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“They obliterated her,” Rankin said drunkenly. He turned to Omar, not understanding why the man was still hanging around. Oh yes, he had the hots for her like most men. “I’m sure it was pretty- beautiful even, but she’s dead.” He took another large gulp, then refreshed his libation with more tequila. He snickered taking the bottle by the neck away from the liquor cart. He sat down looking into his glass. “We’re killers, detective. It’s what we do.”
“Rankin, lighten up, man,” Devon said. “It was the right thing to do,” he said, handing Carmen off to Milly. “Or Velvet wouldn’t have done it. And we all cosigned on it.”
“She has all the answers,” Rankin stated glumly.
“Why are you acting like this? Getting drunk in her house, on her booze and bad mouthing her in front of her friends? Anyway, you weren’t there, man. From what I heard from Wilder, that was a rough scene on everyone.”
Rankin shot to his feet, letting the tequila bottle drop and shatter on the floor. “Look at you, barely off your mama’s tit, and trying to school me on Velvet Washington. I wasn’t allowed out tonight! She pulled her fucking rank and didn’t even bother to tell me what was going down! Yet, she took the detective, and she let you choreograph the action in the Grove.”
“I only helped Craig organize the younger wolves. Troy was in charge.”
“I suppose now that Jasmine is dead we’re all allies now. I guess her death met a purpose.”
“If Jasmine were alive, she’d support healing the community with her whole heart.”
“I doubt that,” Rankin said. “Jasmine was in love, not stupid.” He headed back to the liquor cart. Leroy was preparing to wheel it away. “Watch out, now.” He reached for a bottle of Scotch.
“Put it down, man,” Leroy requested quietly. “You done had more than enough.”
“Don’t presume anything, Leroy.” Rankin unscrewed the top with his teeth.
“Whatever is ailing you tonight, take it out of this house.”
“Don’t attempt to give me orders, mortal.”
“Man, I suggest you get a grip! When Velvet comes home you ain’t giving her grief over some old hag you drove crazy!” Rankin stumbled back as if Leroy had slugged him in the jaw. “Yeah. Samantha was your mess that came back to bite you in the neck!”
“Leroy!” Milly cautioned from the couch. “Not now, he’s too drunk.”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Rankin stated defensively. He even met Devon’s young accusing eyes. “The woman was filled with hate and jealousy. It didn’t matter what I said or did.”
“That might be, but it’s all over with now,” Omar stepped up to tell him. “Anyway, does anyone really know what she was about? She never let on she was in town, or for how long.”
“What are you talking about?” Rankin shook his head that was on the verge of spinning. “Of course, she came for revenge.”
“If so, that was the coldest serving I ever heard of. Seems to me she could have just wanted to control Fairlight like everybody else around here that’s on a mad ass power trip. Man, do you really think, Samantha was still stewing over you doing her wrong for more than two hundred years? You think a witch would wait that long to strike back?”
“I don’t know.” Rankin ran a rough hand over his bald head as the front door opened. Velvet along with Tyra, Celeste and Suzanne entered. Each woman seemed to immediately sense the stress filling the room. Rankin locked bitter eyes on Velvet. Because of her he’d never know what Samantha’s plans meant for him. In his heart, he knew she was in Fairlight because of him.
Velvet took a short moment, as if considering what she thought she should do. She bit her lip with resolve before she came forward. “Rankin, I am so sorry. If there had been any other way... but there wasn’t.”
He held her sympathetic gaze with coldness. How dare she treat him this way? How dare she not consider his feelings before killing Samantha and now have the nerve to feel sorry for him?
“She asked for release.”
“Oh God.” Something rose from the pit of his belly up to lodge in his chest. He felt as if he were about to choke. She gently took him in her arms and hugged him. She rubbed his stiff back until he began to tremble and cough. “She’s gone!” He pushed her away to grab hold of his head. “She became a monster because I didn’t want to love her!”
“Yes, she’s gone. And she’s at peace. She didn’t die a monster, Rankin. We were able to release her soul from that body before it died. She was only there a brief moment. She smiled and said Amon Ra. I don’t know what that means, but she said it like it meant something special.”
“She said that? Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“She was once a very beautiful lady,” Rankin shared quietly. He looked at Velvet and realized his vision was blurred from tears. “I told her I’d love her and stay by her side. And she shared everything she had with me and for me. I thought I deserved it and more. But I didn’t think she’d live so long. After eighty five years I was bored with our life. So I left without a word because I couldn’t face her. She loved me like she said she always would and I simply didn’t want to try anymore.” He wiped at his eyes willing them to stop the tears. Tears he couldn’t ever remember shedding before. “I truly hurt more than her heart, didn’t I? It went into her soul, that’s why she- lost her mind.”
“Rankin, she became a crone. Becoming a crone isn’t just by being old. It’s a deliberate process that’s taxing on the individual. Everyone is not suited for it. Samantha wasn’t so she cheated and it cost her.”
“She went dark,” Rankin said. “All these bad things happened after I left her alone.”
“Also it seems she was a lot older than you thought. She was nearly five hundred years old. She wanted and needed you nearby for your immortality. It wasn’t harmful and it was the easiest way to consume your essence to remain young.”
“No. Samantha wouldn’t have used me like that. She’d have told me.”
“She was vain and in love with an immortal. She preferred you think her magic was strong like that.”
“Why did you choose to help her after what she did?”
“I felt sorry for her. And I know Jerome used her. He knew she was sick, for power and in her mental health.”
“Thank you, Velvet.” Rankin said as fresh tears flooded his eyes. He didn’t try to stop them. His being at the mansion would not have helped her at all. “Thank you, Suzanne. Thank you, detective. Thank you all for having shown mercy on my poor wife.”
“Your wife?” Tyra exclaimed, and then covered her mouth.
Having said his say, he simply walked out of the house and out into the street heading away from the last place he’d seen Samantha alive.
When he turned the corner, he stopped and said, “Amon Ra was my ancient name. I never used it again after I left Samantha.”
“Turn around, come back to the house.”
“Velvet, I want to be alone. You don’t need to follow me. I’ll be back when I’m ready.”
“I wouldn’t have excluded you, if I knew she was your wife.”
“I wish I believed you.” He wiped his face with his hands and turned around. “You always do what you want and then worry about other peoples’ feelings later.”
“I do what I think is best with the information I have at hand. All I knew about you and Samantha was that you two were involved a long time ago, and she was bitter that you used her. You didn’t bother to clarify anything. I didn’t know you loved her.”
“I was never in love with her, but she was my wife. I would have loved to see her one last time.”
“Truly you would after everything she did?”
“I would.”
Velvet closed her eyes, stretched her arms out, and put her head back as a cold light breeze kissed her face and claimed her body. “Rankin, she’s here.”
“Samantha?” In place of Velvet, she stood in a long black dress similar to the one he vaguely recalled she’d worn the day they were married. “Is it you?” He moved the heavy plait from her face and caressed her wrinkled cheek with his fingertips. “I am so sorry.”
She smiled as though happy to see him and have him touch her. “My immortal,” she said and embraced him, hugging his neck. “Amon Ra,” she whispered faintly, then she was gone.
“I couldn’t hold her any longer.”
“It was enough,” he said, holding Velvet tighter and began to cry into her shoulder. “It was more than I deserve.”