Page 106 of At The End Of The Day

My insides plummeted and my own panic rose. Gawking at the phone, I shouted, “Now just a goddamn minute! I’m just getting used to the gayness, don’t go putting rings on no one’s fucking fingers just yet. Let me fucking adjust first, bitch.”

Everyone snickered, Vincent pulling me back to his side. “I don’t exactly hear you taking that option off the table, though.”

My focus jerked to his with a sense of astonishment.

“All right guys, let’s change the subject because he’s the one about to crash out now,” Vincent teased.

They chuckled again but all my mind was seeing were matching wedding bands. Who would take whose name? How would that work in the Serpents? Us being lovers was one thing, the leader having a husband? How well would we be respected by other gangs?

“So,” Violetta cooed, changing the subject. “We were thinking. I’m missing you so damn much, it’s driving me crazy. So, me and Tyler have been doing some chatting and…well, when he built this house, he built it for just him. Now that me and the kids are here, it really isn’t working out too well.”

His eyelids started to widen, his profile turning to me to stare at the phone. “What are you saying?”

“We’ve already spoken to a couple contractors about adding onto the house to make it fit us better, but that’s going to take several months.”

“Sis,” he wheezed, letting me go to lean on the island.

She giggled. “My old house is already in escrow, it pretty much sold right away. You know anywhere we can stay for a few months until the house is done?”

“No, shit?” he muttered, falling to his elbows to cover his mouth and nose with his palms.

“It ain’t permanent, cuz I got too many animals up here, but yeah. Once the construction starts, this ain’t no place for kids to be. Besides, I think it might be better for them to accept the changes in their lives if they were around their friends and family,” he added coarsely.

Ouch. In other words, Edwina was doing what we all expected of her, she was giving Tyler hell, Jackyl’s wrath shining through.

Clearing my throat, I rubbed his back and leaned closer, as well. “Actually, y’all can stay at my place. I was gonna call a realtor tomorrow to put it on the market, but I think bitch can handle the mortgage. Them shiny little Grammies put a bit of change in them pockets.”

He snickered. “Stop being jealous, Dash.”

I laughed, as well, amazed at how far the two of us had come. Starting out as we had, I never, in a million years, thought the boy I purposely crippled that muggy night would one day become one of my favorite people.

“Oh, my god, sis, you have no idea how much I need this. Are you for real coming back?”

“Just temporarily,” she stressed. “But yes.”

“When? I mean, how soon?”

“I dunno? I got a full-time crew already to take care of this place. That’s who tended the animals when we was in Georgia. I just gotta meet with the contractors to finalize the plans and we can head out on the jet.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes again. “Jet. Jesus, bitch. You are so fucking spoiled.”

“Hard earned success, my friend. Very hard earned.”

The mood shifted. He may not mean that maliciously toward me, but I would forever carry the burden of guilt where he was concerned. My mind constantly pointed out I had no reason not to trust Jackyl, but that didn’t clear my conscious.

“About a week?” she asked. “Two, tops.”

He bowed his full face into his palms and exhaled loudly. “Jesus, fuck, I need this. Oh, my god, you got no idea how bad I need to see you.”

She giggled. “I’ll be there soon enough, Vinny. Now let me go calm down my kids because Piera has them bouncing off the walls.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Bye. Bye, Dash.”

“Later, Tiny. Bitch.”

“Bye, guys,” he chuckled.