Page 26 of Sweet Redemption
Chapter Thirteen
Markus
It was four in the morning on Friday when we reached the outskirts of Chicago.
Good old Winnetka. With Charlie sleeping in the passenger side, I rolled down the window and sucked in the cold air. The same old familiar smell that only could be described as home.
It was a good thing Charlie asked about accommodations because I hadn’t thought about where we were going to sleep as we drove here. There was no way in hell we were going to sleep at my parents’ home. And I knew for damn sure I wasn’t invited to Bryce and Beth’s place. So I had Charlie look up the closest hotel near the funeral home. She had found one easily and booked it with no issues.
Once we arrived and pulled up in front of the valet, I woke Charlie up. “Hey baby, we’re here.”
She yawned and looked around. “Did I miss something?”
“No. It’s still early. Let’s go in and get to our room and sleep. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day.”
“Sounds good to me,” Charlie said in a stretch.
I popped the rear hatch and got out. Charlie followed suit. I grabbed our luggage in one hand and took her hand in the other, then went inside to the stylish hotel. After we got our keys, and a quick ride up in the elevator to the sixth floor, my lids felt like lead weights were bearing down on my eyes.
We stripped out of our clothes and climbed into bed to sleep for a few hours. Yet, with sleep in reach, Charlie snuggled up tight beside me and I instantly wanted to be buried balls deep into her wet heat. She was my only calm.
Though, the way Charlie was snoring lightly, I wasn’t going to wake her. I sent out a quick text to Beth that I made it in one piece. Then I sidled up behind Charlie and tried to rest before the day of hell came to call.
I wasn’t sure what time it was, but my cell phone was ringing. I looked blurry eyed at the screen and saw Beth’s name. Jesus, it was eight in the morning.
“Hello,” I answered, exhaustion wrapped in my voice.
“Did I wake you?” Beth asked with sincerity.
“No. I was just laying here,” I lied quietly, not wanting to wake Charlie.
“Okay. Well, the reason why I called is that your father wants you to come to the house. I have breakfast set up,” Beth said.
“Beth, I’ve been driving all night. Tell my father thanks for the breakfast but if he wants to see me before the wake, then we’ll be by the house around one,” I replied with a yawn.
“‘We’? Who’s ‘we’, Markus?”
Fuck. Better now than later. “Umm…I asked my…girlfriend, Charlie, to come with me.”
“Girlfriend? You have a girlfriend?...Sorry…Her name is Charlie?”
“Charlene is her name but she likes to be called Charlie,” I said as I watched Charlie slowly turned my way and gave me a lazy grin.
“Okay. I’ll tell your father—though you know him, he won’t be happy and then he’ll cause issues for Bryce. Then Bryce will call,” Beth said solemnly.
I knew what Beth said was true. My father was notorious about not giving up, especially if it was something he deemed important. “Hold on, Bethie.” I covered up the phone and looked at Charlie. “It’s my brother’s girlfriend. She called to inform me that my father wants me to come for breakfast.”
Charlie reached out and cupped my cheek, stroking the coarse skin with her thumb. I leaned into her warmth, trying to absorb her goodness. “If you need to go, then go. It’s your father.”
“You’re going too. I’m not leaving you here,” I added, touching her exposed thigh with a finger.
“If you want me to come, then I’m there with you,” Charlie answered with another smile.
I winked at her before returning to Beth. “Okay, Beth. We’ll be there in an hour.”
“Sounds good.” Beth hung up and I dropped the phone on the bed.
“Well, since I’m meeting your father, I need to jump into the shower,” Charlie said as she started to get out of bed.
