Beautifully Damaged(113)

"I signed it so I suppose we can setup those meetings with the contractors," I said.

"Absolutely. When are you free?"

"Any time. I'm eager to get the ball rolling."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Perfect."

"I'll come for you around eleven?"

"...sounds great."

He turned to my dad. "It was very nice meeting you, sir, I mean Shawn."

"...likewise, Lucien."

"Wait, can you stay? We're having a small celebratory dinner, stay."

"I don't want to intrude."

"...you're not, stay." I insisted.

His smile was dazzling before he said, "I'd love to."

I called Rafe, Luke and Trent so by the time Trace and my uncle returned home with Chelsea, we had five additional people in the apartment. We were all in the kitchen preparing dinner. Kelly was just going bonkers for my ring; and it was a masterpiece made even more so because it was placed on my finger by Trace. As soon as Chelsea entered the kitchen, she ran right to me and threw her arms around me.

"You're going to be my sister for real."

"Yes, I am."

"I always wanted a sister." Chelsea pulled back and her smile was breathtaking.

"Chelsea, I would like to introduce you to my dad." Chelsea's eyes moved to my dad and I saw as nervousness filled her but she walked over to him and extended her hand.

"Hello, sir."

The look on my dad's face as he looked at Chelsea almost broke my heart because I knew he was thinking about all that she had suffered. He moved to pull her into his arms and I saw her stiffen, saw as Trace reacted, and then quite suddenly her arms reached up to wrap around my dad and from that moment on Chelsea became like a second daughter to him.

The following day, Lucien and I sat in our newly purchased building as four different contractors presented their visions to us. I liked them all but, McAllister Associates, was the closest to what I envisioned.

While Lucien worked out the details, I sat there thinking about the previous evening. We introduced my dad and uncle to Wii and they were addicted, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they purchased their own Wii when they returned home. What I really liked watching was Trace and Chelsea because they had a family. The ten of us were a family and for two people who really never had the experience, it was so nice to watch them blossom because of it.

I looked around the deserted warehouse and I couldn't wait to see the transformation. I couldn't wait to sit in the front row for Trace's very first cooking lesson. The thought of him, the tattooed- fighter, teaching a bunch of people how to make pasta put a smile on my face. He'd always have the hard edge, that untouchable quality to his character because it was who he was, but to have a part in making his dream a reality, yes, I very much couldn't wait to see that.

I watched Lucien as my thoughts detoured to Trace's parents. The night that Trace begged for help, his mom was unresponsive basically forcing Trace to help his sister himself: an action that took them out of the house on the very same night that Trace's parents were killed. It was just too improbable that it was a home invasion, it was intentional and every time I ran the scenarios in my head, the only one that made any sense to me was that Victoria refused to help her children because she wanted them out of the house. She wanted them gone because she intended to take care of her husband, personally. Especially learning that she was trying to help my mom with saving her children, yes, I think Victoria killed Douglas but what I didn't know was who the hell killed Victoria and why?

I had yet to share this suspicion with Trace because he had quite enough to deal with at that time but I did pass it along to my uncle and I wasn't surprised to learn that he was thinking along the same lines. Of all the players in the game, none of them had a motive to kill Victoria, so it was more than likely that her killer was still out there, an unknown.

In my mom's death, I knew the evidence that Trace uncovered pointed to Douglas, more specifically his car, but I was still hung up on motive. The man didn't seem that particular. He was depraved but not picky and though he was a scumbag, he didn't strike me as a killer. I wasn't as convinced that he was behind the wheel of that car but whoever it was knew him or, at the very least, had access to his car.

From almost the beginning, Trace's and my families were linked and though the connection was not a good one, without it, I would never have known him. I was deeply saddened for all that he and Chelsea had endured, for all that my dad, Uncle Josh and I had, but in the end, I got Trace. I was pulled from that when I heard Lucien say, "We're all done here, Ember."

"Okay."

I stood and started towards him as he reached for my hand and offered, "Work starts in a week."