29. Chapter 29
Chapter twenty-nine
Jinx
Barnaby has been in the office for an hour, and he didn’t hesitate when I called him to explain some of what happened. I’m thankful for that; I couldn’t explain everything over the phone. I curl up further in the chair, pulling the blanket to my chin—a chill races down my arms, thinking about that office.
Every time I close my eyes, I see that pool of blood under Roan's head, and I’m scared to see what he looks like now. I still haven't found out where Dad's heart lies. But I believe he's at peace inside, and that's all that truly counts.
“Baby?”
I glance over and watch Maddox walk into the living room in a clean shirt that Burnaby must’ve brought.
“Do you need anything?” He kneels in front of me, rubbing my leg.
I reach out for his hand, and he gently intertwines our fingers. Watching his hazel eyes soften fills me with warmth. “Maddox, after this is all over with, can we leave?”
“Yeah, of course.”
I shake my head. “No. Leave this entire place. I don’t want to be here.”
“Running from your problems won’t solve anything, Jinx. They have a habit of following.”
I drop my chin on my knee. “Fuck. I guess you’re right. Should I ask how it’s going in there?”
“Barnaby is actually cool for an old guy. He’s got contacts out of the ass, so we have nothing to worry about.”
“What about Serena? What’s gonna happen to her?”
He laughs. “Oh, her ass is going to jail. Burnaby called his cop buddy; he’ll be here shortly. Augustus and Roan will both be joining her, too. You have nothing to worry about there. It’s over.”
“But is it? I’ll never be the same. Nothing will be the same. She killed him for nothing. I’ll never be able to forgive her.”
“And you don’t have to. No one says you do. You take things at your own pace and do things your way.”
“Maddox? Can we have a word with Jinx,” Atticus interrupts.
Maddox leans up, giving me a gentle kiss. “Take it easy on them; they feel guilty.” He pushes away and pats Ashton and Atticus on the shoulder as he walks past them.
Both guys glance over at me, matching pale blue eyes and tousled blond hair, each with that charming cupid's bow when they smile. It's always startling to see how much they resemble each other. They even move the same. It’s so freaky. They approach me, Ashton sitting on the arm and Atticus standing before me.
“Jinx.” Atticus clears his throat. “I can’t imagine how you can look at us without feeling hate towards us.”
“Why would you say that?” I was speechless; where would this come from?
“It’s because Mom killed your Dad. How could you not look at us and not see her? We have her fucking eyes, for Christ's sake, and hair color.”
I turn to Ashton. “Ashton, that’s not the same thing. Just because you look like her doesn’t mean anything; she isn’t you, or you, Atticus. I would never hold that against you.” I glance over to Atticus.
“But you could. What if you get married? Who’s gonna walk you down the aisle? When you have a baby, they won’t have a granddad. All because Mother ruined that for you.” Atticus drops to his knees, wrapping his arms around mine. “I’ll never be able to forgive her.”
“Atticus, look at me.” I tip his chin upward. “You don’t have to forgive her, but thinking about the future won’t do you any good. Focus on the now, here with me, Maddox, and Ashton.”
“I can try, but if, for some reason, you start to resent me, walk away. Promise me, Jinx.”
“I promise.”
“Burnaby wants to talk to you. Did you want me to get him?” Ashton asks.
“Yeah, but I’ll meet him in the kitchen. I need a drink.”
He chuckles. “Alright. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I think so. Maybe with time, things will be better.”
He leans over, kissing my forehead. “You tell me if things get bad.”
“I promise.”
He pushes himself forward and heads for the office. Atticus pats my knee and stands. “Let’s get that drink.”
I’m halfway through my drink when Barnaby, Ash, Maddox, and Wilde walk into the kitchen. Barnaby grins at me, grabs a glass, and pours himself some whiskey.
“What a day, Odette. What a day.” He raises his glass and slams it back.
“You're telling me.” I finish the rest of mine and wait for whatever Barnaby wants to say.
“My cop friend will be here shortly, and he’ll take Serena into custody. He’ll need a statement, of course, and we’ll use Augustus and Roan to help the charges stick. I have lots of faith here, and you shouldn’t worry. You did the right thing by calling.”
“You’re sure she’ll go to jail?”
“One hundred percent. We have no worries anymore.”
As my shoulders relax and the weight of the stress begins to lift, I am filled with relief. Those words I've been eagerly waiting to hear have been spoken. I can’t wait to see her in court and hear the words guilty as she’s carried away.
“Did she ever say where Dad’s heart is?” I look around, hoping they know.
They all shake their heads. I guess I was never meant to know.
Wilde decided to stay in Grovedale; I guess the town grew on him, and I’m glad he found a place to call home, but it’s almost sad to see him go, even if he wasn’t around for that long. He’s always welcome back anytime.
I close the laptop when Spence ends his stream, place it on the coffee table, and stretch my arms above my head. It’s been a busy few days after Serna was arrested, in and out of the police station, lawyer visits, and then the news broke around the school. I couldn’t walk anywhere without whispers and fingers being pointed. The guys suggested I take a break and book a hotel room in the city to get away for a while.
I just didn’t know they all would be joining me.
I look over at the bed and see them all lying there watching TV. And what a sight it is. Maddox chilling with his hands behind his head, showing off his six-pack while his pajama pants hang low on his hips. Atticus chilling in the center, leaning against the headboard adorned with tattoos all over his body. My eyes move to Ashton, and I chuckle. The only one wearing a shirt and pants. His eyes snap over to mine, and he runs his hand down his body and winks.
“You can unwrap me later.”
I choke on my laugh. “Oh, God.”
“Get over here, Little Grim.”
I move over to the bed and crawl on top of Atticus to lie across all of them, never to leave anyone out. If I knew this would be my life, I wouldn’t have fought it for so long. Well, I might still fight Atticus because getting on his nerves is half the fun. Each one has brought something new to my life with new adventures, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I’ll never go a day without feeling love, hope, and torment because they like to bring that out. But I wouldn’t change it.
NEVERMORE