Finding the Light (Whitsborough Chronicles Book 3)

by C. A. Rene

  "This is to be continued." Then he pushes me back a step and smiles, "it's not over." He turns and walks into his bedroom, his hair mussed up from my fingers. "Night."

  "Night." I repeat and turn to walk into my room.

  "Mama's home!" I hear E call out from the foyer. My heart starts pounding and I can't get myself out of my room quick enough to see her. She's only been gone two weeks but I fucking missed her. She has the type of strength that just seeps into everyone around her and things have just felt out of control since she's been gone.

  I hurry down the stairs and see her ocean eyes staring up at me full of mischief. Finally, I reach her and lift her into my arms. She's back and I didn't realize just how much I needed her here. "Hey," her hands grab my face once I let her down, "you alright?" Her eyes take on this fire like she's ready to kill anyone that fucks with me. And that's a true fucking statement.

  "Just missed you." I smile at her.

  "Sup Bro?" Vin comes in with their bags. They both look hella tanned and healthy. Vin has cut his hair shorter into a buzz cut and all his curls are shaved off.

  I grab his outstretched hand and drag him in for a hug, "missed you guys."

  "Yeah," he claps me on the back, "I missed you guys, too. It's good to be home."

  "Is that my oh so very good looking identical twin sister?" I hear his croaking morning voice and my heart goes into overdrive. I take a deep breath and force myself to school my features. I need to make sure shit looks much like it was before they left. So, I roll my eyes and look up at him standing at the top of the stairs.

  Yeah, wish I hadn't done that.

  He has no fucking shirt on and his abs all start flexing as he reaches his hand up to run his fingers through his messy bedhead.

  "Hey." Ember grins up at him and he matches hers with one of his own. "You will probably be getting a call from Carm soon. Don't believe everything he says. I did not almost kill him ten times."

  Emmett throws back his head and laughs. Yep, gonna have to not look at him if I don't want to explain my thick ass boner.

  "Just eight times." Vin chuckles and kisses her temple.

  "He's going to express how worried he is about my sanity and wants you to come home." She waves her hand like it's no big deal.

  "Meh." Emmett shrugs and joins us all in the foyer. "I'm more concerned with what you found while in Spain."

  "Yeah," I nod, "what's happening?"

  "I need wine for this convo." Ember huffs as she walks into the kitchen.

  "She's been thoroughly fermenting since the first day we stepped on Spanish soil." Vin whispers loudly.

  "Fuck you, I heard that." She calls back from the kitchen.

  "Hope I get in trouble." He winks at me and chuckles as he heads into the kitchen. What they have is what I want, being unconditionally in love.

  "We'll get it." Emmett places a hand on my shoulder.

  "Did I say that out loud?" I ask him as my eyes grow wide.

  "Nah," he shakes his head with a smile, "I'm just getting really good at reading you." Then he slaps my ass and walks into the kitchen.

  I walk in behind him and see Vin leaning against the island and Ember sitting on a stool with a very large and very full glass of wine. "How bad was it?"

  "I almost had her," she gulps down a few mouthfuls, "twice."

  "Are we going to have to drop you off for AA in the mornings before school?" Emmett asks as he points to her glass.

  "Maybe," she grins at him.

  "Jennifer is a slippery bitch," Vin chimes in. "She is also so fucking corrupt it's insane. She's been taking orphans out of New York foster care and giving them to families in Spain at a cost."

  "That's just fucked up." I shake my head.

  "Not to mention, she may very well be the cause of those children becoming orphans in the first place." Ember grinds out. "Her trail went cold about four days ago. Carm is on it to try and figure out where she went. I'm expecting some sort of retaliation from her for Carlos, so as soon as I lost her, I knew I needed to get back here to you guys."

  Carlos was the son of Jennifer Talia, he had captured Vin and I to try and torture info about Ember out of us. Needless to say, he failed and was killed by Carm.

  "What's the next step?" I ask her.

  "We chill for a bit and try to be normal." She nods as she refills her glass.

  "Try being the operative word." Emmett nods taking a sip from her glass.

  12

  "How's school been?" Ember asks as she comes into my room, "do you like it?"

  "Actually, it's hard as fuck and I am going to need you to tutor me. Other than that it's good, it's fun."

  "Who are you chilling with besides Travis?" She lays beside me in the bed.

  "Adrianna has been nice, she's in most of my classes and I met Charles and Jake. We skateboard a lot."

  "That's good. Those are good people." She turns her head to look at me, "have you met Marlana?"

  "Yeah," I nod, "I don't think you will be having problems with her this year. She looks scared as hell."

  "Don't underestimate her." She shakes her head.

  "My locker is right beside hers."

  "No!" She looks at me with amusement.

  "Yeah, and it's your locker from last year."

  "No way!" She squeals and it reminds me of Adri. "Why do you look like you want to puke? Is it the squealing?”

  "No," I chuckle. "I'm fine."

  "Did you talk to Carm?"

  "Yeah, he called." I look over at her, "you seriously kicked him out of the car in the middle of nowhere and made him find his way back to the hotel?"

  "He annoyed the fuck out of me that day." She shrugs.

  It's hard to keep the grin off my face, "then you waited in his hotel room with your Los Muertos makeup on and dressed in black?"

  "He was keeping information from me, I needed him to know I was serious." She shrugs again. “He finally confessed to setting up that guy to jump you.”

  “Yeah, I figured.” I grin at her, "did you really shove him in a pen with a horny bull?"

  "That was purely a coincidence! I didn't know that thing was ready to mate!" She widens her eyes feigning innocence, "besides, he deserved that."

  "And then screaming at a Policia to save you when you were both walking back to the hotel? He was arrested!"

  "And I went and bailed him out. They had to drop the charges once I insisted I forgot my meds that day."

  I can't hold it in any longer and I burst out laughing, she joins in soon after and we turn into a hysterical heap on the bed.

  "How much does he hate me?" She giggles.

  "Actually, I think he might miss you already. He has a job for you next weekend."

  "Really? Why didn't he call me himself?" She pouts.

  "Probably because he doesn't want you to know he misses you." I chuckle.

  "Pussy," she rolls her eyes. "What's the job?"

  "A fight... to the death." Her eyebrows shoot up as she looks at me.

  "Who is it?"

  "One of the Head's guys. I think he was high up in the ranks. He was plotting a hit on the Head."

  "Which Head?" She asks like that answer depends on if she will do it or not.

  "Wade."

  "Pass." She shrugs, "I'll help the fucker plot his death."

  "Seriously?" I look at her with my eyes wide.

  "Ugh," she rolls off the bed. "I probably shouldn't, right? Like, that's bad for business?"

  "Yeah," I nod with a grin, "really bad. Besides, Wade's not that bad."

  "He's a cunt." She says as she's walking out of my room, "call your brother and tell him I miss him too."

  "He's your brother, too!" I yell out to her.

  "Yeah, yeah." I hear her mutter in the hallway.

  God, it feels so good to have her back. As much as she is the embodiment of darkness, my sister really brings light to the gloom that hangs over us. A walking
fucking contradiction. I know Travis is worried about telling her our situation but I know Ember, she won't disappoint me. He may have known her longer but her and I will always have a connection above anybody else's. She might not get it and she may not think it would work but she would never judge us for how we feel.

  When Calen took a whip to my back for the first time, I was beyond traumatized. I pretty much soiled myself every time I heard anything crack. I could barely sleep and eating was so fucking difficult when I wanted to puke constantly. He loved that he instilled a fear so deep in me and relished in my fucking responses. When I look at Travis I can see that fear still inside him, deep down. Every time he is near me, it's like he's tortured by his feelings after so long being told they were wrong. Having an attraction to males after being abused by one for so long, is damaging. I took back my courage and killed the man that tortured me, that was my therapy. Travis doesn't have that option and even if my sister saved the man's life for him, I don't think he ever has it in him to kill. So my therapy wouldn't be his but Travis needs something to give him back his courage and his sexuality.

  My phone lights up on the bed with a text.

  Adrianna: Hey, it's me Adri

  Me: Yeah I figured when I saw ur name

  Adrianna: Don't be an ass

  Adrianna: Travis won't answer my texts...

  Adrianna: He hates me

  Me: No he doesn't

  Me: He's just going through it

  Adrianna: And I fucked it up more

  Me: No u didn't.

  Me: We should talk

  Adrianna: What we did was wrong Emmett

  Me: U really feel that way?

  Adrianna: Yeah

  Adrianna: I shouldn't have done that to him

  Me: Meet me right now

  Adrianna: Emmett...

  Me: I'll come to u... parents home?

  Adrianna: No they are in Spain.

  That's a coincidence being that Ember was just there.

  Me: I'll come by

  Adrianna: I don't think that's a good idea

  Me: Don't worry

  Me: I will tell Travis

  Adrianna: Is there something going on that I should know about?

  Me: Yeah, that's why I'm coming over.

  I don't bother to read her reply and head across the hall to talk to Travis. If he really wants this to work I need his full support and we have to have complete transparency. I knock on his door and hear him call out to come in.

  "Hey, Adri is texting me. Are you not answering her?"

  "No, my phone is downstairs in the kitchen. I forgot to bring it up with me." He replies.

  "I was just about to head over there... you're still onboard for this plan right?"

  "Yeah, I am." He nods, "try not to fuck her right away though, I was just in her last night." He winks.

  "Probably won't happen seeing as I'm a virgin." I shrug.

  "What?" He sits up in bed, "with chicks?"

  "No just a virgin all over." I roll my eyes, "I was homeschooled and didn't get out much. What do you expect?"

  "But you seem so..." he waves his hand at me, "experienced."

  "I'm really not, I just know what I like and how I like it."

  "Fuck," he mutters as he grabs his cock in his sweats, "I'm so hard right now."

  "Oh, fuck off." I turn and walk out of his room. "Text Adri and let her know, that you know that I am going there."

  "Good luck." He calls after me with a chuckle.

  Asshole.

  It's been a while since I have had my baby between my legs. The Ducati purrs as I pull into Adri's driveway. Fucking sexy ass bike, I missed her. All week I had been riding with Travis but this week, I am taking her.

  Adri opens her front door and stands there with her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair is in a high ponytail and her face is void of makeup. She looks a bit puffy like she's been crying a lot and it makes me feel like a piece of shit. I get off the bike and remove my helmet. She stands up straighter and watches me closely. I love the effect I have on her.

  I walk up to her and she doesn't bother to move and let me in. I raise my eyebrow and she raises hers to match.

  "Travis texted me and told me you were coming to explain some shit." She says, her voice sounding hoarse.

  "You okay?" I reach out and run my finger along her cheek.

  "No, I'm not." A tear runs down and onto my finger, "I fucked everything up."

  I gather her into my arms and kiss the top of her head, her hair smelling like strawberries, "nah baby, you didn't. Let me in so I can talk to you."

  "Just talking, Emmett." She turns and leads me into her house, "I'm already in trouble because of you."

  "That wasn't just me, baby girl. You did that, too."

  "Yeah well, let's not get into any more trouble."

  "We won't." She leads me into her kitchen which is all dark colours and stainless steel appliances and picks up a half drunk bottle of wine. "Looks like I will be taking you to meetings along with Ember."

  "She texted me that she was back but I can't stomach talking to her right now." Her bottom lip quivers.

  "Don't ignore her for too long, it'll just rile the beast."

  "I'll call her later, what are you here for?"

  "You have feelings for me, right?" Her brow crinkles and she lifts the wine bottle to her mouth, "okay, let's try this again. I have feelings for you, Adrianna."

  "Okay..." her plump mouth turns down into a frown.

  "I would like the chance to take you out to see where this can go."

  "But Travis..."

  "He knows and says we have his blessing."

  "So, him and I are over then." More tears run down her cheeks.

  "No," I scrub my hand over my face, how the fuck am I going to do this? I decide to conjure Ember and do it her way, "we both want you and right now Travis is not in the right headspace to have a relationship and I want to take care of you. Then later, when he's good and ready to tell you everything maybe we can both have you."

  Her mouth has dropped open and her eyes are the size of fucking dinner plates, "what the actual fuck, Emmett?" She yells.

  "Uh... too direct?" I raise both hands.

  "What? Like my very own harem of guys? Can I just keep adding to it?" She gulps down the wine, "don't you see how that shows how little you guys care?"

  "No other guys. Just me and Travis," I look her in the eye, "we both care about you… a lot. Him and I have come to an understanding. Now think about it... do you have feelings for both of us?"

  "Yes." She whispers.

  "Good." I nod, "so while Travis is getting himself together, I will be wooing you."

  "Wooing?" Her brow raises.

  "Yeah, taking you out and dating you. Give us a chance to get to know each other, see if we even work."

  "God, this all sounds so fucking crazy." She mutters.

  "It does, but it can work if we want it to." I nod.

  "And you two are just good with sharing a girl?"

  "Yeah." She doesn't need to know that she will have to share us too, I'll wait until Travis is ready before I let her in on that.

  "I need to think about this." She rests her head on her arms.

  "Okay." I get it, it's a lot to take in. The last thing I ever want for her is to think we don't care enough. I want her to feel like she's cared for always. I get up from my chair and place my hand on her hair. "I'll let myself out. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

  "Hey Emmett?" She calls out as I reach her front door. "Tell Travis he needs to call me before I take this any further."

  "Yes ma'am." I nod and blow her a kiss. I watch as the blush forms on her cheeks and chuckle as I close her front door behind me.

  13

  “Hey.” A soft knock lands on my door and I look up to see Ember in the doorway.

  “Hey.” I smile at her.

  She comes into the room and
sits at the bottom of my bed. Her shoulders are hunched forward and her head hangs against her chest. “I need to talk to you about something.” She exhales a heavy breath.

  Fuck, did Emmett say something? Am I getting kicked out right now? “Okay.” My voice sounds worried with tension.

  “It’s about what I found at your coach’s house.” She turns and looks me in the eye, “I will need complete honesty, Trav.”

  “E, I am always honest with you.” I raise a brow.

  “Okay,” she nods. “Before I killed him, he was throwing just about everyone in this town under the bus to save his ass.”

  “Obviously, he wanted to live.” I shake my head in disgust, “what was he saying?”

  “He was telling me about a pretty large group of criminals here in Whitsborough and the shit they are doing is not petty.”

  “Really? Did you actually believe him? He knew he was about to die.”

  “He gave me proof, Trav.”

  “Okay, what is it?” I’m not sure what’s happening right now and I don’t know what proof she got but she’s looking at me like I have two heads. She pulls her hands out of her pockets and shows me an USB. I instantly recognize it as one of my father’s.

  “This is what he gave me. It has a lot of information on here and a lot of it is fucking disturbing.”

  “That came from my father.” I tell her. She asked for honesty and that’s exactly what she’s getting.

  “Yeah, he told me that. He had also added to it over the years.”

  “What’s on there?”

  “You don’t know?” She raises a brow.

  “No,” I shake my head, “should I?”

  “I’m going to go grab my laptop, I’ll be right back.” She gets up and leaves the room. I can’t help the feeling that comes over me. My body flashes hot and my stomach starts to churn. What the fuck could be on there? And why does it feel like she’s questioning me?

  “Okay.” She comes back in, “I’m going to warn you, some of this shit isn’t pretty. I also found other stuff in that fucker’s office that we will have to go through together but first this.”