“Holy shit, this is a lot to digest.” I look from the lawyer to Corey, my mouth gaping open. There’s so much to take in. Finally, the truth is revealed. The bad news is, I’ll never get more time with what I now know is my uncle, and that sits in my stomach like a lead weight.
“You have all the time in the world, baby. Take what you need.” Corey squeezes my hand in reassurance.
“He’s right, besides the handling of the estate. That will all be done automatically as soon as we have your bank account number. I’ll leave the letter with you, and his personal effects are in his room. Shovel and Bullet can help you there.” He places an envelope on the table in front of me along with papers I need to sign.
“Thank you. I’ll sign those now and let you leave. You’ve been here all day, having to wait on me and whatnot,” I offer.
“I’d rather you read over the papers before signing them, so, how about I leave them with you and pick them up tomorrow, will that work?”
“That’d be great, Robbie,” Corey answers for me because I’m too lost in seeing Crank’s handwriting on the envelope, slanted, masculine, and all caps.
“No problem,” I hear him reply. My greedy hands reach for the letter. I don’t break the seal. Instead, I hold it to my chest, cherishing the fact he left me with words he’s written.
“Come on, Valentina, let’s get you back to the room, yeah?” I nod my head like a bobble head would do, tears spilling over once again, leaving me unable to respond. Corey scoops me into his arms and carries me bridal style. I don’t even wrap my arms around his neck; instead, both hands stay on the letter, securing it to my body, unwilling to let it go.
“It’s gonna be alright. It’s all gonna be alright, baby,” he coos softly. How I ever thought I’d be able to say goodbye to this man, I’ll never know. Though things started off great and then got rough, then rougher, he’ll always be by my side.
20
BULLET
“Izzy, baby, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Fucking Dice. I’m going to choke him to death with my bare hands. He knows my sister is off limits, yet he wants to push his luck.
“Looking good, Dice,” she flirts back. Yes, my baby sister flirts, and now I’m going to need another ten beers to permanently erase that from my memory.
“Corey, leave them be. The more of a reaction they get from you, the more they’ll do it,” my woman says, so fucking strong and resilient, getting shit laid on her shoulders left and right, yet she still comes back swinging.
“It’s fuckin’ disgusting. His dick’s been all over God’s creation. Ain’t no way it’s getting’ near my sister.” Valentina rolls her eyes at me while gracing me with a smile.
“Honey, she’s not dumb, has a great head on her shoulders, and it’s not like she’s a teenager. Let her live,” she justifies. She’s not wrong, being around the same age as my sister. I guess I just expected someone else, not my brother who I know flirts with anyone and lately seems to only be flirting with Izzy.
“I know that. Just want what’s best for her, that’s all.” This is our first family barbecue since shit went down. Though we still keep our gate closed most of the time and stay on guard, we all needed to let our hair down a bit and somehow manage to get back to normal. The shit part about this? Rage and Shadow are back in Louisiana, and everyone can feel it, especially after losing Crank.
“It could be worse. She could be talking to the guy at the hardware store, you know, the one who cheated on his wife, has nothing to do with his kids now, and is constantly on the prowl for his next victim.”
“The fuck,” I respond. Valentina shimmies closer until she’s standing between my spread thighs. My hand goes to her ass, squeezing and palming it, knowing we won’t last long at the barbecue, not more than an hour or so at most.
“I know. What kinda man does that?” I feel her fingers slide underneath the hem of my shirt, feeling my warm skin against her cold hand.
“Not a fuckin’ man. That’s a coward, one you don’t need to deal with fuckin’ ever,” I reply, taking a sip of my beer afterwards.
“Aly, that crazy girl, thinks she can fix the unfixable, but all she does is set herself up for failure. I hate that she does this time and time again. I don’t think it’s something that will ever change.” Yeah, I’m pretty sure Valentina is right. That girl is not ever going to find the right guy if she keeps chasing the wrong ones.