Page 4 of Cruelly Fated
“When the time comes, you will make an excellent leader,” I said, meaning every word.
“I hope you’ll celebrate by my side.” A rare intensity flickered in his eyes.
I straightened and pushed my chest forward, making my sentiment and stance clear. I’d always support him, blood or no blood. Torian would lead dragon clans out of our father’s clenched-fist rule and weed out our enemies. The gargoyle mafia at the top of his list.
I gazed directly into his eyes.
“Me too, brother, me too…”
Three
ALLIE
My little Honda sputtered, then the engine died, and I coasted down the dead street. I patted the dashboard. We almost made it all the way home tonight, and that had to count for something.
I desperately needed a new ride, but since we’d sold Mom’s car to cover her funeral costs, I was stuck with this clunker abit longer.
The blue front of Grandpa’s fisherman-style house came into view, along with a police cruiser parked on the curb.Hmm. The only person I knew who drove one was Officer Marley, a family friend and Mom’s ex-boyfriend. He hadn’t visited since she passed away. Perhaps he was checking on us? It wasn’t too late after all. Grandpa often stayed up late, waiting for me to come home. Although he’d never admit it, he hovered more since Mom’s passing.
I applied the brakes until I came to a complete stop behind his car. The stick shift locked up with the engine off, and I wrestled with it for a good two minutes before it jumped into park. I stuck my tongue out on an exhale, then rolled my shoulders and climbed out.
I jogged up the front steps and into the house.
“I’m home,” I chirped.
Marley was sitting at the edge of the shabby sofa cushion, his profile illuminated by a vintage yellow lamp. I strode deeper into the living room, happy to see him after so long. He swiveled his head, and his somber expression made me halt. My smile gave way to a frown. Why was he here, alone?
“Ohmygod, did something happen to Grandpa?” I asked, my eyes darting around, into the kitchen beyond the living room and the hallway. The place was quiet and dark beyond the lamp’s reach.
He rose slowly. “I’m sorry,” he began, and my stomach dropped. “Allie, your grandpa was arrested an hour ago.”
My legs gave way. Marley caught me and helped me sit down.
“W-what do you mean?” Arrested? I must have misunderstood.
“There’s an illegal Ponzi scheme spreading across the city. The main office suspects the gargoyle mafia is behind it. Pete got involved.”
I stared at him, mouth agape. “How?”
He shook his head. “All I know is he gambled a large sum of money. Did your mother leave any savings behind? I hope he didn’t resort to stealing. That would add additional charges to his sentence.”
I fixed him with an icy glare. “You know him as well as I do. You know he would never…”
He bobbed his head, his gaze falling to his feet.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I got to my feet and stormed down the hall. I flicked the lights on as I went.
“Grandpa?” I asked when I reached his room. I swept my gaze over his made-up bed with his favorite crocheted hippy throw neatly folded at the footboard. The antique standing clock ticked away the seconds louder than usual.
My lips trembled. I stumbled into my room and yanked the sock drawer out of the dresser. I dumped the contents onto the floor and rummaged through them, looking for a small zip-up plastic bag.
“Allie?” Marley entered my room with tentative steps.
“I had money. I’ve been saving—” My voice broke as a sudden sob tore through me. The money was gone—all of it. Years of savings for college tuition disappeared, just like that.
Marley crouched beside me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been around lately… You know how deeply I cared for your mother. But I realize now that I should have been there for you and Pete, too.”
I stared at the bundles of socks in my hands. How could Grandpa have done this to me? Mom had always warned me about men being unreliable, leaving us, but Grandpa was never one of those men.
