Rebel Revenge (Saint View Rebels Book 1)

The morgue had left a message on my phone, politely requesting I come down and collect my father’s belongings that had been on his person when he’d died.

I hadn’t felt up to it for a few days, preferring to drink until I forgot about it, but each day when I woke up hungover, it weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn’t keep drinking, or it would become a serious problem. So the next morning, I left before I could get drunk and drove to a cold-looking building in the industrial part of Saint View. Glancing around warily at the graffiti on the walls of the run-down buildings, I locked my father’s car, hoping it would still be there when I returned.

The entire place gave me the heebie-jeebies, just knowing inside lay dozens and dozens of dead bodies, all chilling in a freezer.

What a fucking job.

The woman who greeted me when I opened the door though was anything but gloomy. Her dress was bright yellow, her arms covered by a pink cardigan, and she had her hair braided into two strands that hung over her shoulders pigtail-style, held in place with rainbow hair ties. “Good morning!” she announced so brightly I jumped at the sudden, unexpected tone. “What can we do for you today?”

“I need to pick up my father’s belongings. Someone called me.”

“Last name?”

“Weston. Vaughn…I mean, I’m Vaughn. He’s Bart. The dead person in question is Bart. I’m not dead. Clearly. Shit.”

She smiled tolerantly, like she put up with rambling idiots like myself on the regular and tapped her lime-green-painted fingernails across the keyboard. “Right! Here you are. ID 7876.” She repeated the numbers beneath her breath as she turned to a row of large cabinets behind her and rummaged through one of them. “Here you go, honey. There’s a note that the clothes he was brought in wearing were destroyed due to the possibility of contamination with a poisonous substance. But the items in his pockets and his jewelry were checked over by the police then deemed unrequired for their investigations. So, they’re all yours, if you want them.” She pushed across a small plastic bag with only a couple of things inside. His wallet and phone. A gold wedding band and a folded piece of paper.

My hand shook as I took them from her, and she gave me a sympathetic smile.

“I really am very sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

She paused for a moment. “Would you like to see the body?”

I glanced up at her, sure my face was white. I could practically feel the blood draining from it. “What?”

“Some people find it comforting. Especially if the death was quick. It’s maybe a chance to say anything you didn’t get to say while they were living.”

I hesitated. There were things I wanted to say. Things I’d always thought I’d have more time for. “Is he…like, blue or something?”

She put a hand on my arm reassuringly. “It’s not as scary as you might think. Most people tell me they’re glad they did it, even if they didn’t want to at first. But it’s totally up to you.”

I wasn’t sure I could live with any more regrets. I already had so many. I nodded.

She came out from behind the desk and led the way to a door at the far end of the room. She punched in a code, and I held the door open for her, then followed behind. “It’s just down here.” She muttered the ID number again, then found a matching number on the wall of silver drawers.

I tried really hard not to think about how many bodies were behind them.

She put her hand on the handle, pausing to look over at me. “Are you ready?”

No.

“Yes.”

She flicked off a lock and pulled the drawer out.

My father’s dead body lay on top of it. His skin was pale and did have a blueish tinge, but if I ignored that, I could perhaps pretend he was just sleeping. It was either that or run out of the place screaming.

“Not so bad, huh?” the woman asked.

I couldn’t speak, but she seemed to understand.

“I’ll give you some time. Just come on out when you’re finished. You don’t need to do anything. I’ll tidy up when you’re done. There’s a chair here if you’d like to use it.”

It was maybe more a matter of need than want. I wasn’t sure my legs would support me for very long. I sank down into it gratefully. It was better from this vantage point to. From sitting height, I only saw his profile.

I didn’t know what to do. Was I supposed to talk? The room was so deathly silent, I couldn’t stand not filling it. “Well. That was a wedding day no one will forget in a hurry, huh?”

I rubbed my face with my hands. This sucked. This sucked so bad. I didn’t know what to do. I held up the bag of his belongings. “Picked up your things. Wallet, keys, phone, ring. Don’t know what this bit of paper is…”

It was easier to reach inside the bag and take the paper out than it was to keep staring at my father’s too-pale skin. I unfolded it slowly and skimmed over the first few lines of text.

Dear Miranda.

I stand here before you on our wedding day, the happiest I’ve ever been in my fifty-two years. I can wholeheartedly say my life changed the day you came into it. With your big voice, big ideas, and even bigger heart. I’m sure I fell in love with you at first sight…

I squinted at my father’s body. “This isn’t what you read at the ceremony.” He and Miranda had both recited standard vows, repeating after the judge.

I looked down at the beautiful words and wondered why. Had he chickened out? He shouldn’t have. It was a shame Miranda never heard these.

I glanced around the room, wondering if her body was in here. I didn’t know what I believed about souls or the afterlife, but my father’s words deserved to be read aloud, so I continued.

“I promise today, as I stand before you with complete and wholehearted devotion and admiration, that all our worst days are behind us. Because even though there will be hard times to come, we’ll fight them side by side, my hand in yours, the two of us together.

I have never known love like the kind you have shown me. I promise to return it every day. I vow today to love and honor you. To take care of not only you, but your daughter, Rebel. I vow to be the man who protects you both, after so many others have failed. That will never be me, Miranda. You and your daughter are safe with me.”

I put the paper down. “You really loved her, huh, old man? Maybe it’s for the best you went together.”

I could only imagine losing a love like the one my father had found would be crippling. At least he’d been spared that pain.

“I really hope there’s some sort of afterlife, Dad. I hope you get to spend forever with her.” I bowed my head, staring down at my lap.

An uncomfortable feeling settled over me. My dad had vowed to protect both Miranda and Rebel. I didn’t know what he was protecting them from, but it made a lot more sense now as to why his estate had been split between the two of us.

I’d failed my father in so many ways over the course of my life. Acting out at school. Taking for granted the wealth and privilege his hard work had given me. Never coming back to visit once I’d finished college. I’d been so wrapped up in me. In the things that had pushed me out of this town and made me never want to return. I’d forgotten the one man who’d always supported me.

I swallowed thickly. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could change it.”

But there was no going back now. Only going forward.

I’d accused Rebel of some awful things. I’d let my grief get the better of me, and it had come out in anger. I hated I’d done that. She was grieving too. She didn’t deserve the things I’d said when alcohol and hurt had gotten the better of me.

I choked down the lump in my throat and stared at the vows again. Rebel’s name was the only word that stayed clear, the rest of them blurring as I blinked back the moisture welling in my eyes.

“I’ll take over where you left off,” I promised him. “I’ll protect her. Make sure she’s taken care of. If it was important to you, then it’s important to me too.”

Some of the heaviness lifted off my heart. Maybe it was just the relief at admitting I’d done something wrong and was going to try to fix it. I had to sort out Brooke’s mess, and I needed money to do that. Fast. But Rebel wouldn’t go without.

“I don’t know how you became the man you are. I don’t think I can even be half as good.” I stood, gathering up my father’s things and took one last look down at him. “But I’ll try.”