Page 51 of We The Depraved

Everything past her words is a complete and utter blur. I wake Niki, and he gets us back to the ranch house in no time on the back of Champagne Dream.

Arriving at my home, there is nothing there but a charred frame of the small cottage style house I’d bought a few years ago.

Gone, I think.Its nothingness.

Niki stood with me as Silver came over.

“It’s all gone…”

Of course, I want to cry.

It’s biting at the back of my throat and I want to lose my shit in the middle of the street. The need for alcohol returns. I could drain a bottle of bourbon right now and not blink.

Silver hugs me from the side. “They don’t know what happened.”

“I’ve been gone for days,” I tell her. “Nothing was left on. This was intentional.”

Niki stares at me. “Who?”

There’s no need to tell him that I think it was that gang member. I stare down the street and I see someone walking away. Someone who’s the right build and size as the man who choked me.

I wonder if I was just lured out. The figure disappears as if they were never there and finally I meet Niki’s eyes.

“I didn’t have much of her left,” I offer a tight smile and try not to unleash my waiting tears.

“Your mother, Kitten?”

Did he read my mind?

“Yeah,” I say. “My mother, she gave me the entire Harry Potter series, notes written to me….now they’re ashes. Just like her.”

The smoke fills my lungs and finally Silver has to go. She has a big meeting in a few hours.

“Call me, later,” she says.

“I will,” I nod.

She drives away and finally, Niki tells me we need to leave too. I tear myself away from the scene of my suddenly disintegrated house. By the time we get back to the ranch, there is no use in going back to sleep.

Niki goes into the kitchen to fix breakfast even though I wanted to stop at IHOP on the way back.

“Let me cook for you,” he says and I can see something in his eyes is telling me he won’t let up.

“Fine, I need to get on the phone with the insurance people. I literally have nothing but three pairs of black leggings at this point in time.”

He comes in close. “You have whatever you need, Kitten.”

I stare at him. “My house…it’s gone.”

“You’re right,” he stares down at me. “It’s gone but I will provide.”

Nope, I think and start dialing. I don’t wanna talk about this marriage bullshit right now. I have tunnel vision and finally he goes off to cook.

I argue with the customer service rep for just a few minutes, with the smell of pancakes lingering in the air. Just as I’m about to rip into her again, the door to the ranch house opens and in file the other Safaryan men.

“We heard about your house,” Erik says quietly.

“Who the fuck burned it down?” Artur questions, his eyes redder than mud.