Page 17 of Promise of Hellfire

I ended the call and stared up at the night sky, knowing that the next week was going to be one of the longest of my life.

Chapter ten

Rayne

NewYear’sDay.Thetime that most people decide to make resolutions and try to stick to them for less than a week before they're completely abandoned.

The only resolution I made this year was to ensure that, as soon as possible, Lexi and the other women were safe and out of the clutches of Ayers and Ethan’s father.

Still, the guys decided to invite people over to celebrate the holiday. I knew there was an ulterior motive, and they were actually going to be planning with Oliver. It still felt like a farce to get dressed, eat food, and drink glasses of wine given the situation.

Dominic woke me up that morning with a soft kiss on the head. I grumbled and tried pulling the blankets over my head, not quite ready to face the day. “Come on,” he laughed. “Get dressed. Victoria will be here soon and Hunter is already in the kitchen cooking.” I scowled at him before finally sitting up.

Hunter would be making a traditional meal of black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread. It was the same thing that I’d eaten every New Year’s Day since I was small. According to superstition, eating this food would give you money and luck in the coming year.

I’d eat my weight in black-eyed peas if it meant that I would have enough luck to pull off rescuing the women at the Rose.

I dressed quickly in a pair of worn jeans, my sneakers, and a hoodie, not really caring how I looked. To me, everything felt surreal, and the last thing on my mind was my physical appearance.

When I walked into the kitchen, my stomach rumbled. The air was scented with onions, garlic, and butter. Numerous pots sat steaming on the stovetop. Hunter milled around, carefully stirring them, humming to himself as he worked.

I sat down with a cup of coffee, and Ethan silently passed me a pastry. “Don’t try to sample anything he’s cooking. He’s in a bad mood today,” he stage whispered.

I tried not to choke on the coffee I was swallowing when Hunter stared at him. “Everyone should be here in a little while. You can wait until then,” he stated.

And sure enough, people began to slowly trickle in. The first to arrive were Victoria, Rory, and Kourtney. They set several bottles of wine and a peach cobbler on the countertop before giving me tight hugs. Both of them seemed to know exactly how the night before went, even though I hadn’t texted them.

Perhaps my emotions were written all over my face. After all, Victoria was the one who played poker, not me. Maybe I needed her to give me some pointers if I was destined to take over Oliver’s empire.

Rory gave me a tight nod of acknowledgment before heading into the kitchen to speak quietly with the guys. He already knew what they were going to ask him and what would be required of him. After all, this was what he’d been raised to do. His fate was to take over Paul’s portion of the criminal enterprise, and he would do anything that might help get his father out of jail.

Victoria pulled wine glasses out of the cabinet before settling us around the sofa in the living room. She poured us wine while we talked about everything and nothing. The conversation stayed light-hearted and last night stayed unmentioned, even though it hung over our heads.

I noticed Smudge was absent, probably hiding because of the number of people and the noise. If I could get away with it, I would have hidden as well.

While Victoria discussed the puppy that Rory had given her for Christmas, Oliver and Marie walked in. He looked better than he did the last time I’d seen him. At least he was no longer hooked up to a million monitors. Still, he walked slower than usual and his face was lined with pain, wincing with every step. Marie helped Oliver settle on one of the stools near the breakfast bar before collapsing on the couch next to me.

“Please tell me there is enough wine for me to share,” Marie laughed. “Oliver has acted atrociously since he’s been home. He doesn’t know his own limitations. I swear to God every single day he pulls another stitch and I’m waiting to have to carry him back to Nia to be fixed up.” Victoria laughed lightly and motioned for Rory to hand her another wine glass.

I knew that at some point today the men would drive me into the discussion they were having, but at the moment I was enjoying the pleasant company.

Ignacio strolled in carrying a bottle of tequila and I grimaced, remembering the last time I’d drank tequila with the women sitting near me. I’d pass on that, stick to wine, and let everyone else deal with the hangover from hell.

Ignacio punched Ethan’s shoulder as he sat the bottle on the cabinet and sauntered over to the stove, opening the lids on the pots and peering in. “Man, Enzo and Paul had better hurry. I’m starving.”

Hunter glared at him. “Don’t touch the food yet. They’ll be here soon.”

“You should have made them ride with you,” I joked to Marie.

“Next time I will.” She winked at me and took a sip of her wine. “While we’re waiting for those two, Victoria can tell us about her wedding plans.” This was one of Victoria’s favorite topics to talk about other than Rory and the new puppy, Max, so the next several minutes were spent discussing potential flower arrangements and color palettes.

I poured myself more wine and settled back against the plush cushions behind me, only partially listening to the women gush over the ideas. Despite the circumstances of the past few weeks, I was content. After the women were freed and Ayers was taken care of permanently, this was what life could be like. I imagined lazy weekends and small parties surrounded by people who cared about me.

Aldo, Paul, and Ash walked in, shaking me from my thoughts. I hadn’t expected to see Ash, but he was a welcome sight. A bottle of whiskey was tucked under Paul’s arm as he strode towards me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “How are you doing with everything? I haven’t heard of you murdering anyone else yet,” he joked quietly.

I gave him a small laugh. “Yet is the key word. You know me, it’s always an option.” It was a joke, but lately, there was a grain of truth to my words.

Aldo glanced at the glasses of wine and empty bottles on the coffee table. “So… we’re drinking before noon today. That can’t be a good sign. How bad was it?”

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