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STAR

LATER THAT AFTERNOON

“I’m telling you, Star, if you don’t stop canceling the goddamn ice sculptures for the gala, I will attack you with one when they show up at the event hall!” Rachel growled, her tone discordant with the way she was gently sweeping from side to side to get Sommer to burp.

“Why does it have to be ice? Do you know what a waste of money that is? The statues will literally be water by the time the event is over.”

“Yeah, but it’s fancy, and the whole place has a winter wonderland theme.”

“So use fake snow,” I snarled. “That’s wintry?—”

The doorbell rang.

Giulia whistled. “Saved by the bell. You two are fucking intense when you’re arguing. That’s me saying that. Me . I’m more attitude than tits and since Samael, my tits are massive. You two need to take a chill pill.”

“She right. Chill pill. Where we buy?” Amara demanded, slamming her hands on the table. “Very stressful this is listening argue to you.”

“Wow, that was more garbled than usual,” Tiffany said kindly. “Is everything okay, Amara?”

“No. Stressed. They argue. Too much.” Amara scowled at me. “She want ice. Give ice. She ice lady, tak ?”

Rachel sniffed. “Yes. I want ice. Give me ice, Star.”

The doorbell sounded again.

Because I needed a time-out, I got up and strolled away from the table. “Ice melts, Rachel. What you’ll end up with once the night is over is an expensive bucket of water. But if you feel like wasting funds that could go elsewhere, you know, like the dozens of shelters we’re establishing…”

I didn’t finish because her growl of exasperation told me my point had been successfully rammed home.

With a smug smile, I swaggered over to the door where I found a diminutive woman standing on the stoop as I spied her through the peephole.

Her hands, tucked in old-fashioned but well-kept leather gloves, pleated nervously around the handle of her purse as she hovered there in a coat that had seen better days but which had once been of good quality too.

The whole shabby/quality thing made me think she’d fallen on hard times.

As I tugged open the door, I asked, “Who are you?”

Bright spots of color peeped into being on her cheeks. “I’m looking for Rachel Laker. Is that you?”

“Why are you looking for her?”

Her shoulders quivered. “That’s between me and her.”

The mousy vibe grabbed my curiosity. “You been hurt by some asshole who needs to die?”

The woman reared back. “Excuse me?”

“Stop scaring my clients,” Rachel snapped, shoving me in the side as she hissed, “Who said you could open my door for me?”

“You had a baby attached to you.” I sniffed. “I thought I was being helpful.”

“Even when you’re dead, you won’t be helpful. You’ll somehow manage to orchestrate things from beyond the grave,” she muttered before pinning the stranger with a professional smile and holding out her hand. “I apologize for the unorthodox start. My name’s Rachel. And you are?”

“I’m Maria.” She bit her lip. “Bear told me to come to you when… I mean, Bear suggested you’d be able to help me.”

“You’re his ex-partner?” Rachel inquired.

My nose crinkled. “You’re Kendra’s mother? You ?”

The last time I’d seen that hag, she’d been licking pool balls that some other clubwhore had popped out of their ass for the entertainment of the unattached MC brothers.

I didn’t think Maria was an ass-to-mouth kinda woman.

“For my sins, yes. Not that I’ve heard from her in years.”

Rachel beckoned Maria inside. “Bear did tell me that there might come a time when you’d be in need of my services.”

“I-I can’t afford?—”

“He covered my fees, but even so, I’d do this for free. Rex, Bear’s son, is my partner.” Her smile turned a little less forced. “He’s also the father of my daughters.”

“Bear would have made a wonderful grandfather,” Maria said wistfully as she stepped inside the hall.

“Yes, he would’ve. He made an impact as a father, that’s for sure. I can’t imagine the impression he’d have made on my daughters had he been given the chance.” Rachel held out her arm. “If you’d like to come with me? Star, you can head back to the meeting.”

“Star?” Maria demanded, twisting on her heel with more force than at any other point of the conversation. “Are you Star Sullivan?”

My brows lifted at her suddenly assertive tone.

There was no way in fuck I was heading back to that meeting when this looked set to be more interesting, but it seemed I didn’t need to argue with Rachel to get myself an in.

“That’s my name. How do you know it?”

“Bear. He gave me something to give to you.”

Fascinating.

I shot Rachel a smug smile. “I’ll just head into your office with you then.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she refrained from sighing and merely stepped away. Maria followed, and I brought up the rear.

As we walked into Rachel’s anal-retentively neat study, I plunked myself down on the sofa in front of her desk, sprawling comfortably as Maria headed for the visitor’s seat where she perched on the edge of the chair, her knees tucked together, hands on her lap where she was holding her purse.

I was starting to get the feeling that Maria had been raised in a convent.

“How can I help, Maria?” Rachel asked kindly as she seated herself behind her desk. “Bear informed me that there might come a day when you’d seek out my services but he never actually shared what you might need from me.”

Anxiously, Maria tucked a hair behind her ear. Not that the hair had strayed from her neat chignon.

Seriously, where the fuck had Kendra come from? Maybe she was proof that incubi did exist?

“Bear left me a key if you recall.”

“I do,” Rachel confirmed. “To a safety deposit box.”

“I fell ill earlier this year. As a result, I lost my job. I had no intention of ever retrieving whatever he left for me, mostly because it felt like I’d be opening Pandora’s box. I had no idea what it could be and, as much as I loved him, Bear was the biggest mistake of my life. I compromised my morals for him; I became something I vowed I’d never…” She swallowed. “I said to myself that I’d only open the box if I was desperate, and I never imagined that day would come because I’d have to be on the brink of homelessness before that would happen.”

“You came close to losing your house?” I asked quietly.

Nervously, she nodded. “My boss retired and he was replaced by this corporate youngster with a bank balance for a heart. When he eventually fired me, he refused to write me a recommendation.

"I was too weak to wait tables so I tried to…” She sighed. “You don’t need to know what I’ve done to make ends meet, but I realized how ridiculous I was being when Bear would have provided for me.” Her smile turned wistful as she opened the zipper on her purse and curled something around her fingers. “He always did.”

That was when she revealed a chain of rubies to our astonished eyes.

Peering at the jewels, Rachel queried, “May I?”

“Of course. Bear thought that you’d be able to help me sell them.”

“Me?” Rachel repeated as she lifted the chain to the light. “I’m not a fence. I don’t have?—”

“You’re friends with the Valentinis,” I finished for her, piecing Bear’s intentions together faster than Rachel did.

“You think these are the rubies they’re seeking?” she asked, staring down at the antique settings.

“Why else would Bear think you could sell them for Maria?”

She blinked. “Good point.”

Maria released a relieved breath. “You can find a buyer for me?”

“If they’re authentic, then yes.”

“Bear said they weren’t fakes,” was Maria's worried retort.

“No, I don’t doubt that Bear would… I mean, the person I’m thinking of is looking for a certain item.” Rachel waved a hand. “If they don’t want to buy the rubies, then I’m sure there’s someone in my client list?—”

“List of crooks, more like,” I muttered, earning myself a glower from her.

“—who’d be more than interested in a piece of this quality.” Rachel studied the chain and then glanced at Maria. “I’ll get in touch with the family I’m thinking of now. One of them is my best friend. She’ll give you a more than fair price if it’s the piece they’re seeking.”

“I don’t know what a fair price is,” Maria admitted.

“I’m sure Rachel knows someone who can appraise it on your behalf.”

Rachel nodded. “I can think of a few people. Can you stay in West Orange for a few days so we can make arrangements?”

Maria shook her head. “I promised myself that I’d never stay around here again and I meant it. I’ll head to Verona. It’s cheaper there anyway.”

“Maria, I’ll gladly fund your trip?—”

“I don’t take charity.” Maria grimaced at the rubies. “Usually.”

“You can pay her back with the funds from the sale,” I said simply. “Don’t stay in Verona. Go to the city. You might as well. Any appraiser will be there anyway and so is Aurora Valentini.”

“I can’t afford to!”

Getting to my feet, I snagged the rubies from Rachel’s grip and evaluated the stones. “These are worth a couple million, Maria. You can afford a suite at the Plaza if you want.” I studied the chain which was too long to be a bracelet but too short to be a necklace. The gems were cool to the touch as I inquired, “Why did you wish to speak with me?”

Maria reached into her purse again and, this time, she retrieved a letter and a larger envelope, one that was packed full and sealed with a strip of Scotch tape.

Both had my name on them.

“I appreciate the courier service,” I said cheerfully, though there was something weird about getting mail from a dead man.

“I apologize for taking so long to deliver them to you,” Maria admitted rawly. “Bear seemed to think I’d open the safety deposit box as soon as I received the key.”

I hitched a shoulder. “Better late than never. Thanks.”

I wiggled the packets at her then retreated to the sofa, leaving Rachel and Maria to sort out their business.

Retrieving a letter from the envelope, I shifted focus from their conversation and concentrated on what could be Bear’s final words.

As I read, I could feel my heart rate start to increase until, by the end, sweat had beaded on my brow.

Bear hadn't expected to be in a coma before his death.

He'd expected me to get this letter years ago and if I had, it'd have...

Christ, it'd have changed everything.

With shaking hands, I reached for my cell.

There was only one thing to do.

Me: Eagle Eyes, I need you to bring Temper Black to me.

Me: Immediately.

Me: Will send coordinates for retrieval as soon as I have them.

Eagle Eyes: On it.

Then, I snapped a picture of the letter and uploaded it into my chat with Rex.

Me: Figured you’d want to know. Bear sent me a letter.

Rex: What?

Me: Read it.

Rex: Thanks, Star.

Me: I’d want to know if there was one last letter floating around from my mom or dad.

*Ten minutes later*

Rex: Holy shit

Me: Yeah, that’s about how I’m feeling right now.

Rex: You need us, we're there.

Me: Appreciate that but I've got this.

Rex: Reel them in, Star.