Page 144 of Preacher Man

“Yeah.” She sighed leaning into his side, their fingers locked around each other. She took his strength. “It’s something she does once a month. If I thought she meant it … I couldn’t get hold of her, her phone was off. I thought she was pushing me for more money, Asher.” Her voice cracked. Maybe if she’d talked to Rita sooner instead of thinking the worst of her. "And then ...Then a detective called me an hour ago, I’m her next of kin. There was a small house fire, thank god Sebastian was in his bedroom, I don’t know what I’d do-----the neighbors broke in and got him out but it was ---it was too late for Rita.” She dissolved into a fresh bout of crying. "I just don't understand any of it."

It didn’t matter how frustrated she’d been over the years with Rita, they were sisters, the grief felt unmanageable.

It swallowed her whole while her man brought her into his body and allowed her the silence to just hold her. “I don’t understand it, Asher. How did she send me that text, and then the house catch fire?”

“There will be an investigation, beautiful. The first thing we need to do is get to Nebraska so you can see for yourself the kid is okay. And then talk to whoever is in charge.”

“Yes. Yes, please. I have to go---”

“Have you talked to the douche boyfriend?”

“No. He’s not answering his phone, either. I asked the detective who called, he said no one else was at the house, and no sign of Seb’s dad, the CPS had to take him.”

“Let’s get you packed.”

“I don’t think my car will get me there.” Looking down at the case, she didn’t even recall throwing anything in there, but it now had jeans and shirts. She went over to her bureau and pulled out underwear.

“I want to help getting you there, will you let me, Ruby?” It took no thought at all to nod her head. “Please,” she said.

Preacher stood and pulled out his phone, putting it on speaker-phone when she heard the gravel voice on the other end “Lawless, it’s me.”

“Yo, holy man, you good?”

“Yeah, buddy, fine. Look, I need you to do me a favor, I need two plane tickets to Nebraska ASAP.”

“We’re going on a vacation? I take it the other ticket is for your girl?”

“Yeah, Ruby. You can use my card, It’s----”

Lawless laughed. “Don’t insult me. I can get it. Give me two minutes and I’ll get back to you with the check in details.”

“Thanks, brother.”

They hung up. “Lawless knows his way around computers, he’ll get the earliest flights out of Springs airport.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” He was beside her a moment later, Ruby sank into all his energy, soaking it in, allowing herself to lean on someone else, her bones too heavy to hold her up, her mind a riot of thoughts she couldn’t sift through without wanting to die alongside Rita.

It was unreal. Maybe they’d made a mistake? The sooner she got to Nebraska so she could lay eyes on Sebastian the better. That’s all that was keeping her upright.

Keep strong. Keep going.

Preacher’s hands on her back stroked slowly, soothing her shattered nerves. She leaned into him a little more.

Ten minutes liked he’d promise Preacher’s club brother called back and their plane tickets were waiting to be collected.

They flew out of Colorado that night and arrived in Nebraska One hour eighteen minutes after that. Ruby wished she could have enjoyed her first flight, could have enjoyed being cuddled up with Preacher, could have laughed at him with his knees practically smashed into his chest, she was numb inside, relying on fumes to get her to move one foot in front of the other, choosing to hold onto his hand as tightly as she could, the warmness of Preacher soaking into her coldness. “I got you, beautiful,” he told her quietly as the plane taxied to the runway, her stomach churning, she had no idea what her heart was doing other than it hurt so badly. She tried to smile at him. Their eyes clashed and held. “I’m with you all the way.”

She prayed silently for the little boy she was desperately trying to reach.Dear, Heavenly Father. This is Ruby. Please take care of my sister.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

“Put a ring on it, brother.” – Rider

Death was the ugliest act, the most calamitous emotion. It didn’t announce itself, just came and swept through the building like a fucking detonating bomb, leaving rubble in its wake. Through the long airport walk, the quiet cab ride, and then the fast-paced sprint through the hospital where the kid was being kept, Preacher kept an eye on Ruby, she was wound so tight it was a miracle she was upright. Death had ravaged her, but he knew she didn’t truly believe it, not really. With death, you had to see it with your own eyes or a flicker of disbelief and hope crept in, whispered it wasn’t true, it was all a mistake, it was someone who looked like your loved one and they’d made a horrible switch up.

He was there to hold her up. She was going to crash anytime soon. He knew it. He knew first-hand how like clockwork this shit went. Preacher wished he could take this from her, bring it into his own gut so Ruby wasn’t feeling any of it.

And to just prove what a piece of wasted shit her family really were, she’d called an aunt and uncle who lived here in Nebraska, to tell them the news and Ruby was quickly told they had no money for the funeral. What fucking stand up people. He wanted to hunt those motherfuckers down and tell them they didn’t deserve a person like Ruby.

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