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“I want this house scrubbed and everyone at the airstrip within the hour. Call Patrick and tell him to clear out my house and set my mom up somewhere else until the heat dies down.” Floyd nods and races off to do as I instructed. Turning to the guys next I say, “Get your shit, you two ride with me.” Xander nods and stalks off while Taylan shoots me a smile and nods proudly.
“Good choice, brother, good fucking choice.” Ignoring him I focus on Lake.
“You listen to everything I say, you disobey me once and you?—”
“Take me to her and I’ll do everything you say.” Reluctantly I nod and turn to go get my shit. “Knox?” Pausing, I peer at her over my shoulder and watch as she nibbles her bottom lip.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you,” she mutters. My brows raise and I roll my lips over my teeth to keep from smiling, she looks pained at having to say those words.
Twenty minutes later we pull up out front of the funeral home. I clasp Lake’s hand in mine, telling myself I’m only holding it because I don’t want her to run. Jerry meets us at the front and leads us through the building, the closer we get to the morgue in the back the tighter her grip gets. I say nothing knowing exactly how she is feeling, it’s been six years since Wave left me but I remember it like it was yesterday, the feeling and the trepidation of what comes next in life without them.
The instant we pass through the swinging doors, a chill washes over me from the cold temperature in here. Jerry moves toward the middle of the room where a body lies covered by a white sheet. Lakeland pries her hand free of mine and hesitantly moves toward Jerry who stands silently waiting. Xan and Tay come to stand on either side of me, giving her space and time with her sister before we say our final goodbyes. As she reaches the edge of the metal table she grips the edge and drops her chin to her chest. Tay nudges me with his shoulder earning a glare.
“Go to her,” he whispers.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Pussy,” he snarls before rushing forward and placing a hand on her back in support. “Whenever you are ready, Lay, give us a nod and Jerry will uncover her for you.” A soft whimper escapes her at Tay’s words and suddenly I hate my best friend for being able to know what to say and being man enough to let go of his hate. Unlike him, I can’t let go until I know for sure.
“Okay,” she whispers and nods her head. Jerry steps forward and peels the white sheet back, exposing only River’s face. “Oh God,” she cries out just as her legs give out. Tay is quick to wrap an arm around her waist and hold her up as she screams. I can feel her pain through the anguished screams. Fuck, my legs carry me across the room without consent. Suddenly Taylan isn’t the one holding her but I am. I bury her face in my chest and hold her as she breaks down.
I turn and peer down at Riverland Deveraux, one of the most badass women I have ever met in my life. She took no shit from anyone and whenever she was told she couldn’t do something the stubborn bitch would do everything in her power to prove you wrong. No matter how hard it was or how long it took, she would always prove you wrong. I shoot Taylan a pleading look to help me. Lakeland continues to claw at my sides and arms as I hold her, she hasn’t stopped screaming and I’m beginning to worry she will black out soon.
“You are nothing but a weak ass pussy,” he says. My eyes widen at the fucking dickhead. Lakeland suddenly pulls free of my hold and spins around to face Taylan as he stares down at her sister.
“What?” Lake snarls. Tay smirks and turns his sad eyes to her.
“That is the first thing your sister said to me when we met.” I frown trying to recall the memory.
“What the fuck are you smiling at, asshole?” I turn to Xander who saunters forward with a sad smile on his face.
“Huh?” Lake says. Xan stands opposite us, forcing Jerry to move as he looks to Lakeland.
“That is the first thing she said to me.” Lay smiles and wipes the tears from her cheeks before turning to face me. The three of them eye me expectantly, rolling my own eyes and groaning I add.
“You look like the type to overcompensate for having a little dick.” A burst of laughter comes from Lake before she quickly covers her mouth to silence it. I narrow my eyes at the little shit. “I’m sure you can attest to the fact my cock is anything but little,” I growl. Her eyes widen a fraction before she tears her gaze from me to look at Taylan.
“How did you even know my sister?” Tay chuckles and within a split second Xan and I both join in shaking our heads. Our laughter grows as each of us gets lost in the first time we met the spitfire that is Riverland.
“We all went to school together and one day Knox pissed off the wrong group of guys–”
She cuts Xan off. “Wait, you went to school with us?” Xander snorts and shakes his head.
“No. We were dirt poor so there is no way we could afford your private school tuition.” A frown mars her face, I can see she is trying to put the puzzle pieces together in her own head. “Your sister was walking home and spotted the group Knox had pissed off picking on Waverly.” At the mention of my sister’s name she flinches and grinds her teeth in pain. Xan looks at me and I nod for him to continue wanting to see what happens if we keep talking about the past. “Instead of being a rich snob like we thought all those private school pricks were, she stopped and ended up beating the three of them, even breaking one of their noses before we could get there.”
“When we got there after they ran off, she tried to have a go at us until Wave stopped her. She was willing to fight for a poor girl she had never met. We had never met a rich kid that wasn’t an asshole so we were shocked until she opened her mouth and tore the three of us down with just her words,” Tay adds on, smiling.
I clear my throat, drawing her attention to me as I speak. “She started hanging around us and we found out we really liked her.”
“How old was she?”
“Sixteen.”
Her lips purse. “I would have been thirteen.”
I nod. “She had told us all about you and you must remember her bringing you around to hang out with us?” I push, Xander and Taylan both watch her closely for any sign of recognition but all I see in her eyes is confusion and frustration.
