“Nope,” Madison says, sipping on her wine while pulling up a chair beside me. “That terrifies me. Are we not all terrified?”
Bishop’s arm is around Madison’s waist, pulling her down on top of him. “Nah.”
“How?” Madison says, turning to face him.
“Because Daddy is a psycho and Mommy owns guns.”
I think over the next generation as we all eat. We do this every Sunday at a different house. I think it centers us. There’s not to be any business talk at the table, and even if one or two of us are fighting with each other, the rule is absolute. We still come together on a Sunday as a family. Abel sits beside me, a smile on his face as he goes back and forth with Bishop on why it’s a good idea to build a racetrack in Riverside. Abel smiles with his mouth, but not his eyes. I think that’s the cost of losing someone you love. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, after all.
Brantley’s hand is on my knee, squeezing. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I smile up at him, reaching for my phone and sending Ophelia and Ivy a quick text then place it back on the table. “I’m so much more than okay.”
Brantley
I had thought about whether I wanted to do this a lot over the past year, but I knew eventually it needed to be done. I was a father, a husband, an uncle, a brother, a fucking killer. But I didn’t need to carry their shit anymore. I was sure that whatever bullshit the Vitiosis name carried, I knew it would fall down to Vaden as well. It was inevitable. But I wanted to be better for him. For her, too.
I run my finger over his name. “I didn’t do this for you because I still hate you. I hate what you did to me as a kid. Now that I have Vaden, I can’t fucking imagine ever allowing such vile shit to happen to him. In fact, it makes me fucking murderous to think it.” I lean down, eyes narrowed on his brand new headstone. “I did this for Vaden and the next generation that will be coming. I know what you’re thinking. You think I put your name here so they’ll know where to piss, but that’s not it either. I did it because you saved her. It’s really as simple and as tragic as that.” I stand, pushing my hands into my suit pockets. “So thank you for trying to help her, even if it was for your gain. We’re even now.” I step away from his stone and begin walking away when I stop. Turning, I look over my shoulder and find Bailey’s. My heart cracks in my chest as I make my way to hers.
I clench my jaw and fight the emotion that’s stuck in my throat. Emotion I never knew I could feel until I felt it for Saint. Loving her will kill me one day.
“I’m sorry, Bais. I’m sorry I took your time on this earth for granted and didn’t spend enough of it with you.” I chuckle, shaking my head and looking to the ground. “You’ll be happy to know that Abel cracked into our circle. He’s better now, off the drugs, though we know he misses you daily. Every second. We see it in his eyes when he thinks no one is watching.” I press a gentle kiss to my fingers and press them against her headstone. “See you in Valhalla.”