Page 17

Fifteen years later.

It was a beautiful day when we laid Aunt Aggie to rest. Ronnie had stood by my side, a little stooped and older but aware and heartbroken. Aunt Aggie had lived to ninety-five, Ronnie was seventy-five.

How much longer would we have him?

My daughter reached out and held his hand as we walked back from the cemetery, and my son grabbed his other. Chatter wrapped his arm around my waist, as upset as I was. Aunt Aggie had been a huge part of our lives.

She’d been tickled pink at the museums named for her, Uncle Ronald, Grandpa Reginald, and Ronnie. Naturally, Ronnie’s held the toy cars and train sets. Ronnie headed down there every morning to pick a room in which to start his trains up and he’d talk to the visitors there. When they were first built, he had spent a lot of time there… until the kids began turning up.

They became his focus, and now he was down there when the children were at school. He was their grandpa for all intents and purposes. Our second son came and grabbed his father’s hand as our baby girl took mine.

We’d done it. Kept my promise to Aunt Aggie. Ronnie was loved and happy. That’s all they had asked, and they’d received it in spades. Ravenberry Manor was a family home.

Chatter and I had devoured the Bloodsworth Journal and learnt it back and front. It would become our eldest child’s duty, Agnetha, named for Aunt Aggie. Or Aggie Jnr, as we called her. She was a sweet girl, and I hoped life didn’t sour her personality.

My parents had been locked away, as had Janice. The courts had awarded me their properties and personal items, and they’d all been sold and the money put back into the trust. I’d been shocked when it had all sold for twenty per cent more than what they had stolen. But property and jewellery could gain as well as lose value.

Janice had died in prison. Rather horrifically, although somewhat amusingly, she’d been stabbed for being a grade-A bitch. My parents were still inside. Rik also had been sent to prison, where he, too, had been badly hurt before being killed. Rik had tried to bully those around him—and that had backfired very quickly.

My five initial students, Harriet, Heidi, Emory, Kelly, and Dan went on to have glowing careers. Emory had stayed and became my personal assistant. Dan moved into toy cars and trains, funnily enough, and now managed Ronnie’s Museum. Heidi had the doll museum called Aggie, and the others kept in contact. I had named the wings of the museums after Aggie’s children and then my ancestors.

Tatum had gone on to a glowing career, and I’d allowed him to document and publish the Bloodsworth coins.

Chatter squeezed my hand. I looked up at the man who, fifteen years ago, had barrelled into my life and insulted me before offering me the world.

Chatter still grunted at his brothers, and they understood him. He hated conversations with people and avoided them at all costs. And Chatter had told me about Hallie, how Zeus, who’d taken over the club, had killed her horribly and violently to break Chatter. I was glad Zeus was dead.

When Chatter had told me about Hallie, I’d known that I had all of him. Chatter had given me every piece of him, and he had all of me. And together, we made a beautiful life.

I looked up as Aggie laughed, and Ronnie Sr joined in with her. Aggie offered him a buttercup, and Ronnie accepted it as if it was the greatest gift ever.

The Star of Lucia never left the secret room it was in. We didn’t dare risk its misfortune. The jewellery we wore sometimes, but that never left its safe haven.

And over time, we got used to the eccentricities of the ghosts of Ravenberry Manor. I became a believer when one appeared and smiled.

Yup, my home had ghosts. Who cared?

With Chatter at my side, we could face anything and everything. Even if one of the ghosts did love to pinch his ass every so often. He swore that Margaret had taken a fancy to him!

Who knew, maybe she had! He was still as sexy as hell fifteen years on. I’d never grow bored with him because Chatter loved me for me. And I couldn’t ask any different. Although cretins were firmly locked away from him!

Characters.

Hellfire MC.

Enigma. Chance’s father and Arrow’s (Drake’s father) older brother.

Bullet. Was a founder of Hellfire MC with Enigma.

Stingray. Dirty founder.

Chance Michaelson. DOB 1973. Chance is the Hellfire President. His father started Hellfire. Chance looks like Tim McGraw with long hair. He is Drake’s older cousin. He’s married to Clio.

Bear. Bear is the Hellfire VP. Bear loves his food and drink and doesn’t care who knows it. His real name is Sky Blue. He’s married to Thalia.

Sunny. Sunny is Hellfire’s Lieutenant. He is a legacy like Chance. His father was also a founder and VP. Sunny is Hellfire’s hacker. Sunny returns to Hellfire in Feb 2020.

Diesel. Diesel is Hellfire’s Sergeant at Arms. He buys and flips houses, putting half the profit into the Hellfire coffers. Diesel’s old lady is Alice.

Big Al. Al is Hellfire’s Chaplin. He has an old lady called Tatianna and owns a pawnbroker. Al is the only First Gen left and is over twenty years older than Tati.

Rooster. Rooster is Hellfire’s Secretary and handles their money. His name is Owen Wilson and his old lady is Kendara

Tiny. Tiny is an enforcer for Hellfire. He owns a gym.

Banshee. Shee is an enforcer for Hellfire. Shee buys houses and rents them out. His old lady is Sallie-Anne.

Chatter. Chatter had witnessed his girl gunned down in front of him when Hellfire took their club back from the evil men who’d infested it. He works on car designs.

Pyro. Pyro is lean and finely muscled and works out at a gym. Pyro has a rich baritone voice. Pyro’s name is Dakota Johnson. His woman is Janey Revers.

Levi. He likes to paint pictures of landscapes. His old lady is Madisen.

Shotgun. He makes leatherware items as a hobby. Shotgun came from ‘the wrong side of the tracks’ and looked after his grandmother.

Celt. Grew up glass-blowing. Celt’s old lady is Chey. He is a glassblower and a singer in Chey’s band.

Phoenix. DOB 1979. Drake’s old lady. She is English and left England to escape an abusive relationship. She is the only sister in Hellfire which is a male orientated MC.

Smokey. He’s called Smokey because he was always on a grill smoking ribs or something. Does tattoos.

Bone. He’s called Bone because he was like a dog with a bone when he’s got a project in his head for a design.

Slaughter. He’s called Slaughter because he once worked in a butcher. He does security now

Wraith. He’s called Wraith because as big as he was, the man moves like a ghost. Does tattoos.

Prospects

Fanatic. He’s a prospect and called Fanatic because of his attention to his car designs. He is Micah and his parents are Phoe and Drake.

Candidates.

Harlequin. He works security with Slaughter.

Jinx. Everything breaks around him and he is the youngest candidate. His mom is very ill.

Dollar.

Rascal.

Sailor.

Clark.

Runner.

Farm boy.

Vampire. He’s lazy and sleeps all day.

Hellfire Old Ladies

Tati. Tati is roughly five foot eight and has been with Big Al for years.

Clio. She spent her life in foster homes and from age seven to thirteen, Staffey raised her. Clio calls Staffey her father. She is the second of the quintuplets and Thalia’s identical twin.

Thalia Winchester. Thalia was kept by her birth parents, who left her with her maternal grandparents. She is the eldest out of all the siblings and she and Clio are identical twins.

Cheyenne Markham. Cheyenne is Celt’s old lady. Chey is a famous singer in a group called The Wild Wind and has two crazy stalkers.

Janet Revers, aka Bunny Jones. She is Pyro’s old lady. She was a librarian and now works in Magic’s bar.

Alice Rain. Her real name is Alexis Adams. Alice is a barmaid at Magic’s and has been for seven years. She escaped from a cult at seventeen, and Magic found her. She edits and copywrites books for a side job.

Sallie-Anne Forrester. Sallie is a teacher who escaped from the same cult Alice did, her real father was Alice’s uncle. She falls in love with Shee after forgiving him for ruining her life. She is Banshee’s wife.

Madisen Roderick. Madisen was brought up by Oscar Roderick who was a Mafia boss. She opens The Midnight Hour, which is split into different levels. She is Levi’s old lady.

Kendara Ward. Also known as Kenny, Kendara smuggled Blue to Mac when he was six days old. She is a lawyer and helped forge paperwork declaring Mac Blue’s father.

Lavender Bloodsworth. Her land backs onto Hellfire’s. She meets Chatter when she’s in a car accident. She makes and values dolls.

Hellfire children.