Annabel Stewart got the job of her dreams as a historian, the privilege to restore a historical mansion in Mississippi. While the 20-bedroom mansion has a horrid past, she doesn't let it affect her as she puts her love into restoring it to its forme...
"Yeah, I know what's in this box," Jess smiled as she sat her purse on the counter then sat down at the table. "Mom and I are the ones that hid it in the basement room along with the pictures and stuff."
"What's in it?" Annabel asked as she sat across from her.
"Something very personal but unfortunately we lost the key years ago," Jess shook her head and rolled her eyes as her phone rang. She looked at the number, declined the call and tossed her phone back down on the table.
"Everything okay?" Annabel asked curiously.
"What? Oh yeah," Jess nodded, "I just quit my job and they won't stop blowing up my phone, that's all."
"You quit?" Annabel asked, "but you are one of the best lawyers in town working with one of the best groups in the town from what you've told me. Why on earth would you quit Jess?"
"Yeah, why would you quit?" Kota asked confused.
"Well, because my asshat of a boss won't take no for an answer for one thing," Jess sighed as she stood and paced. "He kept trying to call me in on my days off or make suggestions that I stay late, things like that. And get this," She looked around curiously. "Hey do you think they are hear ease dropping?"
Annabel chuckled, "You know I don't believe in that stuff."
"Well hopefully not," Jess sighed, "They would flip a gasket if they were alive and knew what was going on, especially Kota, North, Silas, and Raven. Owen would go for destroying the company."
"What?" Annabel asked. "Did your boss touch you?"
"Not yet," Jess shook her head. "But he is married and is pissed because I absolutely refuse to accompany him on a so called business trip over the weekend. He keeps trying to pressure me into going although no one else will be attending and keeps telling me if I go he will make me partner."
"WHAT?" Kota, North, Silas, Raven, and Owen shouted.
The lights flickered and Jess whispered, "Fuck."
Annabel shook her head, "There's a storm heading this way, the winds must be messing with the power, sorry about that. I'll grab some candles just to be on the safe side."
"Seriously?" Jess scoffed, "That's what you're going with?"
"What?" Annabel asked as she set some candles out and placed a lighter by them.
"When are you going to face reality?" Jess asked. "My brothers are here and trying to let you know you aren't alone in this big ass house of theirs. Anyway, I'm sorry I can't show you what's in this box," she motioned to the lock box. "I wish I knew what happened to the key but I have no idea where it is and in this house there is no telling where it could be."
"Would this be it?" Annabel asked as she pulled the key out of her pocket.
"Holy shit," Jess beamed, "yeah that's it. Where did you find this?"
"I found a bunch of journals last night and placed them on my nightstand. When I woke this morning it was sitting on top of them. I guess I was just so exhausted last night I don't remember it falling out of one the journals and just sat it there so I wouldn't lose it this morning," She shrugged as she looked at Jess' disbelief look on her face. "What? What other logical reasoning do you have for the key appearing out of the blue, then?"
"Easy," Jess smirked, "My brothers placed it there for you so you would be able to see what's in here."
"You are dead set on this ghost thing, aren't you?" Annabel asked and Jess nodded.
"Yep," She smiled softly. "I love thinking they are still here with me. Now open the box."
Annabel took a deep breath, unlocked the box, and lifted the lid. "Oh wow," She gasped as she looked down at thirteen male rings and one smaller, more feminine ring. All had the same design, a heart with an infinity symbol intertwined together. "These are so beautiful," She whispered as she picked one up and held it up to the light. "But Jess, there's only thirteen masculine ones?"
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Jess sniffled and nodded, "Mom was the one to identify everyone. She forced me to stay home with Kota's golden retriever Max. Kota had Max stay with us a couple of days before hand for protection. He stayed with us until his very last day, passing in his sleep at 15. Anyway," She cleared her throat and looked down at the family picture sadly, "A sheriff was nice enough to notify Mom and she identified everyone at all the scenes. The guys had these rings specially made as a show of commitment to each other and they had this girl one made for the day they ever found a wife for all of them, their one queen for all of them."
"They were polyamorous," Annabel whispered and Jess nodded.
"Yes, they loved each other deeply, there's no doubt about that, but they also wanted a wife as well. Anyway, they each had these rings, but Mom only recovered 13 from their bodies. Owen's ring wasn't on him when Mom identified him. She never found it and she felt it wasn't right to bury the rest together with their rings and not him so she took all the rings and placed them in this box with the one that was suppose to be for their wife if they ever found her and we hid it so no one would take them. The men in white were still trying to break in and gather any information they could on the people my brothers helped so they could pay them a visit like they did my brothers, that's why all this information was hidden with the rings."
Jess picked up the rings and gently held them in her hands. Annabel wiped a tear and cleared her throat, "I wonder why Owen wasn't wearing his ring, that doesn't sound right to me."
"Oh it's not," Jess shook her head, "Owen would never have taken his ring off. None of them would have. These were their wedding bands so to speak, they would never take them off. The man that killed Owen took his ring of that I am absolutely certain."
"Are you telling me whoever killed your brothers took the ring as a trophy?" Annabel asked and Jess nodded adamantly. "Why would he only take Owen's and not the rest?"
"Because Owen was the leader of the group, he called all the shots," Jess shrugged. "Think about it, take something so personal from the leader and it sends a message to everyone else."
