Chapter 1 #3
She knew him well enough to know that he didn’t do that back and forth.
When he was done with some shit, that was that.
Leaving the hospital together, they loaded up in Rose’s truck so he could take her home.
Nothing but thick tension filled the car ride.
Minx stared out her window, and Rose drove with determined eyes on the road.
With the music low, lyrics from Sammie floated through the car.
Don’t shut me out baby girl, hold up
I know that you heard all this before
I never thought I’d see the day when you’d ignore me
About thirty minutes later, Rose wheeled his vehicle up the driveway of her house and shut the car off.
Minx noticed her mother’s car was gone, and her eyes misted when she looked at the space where her father’s truck always sat.
She reached for her door handle and let herself out.
Rose unloaded and followed her into the house.
It was quiet inside, except for the distinct sound of the TV in the living room.
Minx went to the doorway and found Mille seated on the sofa sleeping.
In his hands, he gripped a photo of their father.
Hovering in the doorway, not wanting to move, her eyes watered terribly.
Before she could take a step inside to check on her brother, her mother’s voice erupted outside the front door with Finn’s.
Together, they stepped into the foyer. Mille shot up on the sofa at the sound of the noise.
“Daddy!” He shouted, and her eyes shut painfully.
“Minx, you’re home.” Mila stepped toward her daughter and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Like she was a raft, Minx held on to her mother. As Mila attempted to comfort her, Finn’s sympathy filled eyes found Minx’s. She was numb. When her mother retreated, she saw the emptiness in her daughter. With empathy pouring from her, Mila reached for her chin.
“Hey, we are going to be fine. You hear me?” Mila’s voice was strong and steady, which comforted Minx.
Sniffling, she nodded as Mila’s fingers brushed against her scalp and she forced a smile on her face.
She was hiding her own pain to remain resilient for her children.
It was something she wasn’t quite prepared to deal with either.
With everything she’d been piecing together the last few days, her head was still spinning.
Max called her from inside his truck, right before starting it up.
His words were on replay in her head, and she could only blame herself for her husband’s demise.
The Lynch family says hello, she heard that cold, callous voice over and over in her head.
“Rose, I need you to hit the block with me later. I have a meeting set up with a few of the lieutenants to go over things. Finn already knows about it and can put you up to speed.” Mila pulled away from her daughter.
“I need to go get freshened up. Jonah’s plane is about to land, and I told him I would pick him up. ”
Mila was exhausted. She hadn’t slept in two days with everything going on.
Whenever she tried to, she could only hear her husband’s voice before she was violently woke out of her sleep.
She brushed past, leaving Minx staring after her, concerned.
Her mother was putting on a front. She was hurting.
She just didn’t want Minx to pick up on it.
After she disappeared up the stairs, Minx turned to Finn.
“Luna is on her way over. She went to grab something to eat for you,” he told her.
“I’m not hungry,” Minx said, holding herself closer. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on out there.”
“Nah. You need to rest and recover. You had a concussion,” Finn declared.
“I don’t care,” Minx huffed.
“Minx—” Rose piped up, and when she cut her eyes in his direction, he knew that he shouldn’t be arguing with her.
She stepped into the living room where Mille sat up on the sofa. Taking a seat beside him, she grabbed him gently and allowed his head to fall on her shoulder.
“You doing okay, kid?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.
“I miss him,” Mille whispered, eyes red rimmed and swollen from crying.
“I know,” she said, holding him tight. “We have to stay strong, for mama, okay?”
Mila showered, and once she was done, she stood in her mirror, staring at her reflection.
Her long hair dripped with water down her shoulders, and tears stung her eyes.
She inhaled and peered down at her counter.
Three lines of cocaine lay divided and she knelt to take the first. Tossing her head back, she plugged her nostrils, and sniffed a few times before gently wiping any excess powder from her nostrils.
The drug coursed through her like a wildfire on top of the bottle of Jack Daniels she’d been nursing all day.
She had to focus. Deep down, she knew this was only the beginning, and she had no idea how she was going to push through it without her rock in place.
Max’s absence was felt the minute it happened.
She stood in the kitchen with a glass of wine when she suddenly dropped her wineglass and hyperventilated.
Minutes later, her phone rang, and it was Rose.
She had never heard his voice that broken before, and she knew.
Now everything rested on her shoulders, and the weight wasn’t light to carry.