. This was my dream, to grow up one day and inherit this place . . . but while I knew I wanted it, as a child I never realized what inheriting something meant.
Now at twenty-seven, I know all too well. It means loss, it means someone’s soul has moved on from this plane. It means they’re not here in their physical body, but their memories and soul will transcend. As a woman who practices reiki, I think I have a pretty good relationship with death, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult not having my grandmother here with me.
She was my best friend, the only person in my family who understood my eccentric side. I was the black sheep in my family to everyone but her. She never looked at me like I was the odd one, but as her special girl. All in all, she’s the reason I turned out the way I have today and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I’ve been here for the last year, but it’s so different now that her things are gone. I moved in when my grandmother’s colon cancer really started to affect her. She told me she wanted me to come in as her primary caregiver, knowing I wouldn’t act selfishly like my cousins would if they were in my position. She knew I’d accept the transition process of life and be here to support her with whatever she needed.
Sadly, much of the memories we shared during those last few months were filled with me refilling her medications, getting nutrients into her system, and ensuring she wasn’t in any pain. I can’t remember the last time we played a game of chess, or even rummy, but I wish I did.
I miss her so much and not having her with me has been much more difficult than I ever thought it would be. Though, given everything, we were lucky. Even though the cancer spread throughout her entire body, she was still of sound mind.
My phone begins ringing on the kitchen island, so I walk over and pick it up, dreading answering it the second I see ‘Mom’ on the screen. Just like always, I’ll answer because I’m the reliable daughter. My sister, though, not so much.
“Hi, Mom,” I say as soon as I answer.
“Charmaine, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all week. Listen, have you heard anything from the estate lawyer yet? We all know you’ve received the house, but we haven’t heard anything else.” Of course, she’s concerned about the money, but a woman constantly in debt would be.
“No, it’s only been two weeks. You need to give him time to get things sorted out. I’m sure he’ll be in contact as soon as he’s able to.” My mom and grandmother never had the best relationship, but my mom resented her for leaving my grandfather. My grandfather decided it would be a grand idea to cheat on my grandmother, and then had the nerve to come and tell her his mistress was pregnant. He said he could split time between both families, wanted to be there for both of them. My grandmother, though, she kicked him
