Chapter Three: Desires
1874 Words
Chapter 3
“DON’T mollycoddle me, son.” Aaron snorted. I got tired of trying to stop death, so I became the one to help the deceased. Now I help lay them to rest.” He eyed the twins, a silent knowing passing among them. “You two here for Mia and James’s funerals?”
"We came because Riley called us. And for Mia's funeral," Jace replied. "We didn't know about James until Riley and Gemma told us."
"Had a massive coronary upon hearing the news of Mia's death." Aaron sighed sadly. "By the time they got him to the hospital he was DOA."
"Holy Fuck..." Jordan mumbled. "So, it all happened at once. Jesus..."
"Now, those girls have two funerals to attend." At the look on their faces, he said, "Ida arranged the second funeral. Much to Riley and Gemma's chagrin."
The brothers made noises of understanding. "Ah." Jace said as Jordan shook his head. "Still in everyone's business, I take it?" However, knowing Ida Lewis, Riley and Gemma's aunt, there was never a time when she wasn't in everyone's business. In fact, Ida was under the impression that everybody's business was her business.
Aaron scoffed. "When isn't she in anyone's business? She and Riley had nearly come to serious blows over Mia's funeral," he chuckled. "Then, Ida insisted on arranging James' funeral." He eyed the twins. "Just this morning, Gemma went and told Ida to find the sharpest rock available and to, well.... basically go f**k herself."
Jace nearly choked on that as Jordan let out a loud bark of laughter. "Yep! That's Gemma, all right!" Jordan said, wiping tears from his eyes.
"Oh, to be a fly on the wall..." Jace said, choking.
Aaron was grinning. "You know Ida. Red as tomato, stomping and sputtering. Then she left the arrangement room, griping about how no one listened to her and she was just trying to help."
After a few seconds more of laughter, Aaron said, "But that isn't the main reason you are here, Mia's funeral, is it?" When they shook their heads, he nodded. "Then, Riley and Gemma told you their concerns?"
Jace nodded. "Is it true that Mia wasn't in her own car?"
At this, the mortician opened a drawer in his desk. He pulled out a folder labeled "Mia" and placed it in front of Jordan as he looked at the brothers "Normally I don't do this, take pictures and notes. But there was something most certainly wrong with Mia's corpse." He shook his head, but answered Jace nonetheless. "Yes, it's true. The car was not Mia's"
Jordan pulled the photos out of the folder. He blinked visibly at the images, handed them to Jace one by one. "What was it that seemed wrong to you?"
"Well, I'll tell you, I have seen many decapitations by windshield. This was not one of them." He pointed to the pictures Jace was looking at. "This was too clean."
Jace swallowed as he looked at the picture of Mia's head. How could this be? This woman, whom he'd known from high school, dead? Gemma's father, Alwyn used to say that Mia was like a "wee sprite", full of life. Full of energy, full of mischief and always smiling. Now, as he looked at the sad photo, all he could think was that all of that personality was... gone. Just gone.
He stared at the blue skin, mottled, waxy and cold. She looked like she was sleeping, not dead. Unfortunately, there was a vicious dark line just under the chin that ruined the serenity of the picture.
Aaron pointed to the dark line. "That cut is too precise. I've seen how a windshield shatters, seen how it can behead someone.” He tapped the photo. "Windshield decapitations are not so clean cut. I am of the opinion that this decapitation was done before the car crash, and not with a windshield."
Jordan was looking at a typed paper. "You say here she had two other wounds?"
The old Marine's lips thinned. "She had a wound on her abdomen, that, in some circumstances, would have come from the wreck. But the wound on her back? No, not gonna fly. That injury was severe and I'd bet my dog tags that it didn't come from the accident." He shook his head. "That cut? Went straight through the spine, severed the spinal cord."
"Fuck..." Jordan mumbled.
Jace was looking at a computer print-out of a news picture. It was a photo of the so-called car wreck. Something is wrong with the scene. Something... off.
"You're saying someone immobilized her?" Jordan was asking.
What is wrong with this whole scene? Why is it bugging me? Jace stared at the photo.
"I looked at her back when I was prepping her for embalming. It was sewn up, but I could tell the cut went through the spine. She wasn’t going to live long after that."
Jace suddenly looked up at that bit of news. "What?" He glanced from Jordan to Aaron. "Holy..."
Aaron nodded grimly. "Yep."
Jordan pinched his nose. "Shit..."
"And these injuries, all of them, were done before the car accident?" Jace asked looking back down at the photo. Why is that f*****g scene wrong?
"Most definitely," came the reply. "And that wreck, gentlemen, is not an accident caused by a drunk driver. That, " Aaron said with a stern expression, "is a staged scene."
RILEY put her keys in the bowl on the dresser. She gave her room a good once over, with a sigh. It was so good to be back in her old room. In her old home.
She, Gemma, and Mia had decided to move back home to Argent.
They hadn't even gotten to tell James they were moving back home.
Two funerals were not the reason to move back home.
Mia had expressed an interest in moving back home because she worried about her father living alone. She discussed it with Riley and Gemma, and they had decided to close up the art shop/gallery to go back to Argent to tell James they were coming home.
If only Mia hadn't decided to go to Santa Fe to tell their clients about their move. Then she'd still be alive.
But Jace would not be here. In her life again.
An ache at that thought crept into her heart. Had she carried a torch for him all these years? Yes. So, the idea of circumstances not bringing him back into her life was an unthinkable notion.
She kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her eyes. Huffing wearily, she grimaced at the commotion down stairs.
Ida, their aunt, was being bossy again.
No. Bossy wasn't the word for it. Quarrelsome was more like it. She was trying to pick a fight with Gemma. But when wasn't she trying to pick fights?
Riley frowned and strode over to the door, teeth clenched. This was getting ridiculous. She yanked the door open. "Ida!!" she hollered, "Knock it off! Now!" Then, she deliberately slammed the door loudly to expound the point. As soon as the sound resonated through the house, Ida became quiet.
She did not need Ida right now. What she needed was some peace and her music.
Or Jace...
Down girl!
She felt her cheeks heat up at the thought of him in those jeans and that shirt that stretched ever so nicely across his chest. Oh, yes, he would most definitely take her mind off things. As she reached into her suitcase to get a change of clothes, she began to envision Jace without that shirt.
Without those jeans… In just that cowboy hat...
Whoa, there, Riley, old girl. Just calm yourself.
Perhaps she needed a cold shower? Yeah... good idea.
Several minutes later, after a shower that didn't really help, she changed into her exercise clothes. As she was pulling on her sports bra, a knock sounded at her door.
Grabbing the tunic she intended to put on, she fully expected to find Gemma, or, God forbid, Ida, at her door. Not the one person she had been fantasizing about.
JACE rang the doorbell of the two-story, southwest style ranch house.
"James..." Jordan was mumbling. "Man..."
"Yeah," Jace agreed. "f*****g sucks."
The door opened. Janis Ida Lewis stood there, staring at them "Oh, it's you two," she sniffed.
Jace sighed tiredly. "Hello, Ida," he said flatly. He didn't need their aunt right now.
"What do you want?" she sniffed again.
"Oh, for f**k's sake!" Jordan grumbled behind him.
Jace rolled his eyes. As if she doesn't know why we're here "Ida,” he said to Riley’s aunt in a tone that left no room for argument, “I want to see Riley.”
Naturally, Ida was going to argue anyway. “Why?”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. Seriously? His hazel eyes narrowed. He really didn't need to explain himself. “That’s my business , not yours,” Jace said flatly as, behind him, Jordan huffed loudly.
"I remember you two," she remarked with a sneer, before Jace could speak, she added "You two went to high school with the girls." Her already thin mouth thinned even more. "The Corvino Twins. I still can't believe my brothers and my sister let you near the girls. Considering..."
Oh, he and his brother knew exactly what that remark was for and what she thought. He wanted to put her in her place. Instead, he just leaned on the door jamb and glared at her. "As I said, Ida, my reasons for wanting to see Riley are my business, not yours. Now, is she here or not?"
Ida sputtered indignation. Then, Gemma was there, pulling the door open wider. “She’s upstairs, Jace. Go on up,” her Welsh tone tipped her voice.
"Now, just a minute!" Ida nearly yelled. "He can't just--"
Gemma glared at her. "Yes, Ida, he can," she said in a flat tone, letting Jace and Jordan into the house.
“Thank you,” he said eyeing Ida as he brushed past the sputtering woman. He vaguely heard Ida protest and Gemma shushing her. Ignoring her loud protests, he headed for the stairs.
The house was just as he remembered it, feeling the floorboards creak under his feet as he approached the staircase. While Ida was still ranting, Jace reached the second floor and turned left to go to Riley’s room. An old Grandfather clock still ticked lazily next to the mirror that graced the wall across from Riley's door.
In an instant, he felt like that nineteen year old teenager going to see his girlfriend....
His girlfriend.
He ran a hand over his hair. Good f*****g grief. Get ahold of yourself asshole!
Blowing out a breath, Jace knocked on the door. And after a few moments, the door opened to reveal Riley in a sports bra and yoga pants.
Oh... fuck...
The yoga pants sat low on her curvy hips, the bra hugging her pretty shape. He swallowed the lump in his throat as the immediate rush of blood darted to his c**k. And he wasn't sure, but he was sure he had seen her cheeks pink upon seeing him.
She actually looked relieved to have him there. "Jace," she sighed, "I was afraid it was Ida."
To keep from thinking about his d**k, he jabbed a thumb toward the stairs. “She ever quit?”
Riley snorted. “Hasn’t all these years,” she remarked “I doubt she'll stop now. She irks my cookies!”
He laughed at that. “Just irks them? Baby, I’d say she spoils the whole f*****g platter!” His eyes glittered with mischief.
She laughed, too, then took his hand. “Come in,” she smiled at him.
- Writer
