House of Paine - (A Romantic Suspense - Book 2) by Kylie Walker Read Free Book Online Page B

apparently there was another envelope inside of his that was addressed to you. He left it with me for safe keeping. It’s been in my safe since I moved in here. Dad called me earlier after your meeting with Jackson to see how things went. I gave him a blow by blow,” she giggled at her own joke and then said, “Anyways, for some reason he suddenly wants me to give you this letter. He told me to tell you that after you read it you can call him and he’ll come meet with you if you have any questions.”
    “My curiosity is really peaked now,” Damien said. “My mother and I talked a lot during the time that she was sick...about everything, I thought. I wonder what it is that she couldn’t tell me and she had to put in a letter.”
    “I honestly have no idea,” Roxi told him. She went over to the wall safe, punched in a code and opened it up. She took out a white envelope and brought it over to Damien. He felt an ache in his heart as soon as he looked at it. He recognized his mother’s handwriting right away. He swallowed the lump in his throat and thanked his cousin.   “You’re welcome,” Roxi said. “I hope whatever it is helps you. Jake and I are going out to dinner, but you have my cell if you need anything.”
    “Can I ask you a question, Roxi?”
    “Of course.”
    “Was it hard for you?”
    “What’s that?”
    “Adjusting to being “normal” after you left New York and came here to start a new life? Sometimes I imagine myself with a nine to five job and a house in the suburbs...and as much as I want that, I wonder if I can handle it.”
    Roxi laughed. “Baby if you think I’m normal...” Damien laughed too. “Obviously I’m not doing the nine to five thing and the business that I’m in, although it is strictly legal, is not exactly the most upstanding and respectable in the community. So, as happy as I am to no longer be associated with people that the FBI tail more often than the Taliban...I am not really the one to speak to normal .”
    Damien nodded. He looked down at the envelope in his hand. He wished so badly that his mother was still here. He missed her like an amputated limb. Most of the time he tried not to think too much about what his life was like before. It hurt too much for so many reasons. His mother had dreams for him and for Alex. Their lives now were her worst nightmare and he carried the heavy burden of guilt for that every day. Roxi touched his shoulder and then she left him alone with his letter. He stared at the envelope and he wondered what his mother could have had to say ten years ago that would help him now. She had no idea that less than six months after she died, he and his brother would be full-fledged thugs.
    He turned it over in his hands a few times before at last reaching for the letter opener on the desk. He let it slide along the seal of the envelope. He sat the letter opener down and stared at the pink stationary inside. He remembered that stationary well. His mother used to leave notes for him and Alex on that paper. Before she went to work in the morning, she would pen a note to them, telling them to “Have a Great Day” and saying, “I love you!” He felt the hot burn of tears filling his eyes as the memories of her smiling face ran through his head. He pulled out the two pages and unfolded them. The sight of, “My dearest Damien,” at the top of the page in his mother’s hand caused one of the tears to spill over. He swiped it away angrily. No tears! That was a sign of weakness. One thing Jackson did teach him was to never show weakness. People would take advantage of that.
    He looked back down at the letter and began to read.
    ––––––––
    M y Dearest Damien,
    ––––––––
    I f you are reading this letter, two things have happened. The first is that I’m gone. I’m so sorry that I had to go and leave you at a time in your life when you were just beginning to discover who you were and what direction you wanted to go in