Page 101 of Rebellious

Once again, Rebel got a weird feeling, then chalked it up to her anger toward Jana through no fault of Kaia. He barely glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge Jana’s words.

“Can you help me to Momma’s car, Kaia?” Rebel asked, infusing as much misery and fatigue into her voice as possible. She was both, but Jana was engaging in a battle she wouldn’t win. Not if Rebel had anything to say about it. “I’m so tired.”

“Your presents will arrive tomorrow,” Diesel said, ignoring Jana, too.

“You could’ve given me cash like Axel, Dee,” Rebel told him.

“You didn’t say that to Kaia,” he sneered.

“Are you competing with Kaia?” she clapped back.

He glowered at her.

She beamed a smile at him. “Just kidding, brother,” she drawled. “You would never. You have Jana.”

“And morals,” he snapped as Jana said, “yes, he does.”

“A tragedy for him that he’s stuck with you,” Rebel said, glared at Jana, leaned on Kaia, and nodded toward the door.

Jana’s stricken look pleased her to no end.

Kendall considered her trip quite productive. It was late, though, and she was exhausted.

Leaning back in her desk chair, she closed her eyes. Although she wasn’t alone, the office was silent and eerie. Because she knew. She knew Charlotte was dead and that was the reason for Brooks’s absence. The Reddings had just begun to have home recitals again after years of not doing them because of their changed status. Kendall declined all but one invitation and hadn’t stayed long at that one. She’d thought she’d have many more to attend.

Now…

Charlotte was gone. Forever. Just gone, a memory. A candle in the wind who’d crashed and burned because she hated Meggie. Or loved Brooks so much she’d sacrifice Meggie. It didn’t matter. The end result was still the same.

Charlotte was dead.

She glanced around her office with expensive furniture, sophisticated décor, and fine paintings. Kendall still remembered Charlotte’s excitement as they chose the decorations, having a heavy helping hand for the lobby and Kendall and Brooks’s offices.

If Brooks’s only answered one of her calls or texts, Kendall would ask about the location of Charlotte’s body. She wanted to tell her a last goodbye. She wasn’t at the funeral home. When Kendall called on the drive back, Lewis told her Brooks had taken possession of her.

Kendall glanced around the office again. Why was she there right then? She could’ve gone home instead of coming straight to the office, but…right. Johnnie might’ve been there.

A button on Kendall’s desk phone buzzed. It was from Beams’s extension. Despite the lateness of the hour, the assistant agreed to stay late to help Kendall.

“Yes, honey?” Kendall answered, sighing.

“Mrs. Harrington is here to see you.”

“Fuck, I forgot to call Roxy. She left a message for me.” Kendall picked her glasses up from her desk and put them on. “Send her back.”

“Knock, knock,” Roxy said as she opened the door a minute later.

Immediately, Kendall noticed her smile wasn’t as bright. Roxanne Doucette Harrington sparkled in any setting, so it was easy to see when that light dimmed.

Kendall hurried from behind her desk to hug Roxy.

“I’ve been trying to reach you, sugar,” she said, offering a loose hug. “Mattie told me you had an out-of-town business trip.”

Kendall trusted Roxy to keep her secrets. They’d discussed her divorcing Johnnie in LA, but now that she was putting plans into motion again, she couldn’t get her thoughts together. “I did.”

“I need to talk to you about Mortician.”

Roxy’s sharp tone, and brush off, startled Kendall. “What happened?” she squeaked.