“Really?”
“It’s the truth. You’re free.”
I’d sat down with everyone close to Niall in the days after his death to discuss how to go forward. I made it clear I wanted no part of anything and that whoever wanted to take over could as far as I was concerned, just leave me out of it. I’d done my best to convince them that he brought on his death himself.
It’d taken them some considerable time to go over everything and to come up with who would go forward as the new kingpin in training. In the meantime, I acted in Niall’s place, though I hated every second of it. I had no desire to deal with drug lords, dealers, and prostitutes, but it’s what I had to do to move things forward.
Niall’s lawyer contacted me about a week after he died letting me know that he’d left nearly everything, including custody of Georgia, the house, and the warehouse to me. The money went to Georgia, which was fine by me. I had plenty of my own, and at least she’d be set for the rest of her life if she didn’t piss it all away. When I’d received that bit of news, I damn near fell out of my seat. I couldn’t believe the son of a bitch had actually done right by us.
But it didn’t come without consequence. Niall had also included a letter addressed to me with his will. It contained news that I never could have predicted. Turns out Georgia wasn’t his daughter, but she hadn’t been kidnapped either. Her mother was in a bad way when she reached out to Niall, who answered with a bullet to her head. She must have been desperate to seek him out, only to end up dead because of it, but I couldn’t feel sorry for her.
It turns out that Georgia’s mother was Niall’s ex, the same one who’d violated me as a teenager. The day I found out Georgia was actually my daughter, not my sister was a bittersweet one. I’d always treated her like she was mine, and maybe deep down I felt like she was, but to know that Niall knew this all along made me want to set fire to his grave and piss all over it. At least I could give her a real family now. One with a mother and hopefully a brother or sister for her soon enough.
I could barely focus on anything Flint had to say. It’d taken almost a year to hear the news I’d been anticipating and when it came from his mouth, I could’ve passed out, but there was no time for it.
I had an appointment I couldn’t and wouldn’t miss for anything in the world.
*
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Breath-taking. None of those words compared to the way Evie looked in her wedding gown. It was off-white and form-fitting through her body with the skirt flowing out from her waist. We kept the ceremony small with only her parents, Georgia, Big, Sophie, and Alex in attendance. I still had no desire to meet my mother, but Alex was sweet and had persisted enough that she finally wore me down. She eventually stopped trying to get me to meet the rest of the family, and I’d figured out early on that my brother didn’t really want anything to do with me anyway. That was fine by me. I had no room for assholes in my life anymore.
Our reception ended up being the biggest party the city of Oakton had ever seen. The staff at The Warehouse busied themselves all week in preparation for the festivities.
But the part I looked forward to the most was the quiet time after it all when I could be alone with my wife.
Quiet. Comfortable. Safe.
The life I always wanted had won the battle against the one I’d always known. For the first time in my life, I had a family, the love of a good woman and my daughter, and a future to look forward to.
Interested in reading a story with a little more bite?
Check out The Willow Creek Vampires Series on Amazon today!
Blurb:
Welcome to Willow Creek, where life is simple, crime is practically nonexistent, and people are happy—unless you’re Sabine Crowley. On her eighteenth birthday, she receives word that she’s the latest offering in a two-hundred-year arrangement between the townspeople and the vampire lord who presides over the town. There goes her plan for traveling the world, moving away from Willow Creek, and pursuing her dreams. Now that she’s being sent to live with the vampires, she’s tied to the town and cocky newcomer Remy, the vampire she’s tasked to feed for the rest of her life.
The Willow Creek Vampires Series follows Sabine’s journey through finding out she’s the next offering, to falling in love, to doing everything she can to hold onto and save the love she never thought she’d find, all while searching for a way to freedom.
Craving - http://amzn.to/1NkqNhT
Haunting - http://amzn.to/1GKMPYO
Awakening - http://amzn.to/1QRTo3K
Origin - http://amzn.to/1HbzUNX
About Stephanie Summers
Stephanie Summers is a wife and mother of two. She graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in accounting, though writing is her true passion. Stephanie seemed to always have a story or two or ten running around in her mind. At the ripe old age of 30, she finally decided it was time to put aside the thought that she didn’t have what it took to write a novel and began writing her first story.
She is the author of The Willow Creek Vampires Series, which presently consists of three books: Craving, Haunting, and Awakening, as well as two short stories in the companion series, The Bludworth Chronicles. Her short story, Love Forgotten, was chosen to be published in Stardust: A Futuristic Romance Collection. She is also the author of the contemporary rock star romance, The Take Me Duet, which consists of Take Me On and Take Me Home.
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