Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Audrey
The engagement ring was cold in my hand as I watched Ivan and Dimitri set up the fireworks on the other side of the pond. They said they would signal me when they were ready for the ring.
When I imagined fireworks, I thought of going to the stand with my parents and buying the cheap ones that were slightly terrifying when you lit them. You didn’t know if they would go haywire and hit you or actually go into the sky. This was something else entirely. They had an entire setup dedicated to explosives. But what else could I expect? These were not some cheap fireworks. This was an entire setup that probably cost more than my yearly salary.
It was the perfect send-off. I didn’t know how ready I was for it, but at this point, I knew one thing—I was never going to get back with Brian and I didn’t think he really wanted to get back with me either.
If he had, he probably would have texted or called or something.
“I can practically hear your thoughts,” Carina wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we watched the guys work. I didn’t think it took all this manpower, but what did I know about a couple hundred thousand setup? There were freakin’ drones involved. I also didn’t know how this was all going to work but I was willing to trust the process.
“He would have called, right?” I whispered the words.
Carina released me and let out a loud laugh. “No. I wouldn’t. Not after the ass-chewing Ace gave him. I would be pissing my pants scared.”
I felt myself pale but at the same time, I was proud. Proud I had people who stood up for me and cared enough about me to do all they’d done. “What did he say?”
“He told him how he would kill him in very creative ways if he spoke to you again.”
I could believe that. Now that I’d spent more time with Ace and his family, I knew without a doubt that they were into some illegal shit. I didn’t think they were trafficking, but there was something happening that wasn’t right. Not morally right. I didn’t care as long as I was on their good side, but I wasn’t so sure anyone was on Sinclair’s good side and that scared me. I especially knew something was up with how serious the grannies were about murder.
It was casual dinner talk and they didn’t seem to care who heard them. I guess that was what money bought you. Or maybe they killed everyone that might have evidence against them. It didn’t make me feel great, but I also wasn’t going to complain either.
It made sense on why Carina’s mother didn’t want to come and participate. I could imagine her sitting at the dinner table with us and passing out cold as soon as they mentioned murder. Or at least jumping up from the table and pointing at Carina screaming, “ I told you so! ” I would not be doing any of that nor would I be mentioning any of this to her. This was the life Carina chose for herself, she probably knew a lot more of this than she let on before. She didn’t look shocked when they talked about illegal activities. She didn’t bat an eye at the psychopathic tendencies that Ace’s brothers had.
But then again… I really hadn’t either. There was probably something wrong with us. I would chalk it up to that.
“You ready?” Ivan shouted and I squeezed the ring tighter in my hand as I marched around the body of water and came to stand beside the brothers. The only one not present was Alexei.
Bottle rockets were set up in various spots around us. Some were big, some small, but the biggest one out of all of them… I knew it was for the ring. There was a small bit of guilt in the pit of my stomach. I almost felt bad for what I was about to do to the ring. Especially since I knew Brian had probably saved up a lot of money to get it, even if it was ugly. I didn’t want to be a vindictive person and I didn’t want to be mean. It was hard to separate the two people I saw Brian as. The one before the trip and the one on the trip. They didn’t feel like the same person so it almost hurt to do something that would have been mean to the Brian before. But unfortunately, I needed to come to terms with them being the same person. That ugly, vile creature had always lived inside of him and I needed to accept that. I couldn’t keep them separate or I would never heal from any of this.
“Which one?” My voice sounded distant—detached.
Ivan pointed to the one bigger than my leg. My eyes bulged. I placed it on top of the bottle rocket before Dimitri slapped some tape on the top of it. Griffin positioned a drone beside it.
“What’s that for?” I pointed down at the little aircraft.
Griffin held up a huge controller with a screen on it between both hands. “This is going to ensure the ring is totally demolished.”
I nodded my head, of course. Go big or go home. This was what I wanted.
“As soon as everything is hooked up, we will meet you by Carina.”
I held my thumb up as I walked away on numb legs. This was it. I was really saying goodbye to the past and hello to my future. This was the most elaborate send-off I could have asked for. This was the best way to ring in my new life. My new me. Even if it did feel weird.
All the brothers, minus Alexei, jogged around the pond, all holding the big control pads. Ace handed me one and Ivan grinned as if this was the best day of his life.
“Three! Two! One!” Ivan shouted before he hit the button at the top of his controls. Every single bottle rocket shot up to the sky at the same time, with the drones right beside them. I was watching in real-time as my engagement ring shot up into the cloudy night. I didn’t know what to watch, the screen or the sky. I opted for the sky at the last moment and watched as the colors exploded into the night. Just as quickly as it started, it was over. Bits of debris and paper rained down on the pond.
“I can’t imagine New Year’s or the Fourth of July here,” Carina said stunned as Ace wrapped his arms around her middle and nuzzled her neck.
Dizzily, my eyes searched the top of the water, almost hopeful that I would see something sparkly begin to sink.
“You won’t find it,” Ivan held up his controls, and on the screen was the moment my ring burst into a ton of tiny pieces. He rewound it and let it play over and over as I stood there shell-shocked. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Your fireworks are that powerful?” I would hate to see one of those hit someone, if they weren’t careful.
Griffin placed his controller on the ground and took a step toward me. “No. The ring was just fake and cheap.”
Fake and cheap.
FAKE AND CHEAP?!
I’d been so worried and worked up over a fake and cheap ring? I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Griffin held his hands out to me as if I were a wounded animal. I shocked them all when a laugh burst from me.
I wasn’t even worth something real to him. None of it was real to him. The last five years were the biggest waste of my life. I couldn’t believe it. I bent over at the waist and continued to laugh. When tears started streaming down my face, I realized I was no longer laughing. I was in hysterics and not a single person knew what to do with me. Which was just fine because I had no idea what to do with me either.
A soothing warm hand rubbed circles on my back as I sank down to the ground and let it all out. Every frustration and embarrassment. Every time I’d worried about my weight or what I was eating and not a single damn moment of it mattered. It would have been one thing if he couldn’t afford my dream ring but he hadn’t even bothered to ask what I wanted. He could afford many things, but he hadn’t even tried when it came to me.
Through the blurry haze of tears in my eyes I watched, numb, as I was whisked off of my feet and carried back into the house. At first, I thought it was Griffin or Ivan but when the familiar scent of Alexei wrapped around me, I didn’t have a single fight left in me.