Page 2 of In Another Lifetime

Somewhere, deep inside, I had to admit I’d thought he’d recognize me, see something in me, that he’d recognize the woman who’d been his high school sweetheart and then his wife.

But she was dead and buried, wasn’t she?

I wasn’t Melonie, anymore. I was Vale.

Two

Vale

A thousand percent, I wanted to ignore the call ringing into my cell phone, but I knew better than to ignore my brother, Kale. It was weird, really. As Melonie, I’d grown up as an only child. As Vale, not only did I have siblings, but I had a twin—a twin who knew there was something different about me, yet he’d accepted me as his sister. And somehow, through DNA I supposed, he still felt a connection to me.

Deep down, I kinda felt sorry for the guy. He had no idea why everything seemed so different between us after “the accident.”

“Kale,” I answered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, you sensed a disturbance in the force.”

“Don’t be a smartass. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I sighed, injecting annoyance into my tone. “I’m waist-deep in boxes, and I went across the street to meet my neighbor. I’m—”

“Was he an asshole? Do I need to send someone to—”

“Oh my God, no. I swear, Kale. If you send over one—or more—of your thugs, I’ll never speak to you again.”

“Lies. You couldn’t go a day without talking to me.”

“Only because you’re constantly calling me! I swear, don’t test me!”

The silence that followed roiled with electric thunder. “Do not test me. You know it’s only through my benevolence that you’re allowed to have a home away from the family compound.”

I rolled my eyes. “You sound like a mobster.”

“I am the head of the family. And the club.”

“And I’m not part of it.”

“You’re disowning your family?”

“Fuck’s sake, Kale.”

“Don’t fucking swear. And don’t roll your eyes at me,” he added, just as I did exactly that. God, he was a pain in the ass. And I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Who would have thought? I’d never dreamed of having a brother, and now, I actually had three—but Kale was the worst of them. Probably because the other two lived on the other side of the country. And it was Kale who’d gotten me through the past few years when breakdowns often loomed on the horizon. He’d been a constant presence beside me.

Still was. Metaphorically.

“Okay, Dad,” I sniped.

“You need a spanking. I can have it arranged.”

“If one of your crew touches me, it’ll be the last thing he does. Do you understand me, Kale?”

“Loud and clear. Very loud.”

“Shut up,” I sighed.

“So what’s wrong?” he asked, detouring into why he’d called. Fucking twin-sense.

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