Page 126 of Legacy

“Bodhi, son.”

I just shook my head and stomped my way out the back exit.

Mr. Carter, Felicity’s dad and the former fire captain, gave an audible sigh as Thatcher, the current fire captain, called after me.

But I ignored them, jumped into my truck, and headed up the mountain road where I’d find my solace.

The home I’d raised my babies in, that I’d made love to my wife in, no longer stood, but on another lot over, I’d built another cabin for myself. It wasn’t large, but there was a place to sleep and a place to eat. And the barn in the back was large enough that I could do all of my work and store it. I had bought enough acreage that people wouldn’t bother me, I could keep my bees, and just breathe the mountain air without having to deal with people. There were a couple other small cabins on the property, ones that I didn’t use. But I guess if I ever felt like having company they could stay there. My lips twitched. Yeah, that wouldn’t be happening.

I rolled down the windows and let that mountain air fill the truck cabin.

It was summer now, with the heat of a Colorado sunny day doing its thing. Though, when we were this far up in the mountains, summer wasn’t exactly the same as it was down in the Mile High City.

But my bees were happy, even though keeping bees at this altitude was a technique all on its own, but I was learning.

And it was something I could do without dealing with people. It was really the best of all worlds.

I pulled into my driveway and frowned as I spotted a light off in the distance.

“What the fuck?” I mumbled under my breath.

There was a light on in the closest cabin to my place. Who the hell was squatting on my property?

I growled, jumped out of my truck, and went into my barn. I had a gun, but I wasn’t going to use it. Instead, I pulled out my axe and figured I’d scare the teenager or whoever was using my cabin as a place to hook up. That had to be it. After all, the person that used to try to squat on my property was dead. And I didn’t even miss the old man.

Hands fisted, I stomped my way towards the cabin. Without another word, I banged on the door, growling. “Whoever the fuck you are, get off my property.”

No answer. I banged again and reached for the door handle. Unlocked. What a fucking idiot.

I slammed open the door, axe in hand, and blinked as the woman in front of me screamed bloody murder. She held up a bat, eyes wide, and when she finally quit screaming, she bared her teeth.

“A fucking axe murderer? Could you be any more cliche in the mountains?”

“Kiera?” I asked, aghast.

The light from the fire she had set even in the summer heat, not only filled the room but glinted off of her septum ring and her brow ring. She was covered in tattoos, from what skin she showed, and her eyes were swollen. So damn swollen, that I was afraid she’d not only been crying, but someone had hit her.

“What the hell are you doing here, Kiera?”

“So glad that you remembered my name.” She dropped the bat, her chest heaving. “If you could maybe let go of the axe, that would be wonderful. Because you’re starting to scare me.”

I looked at the axe in my hand and let it fall to my side, careful of the blade. “You didn’t answer my question. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Teagan said I could stay. I just need a moment. Can you let me stay?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

I didn’t know Kiera well, but I’d never seen her cry. Not once.

And I had no idea why a world-famous, Grammy Award-winning artist, and drummer in one of the biggest rock bands in the world would be hiding in my cabin.

Yet all I could think, even with the fear on her face, was that she had taken my dead twin’s place in the band.

And if my brother was alive, she wouldn’t be here.

And I had no idea what the fuck I was supposed to do with that.

“Bodhi? Can I stay?”

And with no other good answer to that, I shook my head and sighed.