Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Stepping into the house was like stepping back in time; just not the time I would have liked. Despite wanting to focus on the good things that had happened in that house as my grandmother had raised me, the bad things always had a way of taking up the majority of real estate in my brain.
Although I hadn’t seen much of my father as I’d been growing up, the times I had seen him were ones I’d wished I hadn’t.
It had been my grandmother who’d read me bedtime stories, scolded me for running over the gleaming marble floors with dirty shoes, bought me toys, made each holiday special, and everything else that had come with raising a rambunctious child.
Since I hadn’t known the truth about how my grandfather had treated my grandmother until after he’d died, I’d always considered myself lucky when I’d gotten to spend some time with him during the last few years of his life. He’d been the one who’d take me to the cabin in the mountains nearly every weekend. He’d always been happy to arrive at the small and very un-Ashby-like residence, but he’d also carried a mantle of sadness with him that I’d never been able to draw him out of, no matter how hard I’d tried. To this day, I still hadn’t been able to figure out why a place he’d clearly loved had also brought him such sadness.
Memories consumed me as I followed Renly to the back of the spotless mansion. Expensive artwork hung on the walls and the decor still had the timeless beauty that came from a mix of modern and antique furniture and fixtures. Not much had changed, though I hadn’t really expected it to. Even when I’d been little, my grandmother had always refused any recommendations from various family members to move things around or replace outdated furniture. Instead, she’d made sure that every inch of the house had been scrubbed, buffed, and polished so that the floors and furniture all gleamed.
Strangely enough, it didn’t feel warm to me now. There was no sensation of coming home after all the years I’d been gone. Nothing about the house felt like I belonged there. It wasn’t home.
Not like Sully and JJ’s house.
The mere thought of JJ left me with a profound feeling of loss. It was greater than any feeling the gorgeous mansion and privileged life I’d once led could offer. Even the excitement about seeing my grandmother for the first time in many years couldn’t compare to the pain of losing JJ.
I reminded myself that I’d see JJ again, even if it was from a distance. I’d been reminding myself of that from the moment I’d left the cabin and made the long walk to the highway which led to one of many tourist areas that dotted the roads leading in and out of Yosemite National Park. As much as I’d tried, I’d spent most of the hike thinking about the moment when JJ was finally safe, and I’d have to let him go for real. I had no fucking clue how I was going to be able to do it.
I’d seen him leave the cabin with the guy he’d been partnered with on the actress’s case. Since the satellite phone belonged to Sully’s company, it had made sense that the built-in GPS had shown the man exactly how to find us.
Letting JJ go had been one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life, but I’d known there was no other choice. I hadn’t bothered to call Sully to come get me because I’d felt too raw and exposed to deal with anyone. I’d figured the guy with JJ would let his boss know about picking up Sully’s kid brother in the middle of the night from the cabin that was supposed to have done only one thing.
Give JJ time to sift through all the information about my case, official and unofficial, so he could determine for himself what the truth really was.
I hadn’t planned to visit my grandmother, but I really hadn’t known what else to do. The fact was that there was a chance that someone in the Ashby family could have been responsible for shooting JJ and framing me. My grandmother wouldn’t know anything about it, of course, but she’d be the only way I could ingratiate myself back into the family so I could look for evidence.
In truth, it was a weak excuse because I was looking forward to seeing the woman who’d raised me for so long, but I wasn’t certain if she would be happy to see me.
Patricia Ashby was a gleaming diamond among an assortment of fake, cheap costume jewelry. When I’d been a little boy, my grandmother had always been the one Ashby who’d carried herself with grace and dignity. She’d used her status, wealth, and the Ashby name to give back to those who’d needed it most. I’d never heard her say an unkind word about my grandfather or father even though I’d overheard stories from my grandmother’s staff about how overbearing both men had been.