Chapter One
It had been two yearssince the first arrival of the Warlords to Braaken Ridge, Montana.But those two years had been full of good times and bad, tears of pain and tears of pleasure for the five brothers and their families.Now everything had settled down and life was good.
Charli might have lost her grandpa to Andy’s bullet but she found Ace and a whole new life.The brothers had cleaned up this part of the world and now almost everyone was living the good life.
Charli and Ace’s son, Ben, was six months old now.Luna was pregnant with their first child as well.King and Mags had just had their first baby too, a little girl they called Alison who was born a month ago.Then Jack and Jaden also added to their family with another little girl named Megan.
Everything seemed to be almost perfect now in their world,almost.
Charli was at the cemetery this morning visiting her parents and grandparents when she felt a shiver run up her spine.A feeling of foreboding washed through her.She raised her head, searching the area with careful eyes.She hadn’t felt this particular sensation in a long time and the last time she did, her world came crashing down around her.In fact, it had been the day before her family was hit by that car...
She stood up from the grass where they had been sitting by the headstones and gathered baby Ben up in her arms.She got both herself and Ben to the four by four.With one last look around, she sped off toward the big house and the safety Ace provided his family.
Charli came skidding to a stop just outside the house.
The door opened and Ace came rushing out.“Babe, what’s wrong?Is someone following you?”
Charli just sat there in the four by four, her whole body shaking.She turned to gather her son in her arms.
Ace was right there when she slid off the seat with her son in her arms.Ace wrapped his arms around his little family.
With a huge sigh, Charli planted her face in his broad chest.
After a moment, he tipped her chin up with his fingers and studied her face with questions in his eyes.“What’s going on, Charli?Why did you come tearing back here like the boogeyman was chasing you?Are you and Ben okay?”
Charli nodded.“Yeah, we’re fine but something is gonna change here real soon.I don’t know what’s coming but something is.It's like a black cloud looking for somewhere to bring the storm.”
Ace looked confused.“What does that mean?”
Charli just shook her head.
“Come on, let’s go in the house and talk about this.”He told her.He ushered them inside and were met with concerned looks from everyone else.
King, Jack, Deuce, Joker and some of the women were waiting inside.
Mags came up and asked quietly, “Do you need me to take Ben for you?”
Charli shook her head and gripped her son tighter to her body.Her eyes looked haunted and she stumbled over to the sofa.She lifted her son higher in her arms and then rocked him back to sleep.
Ace sat down beside her.
No one said a word for a long time, then finally Joker knelt in front of her and looking at her, he asked, “What’s going on here, Charli?Why are you so scared and what are you scared of?Please tell us.”He paused, then he said, “You’ve always been so strong, so tough, but now you’re sitting here shaking like a damn leaf.Talk to us.”
Charli took a deep breath and looked around at them all.“You all know I’m part Gypsy, right?”
Everyone nodded and waited.
“I figured out that it had to be that part of me that...”She shook her head.“...that feels things no one else can feel.It's like when the world gets tipped off its axis for a fraction of a second, you know?Most people just don’t get sensations like that but I do and I always have.I just never talk about it.The first time I felt it was the day my parents died.Somehow, I knew that trip would be the last time I would see them.When they all the farm that day all I could do was watch them go.I was just a kid and the feeling I had scared the crap out of me, you know?”
Everyone just stared at her.
Charli shook her head and her voice went low as it trembled, “I knew they were gone the moment the crash happened.In my mind, I could see their souls leave their bodies and I was afraid to say a word about it to anyone.I laid in my bed here that night and I just cried.My grandmother was afraid for me because all I could do was cry.I was safe with my grandparents but I knew before they told me that my parents were gone.When they got the news about the crash she just turned and stared at me.She seemed to realize that I knew what happened to them before this.She and grandpa tried to speak to me but I couldn’t tell them the truth, they would think I was crazy or something.”Charli let out a long breath and looked up at the ceiling.
Joker patted her hand to encourage her to finish.
She nodded her head and spoke again, “I think they were a little afraid of me after that.For the longest time they would give me strange looks. Then over the years, those feelings got stronger and I didn’t say anything to anyone about what was going on.But grandpa would watch me carefully.Then my grandma got sick.Grandpa knew what was coming just by watching me.He began making preparations and he was there for both of us.But he knew.Then after she died, he stayed close to me for the longest time.”
“Did you feel like he was going to die when he did?”Ace finally asked her.
