Page 112 of New Beginnings
According to Grimm, the area was vast and desolate, serving as a secret dumping ground for Sinners to dispose of trash. Grimm brought only a handful of his brothers with us to the site, fearing that the police might discover the location and endanger every Sinner. I understood he was making a huge sacrifice for me to have my mother’s body. I appreciated it.
“Thank you for doing this for me,” I said. “I know what the repercussions could be if someone finds out about this place.”
“You need this. And you’ve blamed yourself for a long time for her leaving.” He gripped the wheel tighter. “I can’t believe he did all of this. Just because he was pissed, she was going to leave him, and you didn’t want to have anything to do with him.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, man.” I sighed, shaking my head. “She’s been out here all this time, and I thought she left me because she didn’t love me.”
“He was a manipulative motherfucker, just like Angus,” Grimm said. “They’re cut from the same cloth.”
Even though it was dark inside the SUV, the glow from the interior lights of dash lit enough of Grimm’s face where I could see the frown lines.
“How’s that going?” I asked to take my mind off of digging up my dead mother in a few minutes. “It’s got to be different now that he’s home.”
“As good as to be expected. It’s Angus, and he’s dying.”
A soft chuckle escaped my lips. “I can imagine. He’s probably more of a pain in the ass than what he already was.”
“That’s for sure,” Grimm said. “I think he’s made peace with his life and that he was a piece of shit to his family, but he’s still pissed he can’t choose how he goes.”
“He’s a control freak, so I can understand that.”
Grimm grunted as we pulled off the highway onto a dirt road. Our headlights were the only lights anywhere around.
“It’s just right up here. About a half a mile on the right.”
I took in a deep breath before releasing it. “What did you do with his body?”
As he looked at me, I locked eyes with him, refusing to break my gaze. I knew he had every right not to tell me to protect the Sinners, but I wanted to know.
“It’s me, Grimm. I’m not going to say shit.”
“I had him cremated. His ashes will be tossed into the wind. If you find her, what are you going to do?”
“Take her home,” I said. “You think you can cremate what’s left?”
“Yeah,” he said without hesitation.
She’d been out here by herself for far too long. There was no way I’d let her remain in Las Vegas. I was her only child. She should be with me.
Grimm pulled to a stop and killed the engine. I pushed the door open then stepped out and looked around. We were in the middle of nowhere. I could see why they used this place. It was a dark and secluded place, where the only sounds were the rustling of critters and the buzzing of bugs.
Grimm left his headlights on, casting a bright beam of light ahead, while the two cars behind us turned off their lights. The sound of car doors slamming echoed around us. Schizo and Hannibal walked up beside me.
“How many bodies are out here?” I asked, looking around the clearing.
“I love you little cuz, but I’m not answering that,” Grimm said when he stopped in front of me.
He took a shovel from one of his brothers, then he handed me one.
“How will we know it’s her?” Schizo asked.
Fuck! I hadn’t even thought about that. With the number of bodies that I believe may be out here there was no fucking telling where she was at. A fucking bush and a rock in the desert.
“There’s only one other woman buried out here. Redhead,” Grimm said. “And she’s not near a bush with a rock. Before we dig in random spots, let’s look for that first.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and we dispersed in different directions, the sound of our footsteps fading away. I wished I could do this by myself because I knew I’d need time to grieve in private, but it would probably take days. So, grieving would have to happen later. With everyone lending a hand, it wouldn’t be long until one of us found her. I can’t believe he’d gotten away with this for so long.
I took a deep breath and released it, closing my eyes. “I’m here now,” I said, hoping she could hear me. “If you’re out here, help me find you.”
