The Bodyguard 3: Soul Ties

Chapter 5: Family Business

Chapter 5: Family Business

Kali.

When Indi waited on me after cheerleading tryouts I thought it was strange. When she asked to come home with me so I could help her work on the routine for tryouts, I thought she was tripping. When she nailed the routine in under 30 minutes, I knew I was in the Twilight Zone. Who the fuck was this? Like Indi was goooood, crazy good.

"Okay, who are you and what the hell have you done with my cousin?" I playfully scolded her with my arms folded across my chest.

Indi began laughing and playfully swatted at me before going and taking a seat on the couch.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed us two cold waters from the bottom of the refrigerator. I walked back into the living room and tossed one to Indi before sitting down next to her on the teal blue loveseat.

My dad was an artist and my mom loved all things luxury so our house was like a boho museum. There were two velvet blue couches that decorated our living room — one loveseat and a sectional. Adjacent to the loveseat sat two white fur statement chairs with gold arms and legs. The multicolor bohemian rug they got on a trip to India was decorated with shades of blues, yellows, whites and golds. It really did help to tie the room together.

Plastered along the walls were painted portraits of our family. Mom and Dad covered the wall directly behind where we were sitting, while individual portraits of CJ and me hung above the sectional. Directly across from us sat a huge bay window with sliding glass doors. Golden-yellow drapes covered the glass extending from the ceiling all the way down to the floor and on one side was a painting of my maternal grandfather. The other side housed a painting of a stack of money, a heart with a knife plunging out of it, and a crown dangling around the knife.

I always thought the latter painting was so graphic, but I guess it held a deeper meaning for them both. I only asked about it once, and their answer was simple. The love of money is the root of all evil. Considering that we were rich I thought that was a bit of hypocrisy on their end, but I knew better than to press the issue.

Glancing back over at my cousin, I watched her down the few remnants of her water before repeating my question.

"Sooo, where the hell has this girl been all this time and why am I just now meeting her?" I playfully pushed her shoulder.

Indi looked away blushing, ducking her face into her right shoulder.

"I don't know. She's new to me too. I didn't even know I could dance like that!" Indi laughed. She shook her head like she couldn't believe it either, but I knew by the smile on her face that she'd really impressed and enjoyed herself.

"I mean, it's gotta be in the genes right?" I playfully joked while gesturing to my body. Indi and I both knew we weren't really blood related, but genetics couldn't make us any closer.

"Right!" She reached out to do our secret handshake we made up when I was 10 and Indi was 7. It was honestly so lame, but it was something that was ours.

"Ok, so really," I turned my body towards her, letting her know she had my full attention. "Where is all this coming from? What made you want to try out?"

"Ok there may or may not be a guy," her voice trailed off and her eyes slowly made their way to her intertwined fingers resting in her lap.

"I knew it!" I shouted, scooting closer. "I knew there was a boy! Oooo, was it that cute guy I saw you talking to a few weeks ago?" My eyebrows wiggled up and down as I poked at her waist.