After plucking a rose from the standing spray, I laid it on top of her casket. “Rest easy, Jenny.”
As I walked away, a chilling breeze whizzed past my face. I paused for a moment, closing my eyes. It felt like that was Jenny letting me know she heard me. When I reopened my eyes, I saw Will and a few of the Ol’ Ladies wiping their tears while the brothers wore solemn expressions.
Once Jenny’s casket started lowering into the ground, everyone got in line to grab a rose from the stand we had near the burial site. Angela was the last to throw a rose into the plot. It was hard watching her as she broke in her father’s arms.
The moment was interrupted when I heard Angela's mother gasp. I turned to her and saw that her face was morphed in concern. I followed her gaze and saw an older woman withblonde hair approaching. She was showing way too much skin to be at a cemetery. The closer she got, the more I recognized her.
This was Jenny’s mother, Jocelyn. After everything Jenny told me, I did a full background check on her mother. I was prepared for when she came for me. I just didn’t think she would try anything before we fully buried Jenny.
“How dare you bury my child without telling me!” she shouted at Angela.
Angela opened her mouth to say something, but burst into tears again. Kenneth handed Angela over to her mother before facing Jocelyn. “It's what she wanted, Jocelyn.”
She reached back and slapped Kenneth. “Don’t you tell me what she wanted! She was my only child. I have a right to be here!” she hissed. “And where is my grandchild? She will be going with me today!”
Kenneth glared at her, not saying a word. Slowly, I stood to my feet, gaining her attention. She looked down at Miracle in Will’s lap, then back at me.
“She won't be going anywhere with you,” I said.
As soon as I said that, two men appeared out of nowhere, flanking both sides of her. They were well over six feet tall and muscular. I assumed these were Jocelyn's brothers that Jenny told me about. Her mother gave me a devious smile. “You sure about that?”
I chuckled, walking over to them. I didn’t even need to turn around once I heard all the shuffling behind me. I knew my brothers were on their feet, issuing a silent warning.
If you fucked with one of us, then you fucked with all of us.
I got a great deal of joy when I saw the cocky expressions drop from their faces. I folded my arms, leaning forward until I hovered over her. “I’m positive about that.”
I watched her face go from shock to fury in a matter of seconds. I knew she thought she was going to come here and leave with Miracle with ease.
“You can't do this! She is my grandchild!” she screamed.
“And she’s my daughter. I know exactly what you’re after, and you’re not going to get it. Now, Jenny didn’t want you here, so I’m going to ask you to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere! I will get her one way or another,” she threatened.
“Over your dead body,” I whispered so only Jocelyn and her brothers could hear me.
Fear swirled in their eyes. I stared at them fiercely so they could see I meant every word. I would kill them without blinking if they came for Miracle. My daughter was my entire world. Threatening to take her was a quick way to make me same day ship you to Jesus.
Eventually, one of the brothers tugged on her arm. “Come on, Jocelyn. Let’s just go.”
“But—”
“Now,” he cut her off.
She watched me with hateful eyes. “This isn’t over!” she spat before storming away.
I cracked the bones in my neck, feeling the urge to snap. I didn’t know if Jocelyn thought because she was Jenny’s mother that I wouldn’t harm her, but she was sadly mistaken. I wasn’t going to wait for her to come at me.
She was going to see me a lot sooner than she expected.
Chapter Twenty-One
WILL
Iwas finally back at work, and it had already been a long day. With Miracle added to the bunch, we had a total of five babies under the age of one. Not to mention two sets of triplet toddlers, Chase, Elena, and Capone’s three-year-old stepdaughter, Gabrielle. Crystal, Debbie, Victoria, and I were handling it, though. I had been gone for six weeks, so it took me a while to get back into our routine.
The kids were so excited when I walked through the door this morning, especially Mari and Gabrielle. According to those two, no one did arts and crafts as well as I did. Before Capone claimed his Ol’ Lady, Giovanna, Mari was the only one who was obsessed with my paint days, but now she had Gabi.
