Page 7 of A Bond Beyond Blood

But I had a funeral to plan.

A butcher shop to run.

A life to live.

And...I was beginning to smell.

Eventually, Gio would come looking for me; I’d avoided too many of his calls.

By the time I stepped out of the shower I was red and splotchy from the high temp of the water, my hands were pruned from how long I was in there, and I had no recollection of what I’d just done.Did I remember to wash my body?Shampoo my hair?

I grabbed a clump and brought it to my nose, breathing in the faint scent of my conditioner.Shrugging, I decided that was probably good enough.I lifted my arm and smelled my pit, which smelled faintly of soap—another win.

Moments later, dressed in one of Dad’s old Yankees shirts and an old pair of sweats I found in my old dresser, I plopped down on the couch and stared at the wall.

It was heavy, this feeling, like I wascloakedin it.

The weight of it pressed down on my shoulders, shoved hard against my chest until my lungs strained with each breath.It was a prickly feeling ofwrongness, being here without him.

The silence was damn near deafening.

My gaze lifted to the television.I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a free moment to binge anything, and I was pretty sure Dad still hadn’t made the leap from cable to streaming, but...fuck, anything would be better than this suffocating quiet.I reached for the remote on the coffee table, stopping with my hand extended when I realized it wasn’t sitting where it always was.I tugged the drawer of the table open and a whimper slipped past my lips.

Right there, beside the remote, was Dad’s bible.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I brought the thick book to my nose and inhaled, desperate to breathe him in.Opening the cover, I ran my fingertips over his messy scrawl.His notes lined each page, filling up the margins with questions, thoughts, prayers and accusations.As long as I’d known him, he’d been trying to make sense of a world without my mother.

Closing the book, I began to slide it back into the drawer when my name caught my eye, scribbled onto a folded sheet of notebook paper.My heart stuttered in my chest, but I reached for the letter, bracing myself for what I might find.

There was no money to speak of, no inheritance, save for this apartment and the butcher shop downstairs.Both of which were now mine.

I opened the letter, swallowing hard as I steeled myself for the incoming rush of pain.

To my princess,

If you’re reading this, I’ve finally joined your mother.

A sob slipped out and I tilted my head back, blinking the tears away as my heart shattered all over again, his words shoving the familiar ache of numbness away like a gale-force wind.

You would have loved her, Jack, and she would have been so enamored with you.She’d dreamed of you, you know, countless times.Of her raven-haired, blue-eyed girl raising hell for her two older brothers.

I had to stop and let the tears fall before I could clear my eyes enough to continue.

I’m not ready.

I was strongly considering folding up the paper and shoving it back into the drawer when a word caught my eye a few paragraphs down.Blinking to make sure it wasn’t just my tears playing tricks on me, I quickly skimmed until I got there; I could come back to the sentimental stuff when I wasn’t feeling quite so torn the fuck open.

I should have told you sooner, should have warned you while I still had time.But I’m a coward, Jacqueline, through and through.Forgive me for this.I should have warned you.

There’s a vampire who made a deal with me years ago.Eli is...not like the others.His diet is different.In exchange for a favor he once granted me, I have kept him supplied with animal blood consistently.He comes to collect on the 15thof every month, like clockwork.

I have held up my end of the bargain, but now that responsibility falls on you.The blood bond between a human and a vampire is eternal.It does not die with me, but is passed down to my family.

I scoffed, shaking my head.A blood bond?No savings account or inheritance to speak of, just a shop I never asked for and a debt to a monster that, if I was understanding this correctly, could never be repaid?

I’m so sorry, my dear girl.I know this is a lot to take in, but please know that I would not change a thing.Your brothers do not know—can’t know.I fear they would take matters into their own hands and you know how they are.Too hot headed for their own good.

A lot like their father, I suppose.

---