I don’t know who he is talking to, but he hangs up and puts on a smile.
“How are you doing, princess?”
“Okay,” she sighs. “Grandma kept telling me funny stories about grandpa. I made her laugh when I told her about the time grandpa laughed really hard and his beer came out of his nose.”
Leo and I laugh remembering the night fondly. “She said that we’re all going to miss him but he’s with my mom and they’re both looking over us.”
“See, that’s what Dad and I was telling you.”
“I know, but...”
“But what, darlin’?” Leo pushes.
“It’s not the same. We don’t know if they really are watching over us.”
Her sadness reaches us in the front, and I twist in my seat and squeeze her little leg.
“Every time you see someone laugh and their drink comes out of their nose, you’ll know Grandpa’s there. When you’re happy and feel safe, you’ll know your mom is there. It's you, Ray-Ray, that will keep them both alive.”
“I miss him so much already,” she admits, a tear rolling down her cheek.
She wipes it away before I can reach over and do it for her.
“You miss him because he was a great guy, and that makes you lucky, because you were fortunate to have him in your life.”
She nods and goes back to clicking away on her phone.
I turn in my seat and face the front. Leo squeezes my thigh, and I'm grateful when his hand remains.
“Your call didn’t sound good,” I say keeping my voice low.
“Harper’s losing her shit.”
“In what way?”
It weren’t that long ago her and Leo were burning down her house, so I can’t begin to imagine what’s going down today.
“Myles didn’t share that many details, only that she’s lost her mind, and Jay’s doing what he can to stop it kicking off altogether.”
“It?”
He shrugs and puts his foot down a little harder, pushing the speed without being reckless. I’ve always enjoyed watching Leo drive. It’s rare when he’s in the car but when he is, I’m happy enough to sit back and watch. The prospect opens the gates without us having to come to a stop and Leo leans over and kisses me when the car comes to a stop.
“I needed that,” he soothes.
The three of us climb out of the car with Rayna making gagging noises.
“Go over to the house, Ray, I'll be along shortly,” I tell her and follow Leo into the bar.
Out of everything I was expecting, Harper holding a gun up, slowly circulating, aiming at everyone, wasn’t one of them.
I stay close to Leo, latching my fingers into the back of his belt as Harper shrieks, “Just tell me which one of you got my uncle killed!”
Tears stream down her cheeks, droplets falling from her jawline. JJ inches closer to her but she isn’t interested in having him near her.
She wants answers and I don’t blame her. She has more balls than most around here, I couldn’t say I’d hold a gun up at everyone, but who knows when you’re not thinking straight.
I look around and a few of the brothers are either keeping their hands on their guns, or they’re holding them up at her.
