To Redemption (Whitsborough Chronicles Book 4)

by C. A. Rene

  “She’d say toughen up.” Her twin Samuel taunts her, he’s five going on thirty.

  Yeah, I ended up with twins and they remind me every day of the original. Their eyes even shine the exact same shade of blue. Only Samuel is more like Ember and Sonja is like Emmett.

  “Ivy’s an asshole.” Ember says from beside me as she rubs her very pregnant belly.

  “She’s like you.” I chuckle as I sip my glass of wine.

  “I want to guzzle a whole bottle of that shit.” She moans as she watches me drink.

  “Soon,” I tell her and smooth down her hair. “You look ready to pop. Maybe after this one you can tell Vin to get himself snipped.”

  “Three is good.” She nods.

  “Three is perfect.” I reiterate.

  “When will your parents get here?”

  “Next week,” I groan and tip my head back. “The thought of having them stay with us for a month is exhausting.”

  “It’s amazing how good they are with the kids though.” Ember laughs. “Nothing like how they were with you.”

  “And the fact that they accepted I have two husbands? It’s freaking astonishing.”

  Six years ago, I married Travis in a courtroom, officially becoming a Greene, and then two weeks later we had a garden wedding for the three of us here at Debra and Scott’s house. It was perfect, Vin was Travis and Emmett’s best man and shockingly, Marlana was my maid of honour.

  She’s changed a lot and the two of us grew closer over the years. She’s matured into a caring woman who finally could see the importance of family.

  Ember got herself ordained and officiated the ceremony herself, it was amazing.

  We built our house on Travis’ family’s land. It took some convincing, but he finally relented and we all pitched in on the design. He was so worried about the land being evil and penetrating our new home.

  That couldn’t be any further from the truth. Our home is bursting at the seams with love, we can hardly contain it.

  My life is nothing like I ever imagined it would turn out. I went to community college here in Whitsborough to stay close to my family and to help Sharla with the restaurant. I took Early Childhood Education classes and graduated early to attend teacher’s college.

  Now, I am the current principal for Precious Blood Academy. Watching the teenagers there with all their angst and anger brings me back to my adolescence everyday.

  Life is what you make it and I believe us resilient Greenes made it the absolute best we could’ve.

  “You should’ve seen this bust.” I exclaim to Vin as we stand at the barbeque. “It was the biggest in Whitsborough history.”

  “Bro,” Vin chuckles. “That can’t be that much.”

  “Mountains of white shit, trust me.” I nod and take a sip of my beer.

  I watch as the twins run through Ember and Vin’s lawn like two forces. Their laughter echoing back at us. Those two came from my sac, there’s no fucking denying it. Ivy stands and watches them, deep in thought, and I would imagine, planning their demise. So much like my sister, it’s uncanny.

  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life but I knew I wanted to do my part in keeping Whitsborough clean. So, I went into the police academy, started at parking patrol until I slowly moved up.

  Now, I’m better known as Police Chief Torres. Plus, those handcuffs were a blessing.

  “Is this going to be your last kid?” I ask Vin as I watch my sister waddle inside to answer the ringing phone.

  “Not if I can help it.” He grins at me. “If I keep her pregnant, it keeps her from running off doing dangerous things.”

  “That’s true, until she blows up from a life of normal activities. It may be your murder scene I stumble upon next.”

  “You’re probably right.” He agrees and continues to grin. “But we always did like a little blood play.”

  “Gross.” I gag and choke on my beer.

  “Uncle Tommy! Aunt Mar!” Sammy comes running over. “Look Daddy, look who came.”

  I turn and see a smiling Tommy with Marlana. They always remained close and even married into the same family. Marlana married Charles-our high school friend-and Tommy married his older sister Amy. Speaking of, I watch as they too come outside.

  “What’s up?” Vin calls out. “Grab some beers and whine to me about that football game last night.”

  “Fuck you.” Tommy grins and comes over to us. “Bro, Ember is a fucking whale this time around. How many are in there?”

  “That’s an evil thing to wish such an atrocity on people.” I point at him.

  His head tips back as he laughs. “True.” He agrees as he watches Sammy and Sonja tackle Marlana.

  “Heard about the bust, Bro.” Charles says as he sits down in the chair beside me. “Fucking sweet.”

  “Yeah man. Biggest in Whitsborough history. Bet you can’t top that.” I wink and take a swig of my beer.

  “I’m a fucking Fire Chief, I couldn’t top that. Idiot.” He says as he chuckles and shakes his head.

  “That’s right.” I say. “How’re the kids?”

  “Carmelo is sulking because we dropped them off with my parents.” Charles says and shakes his head. “Sabrina is good, we just learned she’s gifted.”

  Carmelo junior, yep that’s right, Marlana ended up being pregnant with Carm’s baby and there was no need for a DNA test, the kid came out looking exactly like him. When she came back here to Whitsborough, she saw Charles and they reconnected. Now they also share a daughter as well.

  Thankfully, after Carm passed, no one else was buried in our mausoleum. We kept our promises to each other and lived our lives not just for ourselves but for the whole family.

  Tommy’s plaque is still in there because we’re all a little morbid like that.

  “Father, I didn’t mean to wet my pants,” Gabriel looks at me with his large chocolate brown eyes. “I just didn’t have time to come inside.”

  “You have to make the time.” I chastise him as I towel him down from the bath. “This is your last change of clothes.”

  “Okay.” He nods solemnly as I dress him.

  He’s so much like Adri, it makes my chest hurt with how much I love him. Our twins are five and Gabe will be three in a month. Our kids are my absolute pride and joy, there’s nothing I won’t do for them.

  I won’t lie, when I found out Adri was pregnant the first time, I panicked. My childhood consisted of physical and emotional abuse, and I thought, how could I do any better?

  E could see the battle I was having within, even when no one else could, not even my husband or wife. We’ve just always been like that, connected on a level we could never explain. She took me aside and told me she had an idea.

  She wanted to build a center for children who’ve experienced trauma and she asked me to run it. It was exactly what I needed, to be able to help children like I was never helped, and to see how far I truly came.

  After our first year of being open, I decided to write a memoir, it has every detail of what happened to me and I’ve never felt freer. I can finally let go of all the hatred buried inside me and I have forgiven everyone for their grievances against me.

  My father’s company is still in my name but I don’t have much to do with it. The board makes the decisions and I sign checks, then I funnel all money I make into our shelter.

  “Come on, Father!” Gabe yells from the hallway. “Sammy and Sonny are going to have all the fun without me!”

  “Alright, alright.” I laugh as I scoop him up and bring him back outside.

  “Everything okay?” Adri asks as I watch her little double scoot across the lawn towards his family.

  “Perfectly okay.” I whisper and grab her chin.

  I pull her in and kiss her softly. Her breath hitches and she presses closer in.

  “Hey you two!” Our husband calls out. “Let me know when I can be tagged in.”

  Adri snorts int
o my face and I flip him off over my head.

  “Maybe we’ll get another set of twins!” Vin calls out.

  I turn to look at him over my shoulder and grin, “maybe you’re having the next set for us!”

  I chuckle as I watch his face blanche.

  “Ember is carrying bigger this time.” Adri muses.

  “Na, the doctor is sure there’s only one in there. But it’s fun to scare him anyways.”

  My life was never a walk in the park, more like a stroll through Hell and I couldn’t see an end to the infernus heat. Then Emberlise Craven strolled into my life, doused the flame, and laughed like Hell was her own personal playground.

  I am a prime example of damaged goods. I could’ve let it kill me and I almost did, but I was shown how to grab those demons by the horns and make them my bitches.

  “Ivy gets this look that makes me want to apologize in case she stabs me.” Emmett says as he watches my daughter scowl at his children.

  “She’s her mother’s daughter, through and through.” I say with pride in my voice.

  A few weeks after we killed Moore, Em found out she was pregnant. I was over the moon and forced her to marry me the next month. I decided as much as I loved acting, it just wasn’t feasible while I had a wife and a baby on the way.

  So, I did the next best thing. I took up Scott’s classic car acquisition business and grew it even bigger. Now, it’s run on a global scale and I have multiple HQ’s around the world.

  I’d like to think I’ve made him proud.

  “Daddy?” I hear a little voice behind me.

  “Hey Saxon, what’s up?” I look at my young son.

  His green eyes stare up at me as he pouts in that adorable way only a four year old can.

  “Ivy says I’m adopted.” His eyes fill with tears.

  My daughter will be the reason I am premature gray.

  “Sweetheart, you tell Ivy she’s actually Uncle Emmett’s child and we took her to be nice.”

  “Okay!” He squeals and runs to find his troublemaking sister.

  “What the fuck?” Emmett looks at me in shock. “First off, fuck you. Second, that could seriously scar her.”

  “Nah man. Like I said, that girl is her mother through and through. She’ll wake me up tomorrow morning with a punch in the face as retaliation.”

  “What a peach.” He says with adoration in his eyes. “Oh! Grandma is bringing potato salad and her special fruit punch. You know what that means.”

  The guys all groan as I laugh. Jenna has a fruit punch she brings to every cookout and the thing must have a gallon of alcohol in it. We can all safely say we’ve knocked up our wives after a night of drinking that shit.

  I don’t have to worry, I can fuck the shit out of my wife tonight. Not that I wouldn’t if she weren’t pregnant.

  “Do you know what you’re having this time?” Charles asks and I shake my head.

  “Nope. Same as the others, we like surprises.”

  “That’s what Amy and I did too.” Tommy nods. “Cameron was an it until the day he was born.”

  Watching everyone laugh and be a family unit has me thinking about the road that got us here. Nothing about it was easy but fuck, if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a single thing.

  I got my happily ever after with my soul’s mate and a family anyone would be envious of.

  Can I say I am one-hundred percent content? That my heart doesn’t quicken when I look back over the things we did to cleanse our town? The answer is no, my darker undercurrents will always be there and I have a wife who has hers to match.

  Like a his and hers need to quench our murder thirsts.

  This kid weighs like a hundred pounds and waddling to a ringing phone is torture, also the pressure on my vagina tells me it’s coming soon.

  “Hello.” I growl in the phone a little breathless and a lot pissed off.

  “Loca.” Trent says with a chuckle.

  “Fuck, I almost gave birth rushing to this phone.”

  “Good,” he says. “We need to get back to training you. You’re the size of a van.”

  “I’m hanging up on you now, you cunt.”

  “No wait.” He’s laughing harder and the sound my teeth make as I clench has me worrying I cracked one. “The Head meeting, you wanted a run down.”

  “Right.” I ground out and he has the audacity to chuckle. “Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I forgot how to break a nose, Mano.”

  He falls silent, then clears his throat. Yeah, I figured that would shut him up.

  “Everything is operating as you had hoped. The Heads have a final tally in and we’re looking at five child rapists, three corrupt foster homes, and thirteen rescued sex slaves. That’s just last month, you were right, this underground system really is working.”

  “Can you say that again?”

  “What?” He asks, sounding slightly confused.

  “The part where you said I was right, I want to record it and get myself off to it later.”

  He barks out a laugh and I find myself smiling right along with him.

  “Hi sweetheart!” I hear Jenna’s voice call out as she comes through to the kitchen.

  “Hey.” I smile as she comes over and kisses my cheek. “Are you taunting Trent?”

  “No way.” I shake my head and she chuckles softly.

  “Tell her how you threatened to break my nose again.” He says loudly through the phone’s speaker.

  “No!” I whisper harshly. “She won’t let me have any of her cobbler.”

  “Hurry up and push this kid out, I have jobs lining up and everyone is asking for the Black Slaughter.”

  “Fucking right they are. Why have shit when you can have the best?” I sing-song.

  “How’s Emmett and the throuple?”

  “Emmett is his annoying self and now that someone gave him the Chief badge, it’s only gotten worse.” I huff.

  “You have to admit though, you never saw this coming for him.”

  “I knew he would be great at something, but being a cop was the furthest from my mind.” I admit.

  “Emberlise!” Jenna calls out-only Emmett can call her Grandma, “help me get this punch in the bowl.”

  “Oh fuck Trent, I gotta go. Grandma here has the baby-making punch ready and I need to bet on who’s getting knocked up next.”

  “Alright,” he laughs. “I’ll be up there in a few weeks, hopefully around the time my new niece or nephew is born.”

  “Okay, Mano. See you then.”

  I hang up the phone and turn to Jenna. “Thank you for bringing the fuck juice. Let’s watch these heathens lose their minds.” I rub my hands together.

  She’s having trouble holding her smile in, “Ember watch that mouth. You have a child inside you.”

  “What?” I grasp my belly in mock surprise. “I thought this fucker was a beachball.”

  “You’re impossible.” She huffs but I hear her chuckle too.

  I go to her and pour the punch into a large bowl. Yep, this shit is strong, I can smell the rum three feet away.

  “I’ll carry it out.” She says while looking at my stomach. “With that beachball you surely can’t see your own feet.”

  “Fucking rude.” I mutter and follow her outside.

  I find Vin, Emmett, Adri, and Travis by the barbeque and head over there.

  “Grandma!” Emmett stands and yells for Jenna. “You brought my favourite punch.”

  “Yes, my boy.” She coos and I mock gag.

  “I have my cooking class tomorrow evening,” Adri tells Emmett. “Don’t have a hangover and not be able to try my food.”

  “Yes, Honey.” He looks at me, his eyes wide with fear.

  Yeah, Adri can take a million classes but her cooking never gets better. At least she’s persistent, I’ll give her that.

  “Rodney is going to be late.” Vin says as he flips a burger. “He found a classic Imp
ala we’ve been searching for.”

  Oh yeah, we also got Rodney out of jail and when people wouldn’t hire him because he had a criminal record, we gave him a job with Vin.

  “That’s cool.” I shrug. I don’t know what the fuck an Impala is.

  I look out and watch as our children all run and scream, mostly from Ivy being a little sadistic. It makes me feel justified in everything I did to get to this point. I did it for everyone here right now and some who aren’t.

  Through the eyes of my family, I finally found my redemption.

  “Guys!” I spread my arms out towards our children, “check out the Whitsborough Progenies.”

  About the Author

  C.A. Rene

  The computer screen is my canvas and the keyboard is my brush. Thank you for viewing my masterpieces.

  My addictions include coffee, books, and WINE, in that order.

  Please join my FB Group and show the love! I appreciate it!

  C.A’s Renegades

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/506771586708026/

  Whitsborough Chronicles

  Whitsborough is a town full of scandal and then Ember shows up and brings more of her own. Continue reading to learn more about the interesting people who call this town home.

  Through the Pain

  I’m different.

  There’s a darkness that stirs restless in my soul. It craves blood and violence then feeds off my anger and despair.

  I can control it… most of the time.

  I can starve it, but I cannot starve myself.

  Because it’s not just the darkness that craves these things… I do too.

  My mother grounded me and helped calm the storm, now she’s dead and everything’s changed. I lived my life through red hued glasses and anger always simmers just under the surface.

  Until him…

  Now my dark soul craves his and I won’t let anything come between us, even if I have to kill… with my bare hands.

  Into Darkness

  It’s coiled so tight.