SWNOVELS Acts of Grace: Part 1 – Chapter 1
“Hello?”
A rich male voice comes through the line and my body stills. Of all the people who could’ve picked up, it had to be him.
“Hey, Titus.” I suck in a ragged breath and try to compose myself. The last thing I want is to divulge my humiliating situation to my brother’s best friend. “Can you please put William on the line?”
“What’s the matter, kid?” His gravelly voice is demanding. Much like the man behind the phone.
“I need him to send the jet. I want to come home.” My voice cracks on the last word. Dallas hasn’t been home for years, but the idea of remaining in this place one moment longer has me wanting to crawl out of my own skin.
“Head to the hanger.” His words tinged with anger are the last thing I hear before the line goes dead.
My breath stutters and my chest tightens as I fight the urge to shed another tear.
Titus isn’t one to share emotions and the idea of him comforting anyone is laughable, so I’m not sure why his abrupt dismissal cuts me even deeper.
What was I expecting? A full-on gab session with my bestie?
Shaking my head, I pull back onto the highway and head to the familiar hangar. In a couple of hours I’ll be back in Texas. A place with its own set of dark memories. Memories that will forever haunt me.
Titus
My grip tightens around the rocks glass as I stare out into the darkness of the night sky. A two-hour flight has felt like a ten-hour trip across the world. I’d give anything to make time move faster.
What the fuck has her so worked up? Whatever or whoever did this to her will pay. I’ll make sure of it.
The last time I heard her this upset was three years ago. I’ll never forget the call that changed our worlds forever.
“Titus, thank fuck you picked up. I’ve been trying to reach the whole crew.” William, one of my best friends, is panic stricken. The anguish tangible through the receiver.
“I’m here, brother. What’s up?”
“Ashley.” He chokes on his sister’s name and my body goes rigid.
Ashley. The lanky girl turned awkward teenager and now forbidden fruit. “William. Talk to me. Is your sister okay?”
“My dad. I need you to…” he sobs into the phone and my lunch threatens to come up. Shit must be bad if he’s crying. I’ve never once seen this man shed a tear, let alone sob.
“Tell me. What do you need?”
“Please. Go to the house and get Ashley out.” He sniffs, sucking in a breath before continuing. “The cops are on their way, but I want one of us there with her. She’s been sheltered her whole life. Damn it, man.”
“I’m on my way.” I don’t bother asking what happened. Whatever it is, I’ll be there. Though we aren’t blood, we’re still family and I’ll never let my brothers down.
“Thank you, Titus. I have to warn you. It’s bad. Ashley called me in hysterics, and it took me a good fifteen minutes to get her to say something that made sense. Fuck. I never got along with the old man but, damn, I didn’t want him to go out like this.”
“Are you coming home soon?”
“Yes. I’m messaging my professors and am heading out on the first flight home. I just wish it were me who’d walked in on Dad. Not poor Ashley.”
“Walked in?” My face contorts as I picture what Ashley could’ve seen.
“Yeah, man. It’s bad. I have no clue what sick fuck did this to him, to our family. But mark my words, there isn’t a corner on this earth where they’ll be able to hide.”
I pull up to the massive estate smack dab in the middle of Highland Park, one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in all of Texas, and the first thing I see is Ashley’s G-Wagon in that horrible shade of powder pink.
“I’m here but I don’t see your sister, just her car.”
“Fuck. She must still be inside. You need to get her out of there and keep her safe until I get back.”
“Ten-four. I’ll call you once we’re back at my place.” I cut the line and shove my phone into my pocket.
If I thought William’s words had prepared me for what I was about to walk into, man was I wrong.
Blood. Crimson blood smeared from the foyer straight into the hall and along the walls.
I pick up the pace as I follow the trail of death into the study where I see a grief-stricken face huddled in the corner, rolled into herself like a frightened child. She doesn’t even acknowledge that someone has entered the room, her swollen red eyes are focused behind the desk.
Following her line of vision, I see something I’ll never be able to unsee.
Her father’s decapitated body lying in a pool of his own blood. And if that weren’t disturbing enough, all of his appendages have been removed.
“POLICE,” a voice booms from the hall.
“In here!” I shout, heading toward Ashley’s huddled frame. Picking her up off the floor, I press her into my chest and whisper into her hair, “Shhh, kid. I’ve got you.”
Walking toward the hallway, I’m met with two officers, guns drawn. “About time you showed up. If you don’t mind, I’m removing the victim’s daughter from the scene. If you need her, we’ll be at the front of the home.”
The head officer narrows his eyes, but I can’t give two fucks. They should’ve been the first to arrive and the fact that I was here before they were, should be grounds for their termination. I know Dallas isn’t small and this neighborhood rarely sees this type of crime, but damn, that’s no excuse.
“Titus, I presume. William called and informed us you’d be here. Please don’t leave the grounds. We’ll have questions for you and Ms. Hawthorne.”
“No problem.” I walk past them, not wanting to spend a moment longer inside these stifling walls.
“Titus?” Ashley’s big brown eyes look up at me, her face scrunched up and panicked.
“Shhh. I’ve got you, Min skatt. Always have. Always will.”
A gust of air hits me in the face, signaling the opening of the cabin door and breaking me from my memories. Looking up from my glass I see a pair of long legs grace me with their presence, followed by what could only be described as the most beautiful woman to ever walk this earth.
Ashley was always a beautiful child, but when she blossomed into a woman, there was no denying what she was—fucking gorgeous.
We constantly had to play defense, letting all the high school boys know William’s kid sister was off limits, including to our inner circle.
Ashley brushes long brown waves off of her tear-stricken face and my heart squeezes. The thought of someone hurting her makes me see red. My fists clench and my jaw tightens, “Who fucking did this to you?”
“Well, hello to you too.” Ashley attempts to feign a smile, but I see through it. I see right through her.
“Who. Did. This.” Each word coming out staccato, not a question, but a demand.
Unfortunately for me, it was apparently the wrong move. Ashley bursts into hysterical sobbing, pushing me to act without thinking.
Getting up from my seat, I wave away the stewardess and signal her for takeoff. As soon as I reach Ashley, I scoop her into my arms and carry her to the bedroom at the back of the jet.
This isn’t a scene I want anyone else to witness, and I know she’d appreciate the privacy.
As we reach the door, her body violently shakes against mine, her tears soaking through my shirt and making the material stick to my chest. Shit. Fuck. Shit. I don’t deal with emotions well and this situation is going from bad to worse.
“I. Just. Caaaaan’t,” Ashley bellows into my chest, “Stop. Cryyyying.” Her big eyes look up at mine, pleading, supplicating, demanding help.
Doing the only thing I can think of, I shut the door behind me and press her back against the door. If she wants help, I’ll give it to her. Even if it’s the only way I know how.
Unbuckling my belt, I yank it off, taking her delicate little wrists and placing them above her head. Looking down at her, I tie the belt around her arms and loop them over the coat hook on the door.
Damn, how fucked up is this? Should I stop? Fuck, this is William’s little sister!
“Ashley, tell me if you want me to stop.”
Biting her trembling lip, she looks up at me through her wet lashes, but shakes her head.
“Ashley, use your words. I won’t do this if you don’t want me to.”
Sniffling, her mouth goes slack before her tongue darts out to lick her bottom lip, her hungry eyes full of lust lock on to mine before she answers. “Don’t stop.”
Well, damn. With her looking at me like that, there’s not a man in this world that could stop me.
Not even William.