Page 52 of The Book of Wrath

“They wouldn’t tell me. All they said is that we better watch our backs,” Alan said with disgust like the words were ash on his tongue. Not like he would know what that was like. The kid only ate the finest foods in life. Spoiled brat.

“Then I’ll just open the letter and see what it says. If there’s no prints or D.N.A, I won’t be contaminating anything,” I say as I head back to the desk for the envelope cutter.

“I’ll open it,” Bridget stepped up to the desk and grabbed the cutter before I could. “If there is something in the envelope like a powder or something, I don’t want you being exposed to it. Better me than you.”

“Good thinking. You’re expendable, my mother isn’t,” Alan said, but it was the loud slapping sound that had me looking back at him. Alan was holding his cheek, glaring at his father. Alan doesn’t know the truth about Bridget.

“You will do no such thing Briget. I can open the letter; wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to powder poison someone in this family,” I said, removing the cutter from her hand and slicing open the envelope.

They fucked around and now they found out. We know who you are and what you do. You’re next.

I read the letter aloud for everyone in the room to hear. I threw the letter down to the ground and ripped the ribbon off of the box, my heart beating so heavily I could hear it in my ears. My head kept screaming, no. I have to be wrong about what that means!

I ripped open the box to unveil two circular packages wrapped in a crimson tissue paper. Michael grabbed my arms and pulled me away from the box, shouting for Arden. No! I pulled at Michael, screaming loudly. I need to see what is in that box. I need to know my boys are safe!

Arden threw the door open and saw me screaming, trying to reach for the box. He walked over and looked inside. “What the fuck is this?” He exclaimed looking at me. The pleading in my eyes must’ve reached him because he nodded and reached into the box removing one of the packages. Wetness dripped onto the plush white rug. Red. Drips of blood red fell onto the floor, the sound of them muffled by the carpet as they hit the floor.

Arden slowly unwrapped the package, then dropped it to the floor. Something akin to fear in his eyes. “TURN HER AWAY!” He yelled at Michael, but it was too late. A loud thud hit the floor, and my eyes saw my baby boys face laying there on the floor. His green eyes wide open, staring into the void of darkness. An expression of fear and a scream frozen on his face for eternity.

If screams could shatter glass, mine would’ve shattered every window and mirror in this house instead of just my heart. Arden picked up the other package, unwrapping it on the table instead of in his hands. Derek’s face was emotionless, almost smug as it sat there on Michaels table.

My heart shattered as my baby boys heads were placed together. Someone killed my sons and sent their heads to us. “Check the box for anything else.” I manage to choke out through tears and heartbreak.

Arden looked inside the box but shook his head. “There’s nothing else in there.” He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes. He knew my children were my world.

“Whoever did this will pay! Even if I have to gut them with my own bare hands!” I scream. I will slaughter anyone and everyone who talks about my children.

“We’ll take the remains to the lab and have them looked over to see if there is any traces of anything on them to help us find out where they were,” Arden says, packing their heads up in that wretched box and removing them from the room.

“Bridget, get Rebecca back to her room. She needs to rest. Rebecca my love, we will find who did this to them. And they will pay. Them and their entire bloodlines will pay for this,” Michael said as he kissed me and let Bridget help me to my room.

“I will burn the world to the fucking ground the moment we find out who did this. I hope they enjoy breathing while they can,” I whisper to Bridget. Her eyes lock with mine as she sits with me at the small seating area in my room.

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to do,” Bridget looked me in the eyes and swore. She is too good of a person to have to deal with our family.

“You’re a good girl Bridget. I don’t want you to worry about this,” I say gently to her.

“I know, but what happened to Ryan and Derek isn’t fair. And I will happily kill whoever did this to them,” her green eyes shined brightly as she smiled at me. “I will do this for them and for you. I love you mom.”

Chapter 43

Roark

The weekend got here faster than I wanted it too. The library was filled with politics and the wealthy of wealthy from the area and surrounding areas. There are more elite families in this place then I care to admit. There’s also many single women roaming the stacks and looking to go home with the single males from those elite families.

The Paxley’s showed up as if nothing had happened. As if we didn’t watch their family implode. They looked in the box just like Andy thought they would, but the quick little walk onto the Paxley property was enough for him to hack into their security system and watch the cameras inside and outside of the house. We got a nice show from them all. The Paxley’s have a daughter we didn’t know about, but something tells me the last remaining Paxley son has no idea that the girl is his sister.

Andy is working on her background, seeing if she is biologically a Paxley or adopted. The Paxley’s did adopt a child when they first married back in the eighties but shortly found the child a home with another family. The child is in their late thirties now, but still alive and as far as Andy could tell, no trauma. The kid was probably a talker and wouldn’t play along with their games. Kids had a tendency to open their mouths if they thought it would help save them.

Megan caught my attention and pulled me over to the side of the room, dragging me from my thoughts about how horrible these families treated children.

“My cousin Lexi is here, can you do me a huge favor and make sure that Alan Paxley stays far the fuck away from her?” Megan asked of me before diving back into twirling around the room checking in with guests and the caterers and the staff that was handing out materials and talking to guests. She made this hosting thing look so damn easy. She even checked in with each of us throughout the night making sure we were good and seeing if we needed anything.

I followed her up to the front desk. “Point her out and I’ll do the best I can,” I said, resting my back against the desk. She pointed over to a petite, blonde-haired, green-eyed woman. She looked like someone I would’ve tried to take behind the bleachers at a high school football game. Definitely the cheerleader type. I nodded at Megan and headed over to where Max was standing watching the entire room from a vantage point on the side of the stage.

“Arden Mitchell arrived with the Paxley’s. No other security members though, and Arden is sticking closely to Rebecca and Bridget,” Max stated as I looked over clocking eyes on Lexi. I still don’t know why Megan asked me and not Max.

“Wonder twins still stalking Megan from the shadows of the rows?” I said. Max chuckled at my nickname for Tony and Ally.

---