by V. Theia
Ruby spent the next few hours trying to call her sister.
******
"Yo, Preach. You saw your girl?" Called out Grinder, his friend walked towards him as he shrugged out of his jacket, tossed it aside and began pulling on work overalls. The shop was full to bursting today with shit needing repairing. Preacher was already making a way through some damn lug nuts on his job.
Arching a brow, he didn't answer Grinder right away, assuming his buddy wanted to gossip, just got on with the bike under his hands before saying "Not today, why? You wanting some fresh ink?"
"I was just over at Otis' picking up some food, I heard him telling that kid who serves how she's had to take some emergency personal time."
This reared up Preacher's head, his eyes focused a million questions on the end of his tongue. He picked the easiest one. "What do you mean?"
"According to Otis, there was a death in the family."
Preacher's face fell into a confused frown, he abandoned the bike, leaving the tools right by it on the floor as he lifted off his knees. Who the fuck had died? Why hadn't she called him? His girl would be crushed, she wore her heart right there on her sleeve for anyone to stomp all over.
He needed to see her, talk to her, make sure she was okay. "Can you take over for me, G?"
"Yeah, sure, not like I don't have five other repairs to do ... "
Preacher didn't catch the sarcasm. He was busy striding across the shop to grab his cell from his jacket pocket. Saw there was no message from her. His forehead got tight. "Yeah, thanks," he told Grinder. Just as he had Ruby's number pulled up the thing shrilled in his hand, like fucking kismet or something sappy like that. Her name right there on the screen. He answered before it could even ring twice. "Ruby?"
"Asher." She was crying, sobbing actually, her voice distorted with emotion. His fucking heart plummeted.
God, not the kid. Please, don't let it be the kid, Ruby would be destroyed.
"Baby, what's wrong?"
"I need you, Asher."
She needed him. The words affected him more than any words ever had. He was already stripping out of his work coveralls, dumping them on the floor. "Baby, I'm on my way, where you at?"
"Asher. I don't---I can't---I need you." The sobbing grew harder, the noise terrible to listen to when he was miles away and couldn't pull her into his arms and protect her from harm. Preacher's chest wall caved in hearing that despair.
"I gotta know where you are, Ruby. I'm on my way, okay? Just tell me."
"I'm at home. Rita. Asher ... my sister is gone."
Oh. Fuck.
"The kid?" he asked.
It took her a long beat of a minute to answer, by which time Preacher was already straddled on his bike. "He's okay. My sister. I can't breathe. Please. I don't know what to do ---"
"Baby, I'm coming to you, stay right where you are, I won't be long."
Longest ride ever.
He made good timing all considering, broke a few traffic laws along the way, and found her front door unlocked and Ruby in her sleep shorts and a pink tank top, frantically tossing clothes into a suitcase, her bare face streaked with tears, which only intensified when she saw him bracketed in the doorway, he came to her right away, five heavy steps into her bedroom, he counted, it took him five steps to get over to her, five long fucking steps before he had her in his arms he swept her up, pulled her in, holding her as tightly as he could while his old lady fell apart, she just crumbled, crying with her heart breaking in sobs.
"I'm so sorry, baby."
"She's gone. I don't. I can't---I can't think."
Only when she'd cried herself out did he draw her away, brushed the tears from under her eyes, rimmed red, swollen and overflowing, and she was still the most beautiful women ever. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" his fingers outstretched for her.
******
They were no slight to pride or self-sufficiency by asking for help, leaning on a person who offered their hand.
Ruby; the caregiver, the caretaker, it was a strange sensation in her mind to be the one asking, but she didn’t give it a second thought as she watched him stride across the room, his face taut and sympathetic.
Without second guessing herself, she reached out and let Preacher take her hand, feeling that rough calloused warmth enfold around her fingers and she let the sobs come, tears curtaining her vision. All her walls crumbled, left with no defense system in place, too broken to fashion a wall, her heart was torn to shreds to pretend she wasn’t feeling anything, she was feeling everything and it was killing her. What did she do now? What would happen to Sebastian? Her sister was gone. The police officer on the other end of the phone had said so, she believed him and yet didn’t believe him. How could it be true?
Her heart sped up. She pressed harder into Preacher’s chest, his hand so strong on her back coasted up and down.
It was okay to lean on him.
And she began to gorge on the care he was giving.
“Will you help me, Asher, please? I don’t know what to do.” Plastered to his chest, he held her there, stroking her spine. And just like that, he replied softly. “Of course, I will, beautiful. Anything. Just tell me what you need.”
She’d never known asking for help was so simple and yet so terrifying. Vulnerable. She showed him all her pain and he held it in his hands.
The worse thing about being so strong is no one ever asked how you were. Ruby had gotten used to it, somehow desensitized, but Preacher asked like he really wanted to know and cared for her answer.
“I don’t even know.” She hiccupped scraping a hand over her eyes. “She sent me a weird text, her usual, how she can’t cope with Seb and was giving him to me.”
“Hold up. She said she was letting you have her son?”
“Yeah.” She sighed leaning into his side, their fingers locked around each other. She took his strength. “It’s something she does once a month. If I thought she meant it … I couldn’t get hold of her, her phone was off. I thought she was pushing me for more money, Asher.” Her voice cracked. Maybe if she’d talked to Rita sooner instead of thinking the worst of her. "And then ...Then a detective called me an hour ago, I’m her next of kin. There was a small house fire, thank god Sebastian was in his bedroom, I don’t know what I’d do-----the neighbors broke in and got him out but it was ---it was too late for Rita.” She dissolved into a fresh bout of crying. "I just don't understand any of it."
It didn’t matter how frustrated she’d been over the years with Rita, they were sisters, the grief felt unmanageable.
It swallowed her whole while her man brought her into his body and allowed her the silence to just hold her. “I don’t understand it, Asher. How did she send me that text, and then the house catch fire?”
“There will be an investigation, beautiful. The first thing we need to do is get to Nebraska so you can see for yourself the kid is okay. And then talk to whoever is in charge.”
“Yes. Yes, please. I have to go---”
“Have you talked to the douche boyfriend?”
“No. He’s not answering his phone, either. I asked the detective who called, he said no one else was at the house, and no sign of Seb’s dad, the CPS had to take him.”
“Let’s get you packed.”
“I don’t think my car will get me there.” Looking down at the case, she didn’t even recall throwing anything in there, but it now had jeans and shirts. She went over to her bureau and pulled out underwear.
“I want to help getting you there, will you let me, Ruby?” It took no thought at all to nod her head. “Please,” she said.
Preacher stood and pulled out his phone, putting it on speaker-phone when she heard the gravel voice on the other end “Lawless, it’s me.”
“Yo, holy man, you good?”
“Yeah, buddy, fine. Look, I need you to do me a favor, I need two plane tickets to Nebraska ASAP.”
“We’re going on a vacation? I take it the other ticket is for your girl?”
“Yeah, Ruby. You can use my card, It’s----”
Lawless laughed. “Don’t insult me. I can get it. Give me two minutes and I’ll get back to you with the check in details.”
“Thanks, brother.”
They hung up. “Lawless knows his way around computers, he’ll get the earliest flights out of Springs airport.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” He was beside her a moment later, Ruby sank into all his energy, soaking it in, allowing herself to lean on someone else, her bones too heavy to hold her up, her mind a riot of thoughts she couldn’t sift through without wanting to die alongside Rita.
It was unreal. Maybe they’d made a mistake? The sooner she got to Nebraska so she could lay eyes on Sebastian the better. That’s all that was keeping her upright.
Keep strong. Keep going.
Preacher’s hands on her back stroked slowly, soothing her shattered nerves. She leaned into him a little more.
Ten minutes liked he’d promise Preacher’s club brother called back and their plane tickets were waiting to be collected.
They flew out of Colorado that night and arrived in Nebraska One hour eighteen minutes after that. Ruby wished she could have enjoyed her first flight, could have enjoyed being cuddled up with Preacher, could have laughed at him with his knees practically smashed into his chest, she was numb inside, relying on fumes to get her to move one foot in front of the other, choosing to hold onto his hand as tightly as she could, the warmness of Preacher soaking into her coldness. “I got you, beautiful,” he told her quietly as the plane taxied to the runway, her stomach churning, she had no idea what her heart was doing other than it hurt so badly. She tried to smile at him. Their eyes clashed and held. “I’m with you all the way.”
She prayed silently for the little boy she was desperately trying to reach. Dear, Heavenly Father. This is Ruby. Please take care of my sister.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“Put a ring on it, brother.” – Rider
Death was the ugliest act, the most calamitous emotion. It didn’t announce itself, just came and swept through the building like a fucking detonating bomb, leaving rubble in its wake. Through the long airport walk, the quiet cab ride, and then the fast-paced sprint through the hospital where the kid was being kept, Preacher kept an eye on Ruby, she was wound so tight it was a miracle she was upright. Death had ravaged her, but he knew she didn’t truly believe it, not really. With death, you had to see it with your own eyes or a flicker of disbelief and hope crept in, whispered it wasn’t true, it was all a mistake, it was someone who looked like your loved one and they’d made a horrible switch up.
He was there to hold her up. She was going to crash anytime soon. He knew it. He knew first-hand how like clockwork this shit went. Preacher wished he could take this from her, bring it into his own gut so Ruby wasn’t feeling any of it.
And to just prove what a piece of wasted shit her family really were, she’d called an aunt and uncle who lived here in Nebraska, to tell them the news and Ruby was quickly told they had no money for the funeral. What fucking stand up people. He wanted to hunt those motherfuckers down and tell them they didn’t deserve a person like Ruby.
Preacher had had his suspicions for hours now. It was all too convenient, Ruby receives a text from her sister giving up the kid, only to turn up dead an hour later. What are the odds on that being a coincidence?
He wasn’t even thinking suicide. But he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to upset Ruby further, but all became clear when the cop in charge, one Detective Kane, met them at the hospital outside of the kid’s room. Not much of a fan for the law but the first mistake Kane made not allowing Ruby to go in to see the boy. Preacher held his tongue to let the guy talk.
He went on to explain the fire was contained to the bedroom and a lot of drug paraphernalia was found by the body. Preacher cupped the back of Ruby’s nape, his old lady was shaking barely keeping it together. It was only as the cop went on to tell her how the neighbors had kicked in the door and found Sebastian outside the mom’s bedroom door that Ruby grabbed onto his shirt front, she swayed and made a muffled distressed noise he’d remember forever. Wrapping his arm around her Preacher took over asking the questions after that while she cried into his chest.
Foul play.
That’s what the cop said. The fire had started sometime around three AM.
“That can’t be.” Ruby gasped. “She texted me at four AM.” Sure enough she showed the cop her phone.
Preacher got that gut feeling again as he watched the cop’s eyes. Oh yeah, that fucker was thinking the same damn thing he was.
And the boyfriend was nowhere to be found. Join the dots.
They had the happy trip to the morgue next to formally identify Rita’s body, but before that Ruby needed to see the kid. The cop left them.
Preacher turned fully towards her, cupped her cheeks, her eyes were red and puffy, watching her put herself together before they went into his room.
“How are you holding up, beautiful?”
“I just want to see him.” Taking a long breath, his lady put on her mask. So, strong, his ribs ached for her. “It’s like a nightmare, Preacher. I’m waiting to wake up. You can go to the motel if you want.”
Tipping up her chin with his thumbs he leaned down and rubbed his nose on hers. “Not leaving you, baby. Let’s go see the kid.”
******
Asher Priest age: 20.
"Come on, old man, keep up." Teased Asher, running ahead of his brother. Legs pumping as hard as he could, he was sweating, his T-shirt sticking to his honed body, he chanced looking behind him and saw Shane coming up on his right side. Cursing, Asher took off. When they both eventually stopped, they were panting, Asher bent over at the waist resting his hands on his thighs, thinking about puking right here, sweat pouring out of him.
He'd never been fitter.
And he felt like he was about to die.
Pushing himself just to keep up with Shane was a full-time job. His older brother excelled at everything, including the drill course at the Fort Carson army base in Colorado where the brothers were stationed.
But today, fuck yeah, he'd outrun and out-did that crazy bastard. Asher might be a minute away from puking to death but he'd fucking won for once.
Death was worth it. He fell to his knees heaving in air. Shane joined him, a smile on his face.
"Less of the old, dickhead. I only have a few years on you."
When they could rise from the dry dusty ground Shane helped to haul Asher up, they pounded each other's back in celebratory victory and flung arms around their shoulders strolling off to grab something to eat from the canteen.
Asher had been jittery for days, the excuse to burn off energy today by taking the course with a maniac's determination. They were being shipped out this week for their first tour. He didn't mind admitting he was shitting bricks over it. It would be the first time he was out of the country and so far away from his family. His mom had never stopped crying and he felt guilty over that, if not for him she'd still have Shane at home, but captain-hair needed to tag along to make sure Asher didn't get into trouble. Like they thought he was gonna go ballistic with a gun in his hand.
He stole one dirt bike when he was twelve and now he was smeared for life. Go figure.
Asher had grown up privileged, as in he had a good family that wasn't perfect by any normal standard but they loved each other, he learned a solid work ethic from the man walking at his side and he learned how to do every household chore from his batty mom, she was a pistol in an apron and he was going to miss going home most weekends for her famous Sunday macaroni and biscuits, carb-overload for sure. He wondered briefly what food they'd get over there, would the heat knock him out? Was it as dangerous as he read about? He felt prepared and scared shitless at the same time.
All he could do was his best.
He wanted a career, he was shit with school work, all of it jumbled up on the page until he got so frustrated
he wanted to punch textbooks into a bonfire, yet put something practical in front of him and Asher got it done.
"You scared, bro?" He asked casting a side glance at his brother who was drying himself off with a towel. They both had the same color hair and eyes, but Shane was somewhat taller, slightly wider on the shoulders. Asher had been going to the gym on base more often, he wanted to bulk up, to get leaner and fitter.
"Sure am." That's what he loved about Shane, he never bullshitted. Asher grinned and slapped him on the back.
"I'll look out for you, old man, just hide behind me."
"You're so full of crap." He laughed. "We're Priests. We take care of each other, Ash, you remember that, always, we got each other's backs. But make sure I'm behind you if your gun goes apeshit, yeah? Don't wanna get hit by a stray bullet, I got babies to make when I get home."
Asher smiled. His brother was already counting down the days to when his commitment to the army was over and they'd barely been here two years, this was their first tour overseas.
Whereas Asher, despite his fear of the unknown ahead of him, loved army life, he had no desire for a family of his own, or people to tie him down to a desk job and mortgage, he'd rather run with danger than being part of the monotonous population.
"Kids?" Asher's chest squeezed even as he laughed. "Seeing Tyler piss on the floor isn't enough to put you off that?"
Having a little brother that wasn't even in school yet was a hard lesson in what Asher didn't want to see in his future. Kids were little pissing and shitting aliens who took away your freedom. Sure, he loved the brat and was always taking him toys when he could get home for the weekend, but as for having a brood of his own... thanks but nah.
"Wait until you grow some proper facial hair instead of that babyface fuzz, bro." chuckled Shane grabbing Asher by the face. "Then you'll be mature enough to know you want kids one day. Just wait, it'll happen."