Ruin Me (#2 in the Brotherhood series)

Chapter 41

Rayna

The funeral for Ma was small; family only. Zade worked hard to bury her within two days. He claims he did it because he wants to get his revenge plan in motion. Though that may be part of it, I know another part of it is because he doesn't want to grieve.

He has not shed a tear, nor has he slept since her passing three days ago. I want revenge just as much as he does, but he'll be unsuccessful if he's not thinking clearly.

I pick up my phone and call him.

"What happened? Are you okay?" My heart breaks even more. This is how all of our calls start now.

"Yes, I was just thinking about cooking Jamaican food since I always said I'd make you some, but never got the chance to actually do it. I was also hoping you'd come home a little earlier today. I don't want to keep crying myself to sleep Zade."

He's silent for a moment, before he responds, "I'll be home by 5:30, I promise."

"Thank you,"

As soon as I end the phone call I get to work by taking out oxtail, chicken and all my other ingredients and items.

I season all of my meat and then put them in the pot so that they can start to simmer.

Cooking Jamaican food was a way my Grandma and I bonded. She'd say "a full belly always brings happiness. No matter what."

Im hoping that it'll at least help Zade. I don't expect him to fully recover; I haven't even gotten over it. I've done nothing but lay in bed and cry for the past four days.

Losing someone you love is worse than anything break up. It's a pain that runs deep within the soul. Sometimes it takes an act of God to pull the person out of their dark place. As of right now, I'm still in that dark place. Hopefully cooking will take my mind off of it.

I hear footsteps enter the house and I expect to see Zade, but instead I see a man I've never met.

I take a step back and grab a gun from one of the drawers.

He laughs, "I won't be fighting with you love."

Just then someone wraps their arms roughly around my waist and places a piece of cloth over my nose and everything fades to black.

**************************************

Zade

A sick feeling comes over me just as I'm about to head to another meeting.

To calm my mind I call Rayna.

She doesn't pick up.

I call her again, but she still doesn't answer.

I open my phone and see my guards standing in the same position as they were ten minutes ago. On any other day I'd ignore it, but I can't. Not today.

I call my brothers and Javen. "I don't have time to explain but meet me at my house ASAP. I have a bad feeling."

I quickly hang up the phone and rush to my car.  As I speed down the highway the feeling only intensifies.

From the moment I pull into my driveway I know something is off. Two guards are dead in the grass. Without hesitation I pull out my gun and rush into the house.

"RAYNA?! Ray baby are you here?" I call out in the foyer.

The smell of food burning only causes my anxiety to increase. As o enter the kitchen I notice not only the burning food, but also the hand gun on the ground.

I turn off the stove and run upstairs. I try to remain hopeful, that is until I open our bedroom door and find it completely empty.

"RAY!?" I call out frantically as I rush out of the room towards the backyard, but she's not there.

I walk past dead guards as I walk around the house.

This can't be, she can't be gone. No, she can't be gone.

A hand on my shoulder almost gives me hope, until I turn around and face my brothers and Javen, who all share the same concerned look.

"Maybe she went on a walk." I try to lie to myself.

"Zade.... She's not here. They took her....."

They took her..... they took her.

The words spin in my mind until it makes me dizzy.

My heart and my soul.... Taken. My entire world, my reason for living has been taken.

"Find her." I grit out. "And slaughter anyone who gets in your way. Have no mercy. Mercy has run out. I want the streets to be painted red with their blood." I say before dismissing them.

I want to hear them beg me to stop killing them. But most of all I want my Rayna.

I want to hold her and kiss her. I want to tell her that we'll get through this grief together because we have each other. I want to tell her how much I love and adore her. I want to feel her soft radiant skin. I want to laugh when she tries her best to annoy me.

I want to inhale her coconut and vanilla scent, but we can't always get what we want. For now, I'll settle with finding the people who killed my mother, because clearly they are the same people who took my wife.

When I find them, not even God Himself will spare them.