Induction, T.K. Eldridge [read aloud books txt] 📗
- Author: T.K. Eldridge
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“The sooner we get our stuff out of his way, the better we’ll all be. He’s none too stable right now with Dad missing,” I said.
Benny nodded. “It happens with some of the really old ones. The slightest emotional upheaval and they become unstable shifters. Emmett and I will bring the trailer and a tow truck over in about half an hour. You kids get moving.”
Auntie Sett met us at the door. “Stefano is going to be fine. He’ll need to rest for a couple of days, but no ill effects beyond that. You two want some help?”
“That’d be great, Auntie. Thank you,” I said as we headed to the cars. “Meet you at the cabin. We’ll take the wards down once we get there.”
It took us less time to empty the cabin and barn than it did to fill it. We packed it all up into the car, trucks, and trailer and headed to Grandma’s before it got dark. Sett and I moved the house stuff while the guys handled the garage stuff on the unloading side. I ordered a stack of pizzas to feed everyone before they drove home. Shifters were like hobbits, they had second breakfasts and third suppers. Granted, witches weren’t much better when they were casting or working, but human appetites were more the norm for them. Either Grandma herself or someone she’d sent over had cleaned the cottage and put fresh bedding on the beds. There was even a casserole in the fridge for us to heat up.
Being here meant wi-fi, and both Sin and I had a rash of messages and calls to return. Bella had sent me about thirty, asking where I was and if we were okay. I messaged her back that we were okay, just spending time with family and had been out of cell range. That was pretty much the same message I sent to everyone else that asked.
Sin and I added our wards to the house after he’d called Grandma to thank her for the cleaning and food and checked on Mom. Since she was sleeping, we decided to just go to bed ourselves. Breakfast in the morning at Grandma’s with everyone came early.
Sin
I lay in bed, exhausted and wanting to sleep but unable to shut my brain off enough to do so. I’d been busy answering all of the texts and voicemails I’d racked up over the past few days. I wished I could go hang with my friends and have a couple of beers, play some pool and let it all go. But that wasn’t in my near future. Unfortunately. I was lucky if you could call it that, that I’d broken up with my latest girlfriend last week. Tanya had been fun, and human, but she started asking too many questions, so I let her go. Between the questions and the clinging, I was done.
The last guy Sid had dated, ended up friend-zoned to the point where he let her sleep in his car and hang out at his place and not even get a snuggle. She had a way with people. I tended to be more judgmental and less trusting. Aaron figured as long as he was in her life as a friend, he had a chance. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he had a better chance of being hit by lightning or winning the lottery.
It was really quiet here. Even at the cabin, there had been some traffic noise. Well, that and animal noise from the shifters. Here, the only noise was the wind through the trees or blowing across the fields. I cracked the window open to let in some air and the scent of the herbs on the late spring breeze calmed me enough to sleep. My last thoughts were of Dad. I hoped he was somewhere safe.
Breakfast the next morning at Grandma’s was a noisy affair. Sid, me, Grandma, Auntie Sett, Evelyn Rue, Jolie, and Mom around the kitchen table. Yes, Mom. She looked a little tired and pale, still, but she was eating, talking, and laughing with everyone. Ty, one of the farmhands, came in with fresh strawberries and ended up at the table with the rest of us. It felt like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one.
“Mom, don’t tire yourself out too much,” Sid said as she refilled Mom’s teacup. “Let us wait on you for a bit longer, okay?”
Mom kissed Sid’s cheek and laughed. “If this is what it takes to get you to wait on me? Maybe I’ll get kidnapped more often.”
Everyone laughed or ‘oohed’ at that empty threat and I tossed my napkin at my mother. “Don’t you even think about it. We’ll spell you into a room and never let you out.”
“Did you all hear that? Threats from my son. Well, I never,” Mom teased back.
For all the laughter, we still had our worry for Dad in the back of our minds.
“What do you kids have planned for today?” Mom asked.
“Some unpacking and sorting at the cottage, then we need to go run a couple of errands and pick up our graduation packets,” Sid said.
“Yeah, if we don’t get them, they’ll try and mail them, and the only address they have is our old one.”
Mom looked sad and I felt bad for mentioning it. “Maybe tomorrow, if you feel strong enough, you could come to the cottage and see what we saved?”
“Sure, Sin. That sounds good,” Mom said.
Sid leaned over and whispered to her and Mom’s expression brightened. I figure she told her we had all of the important stuff and her jewelry. I knew there were some heirloom pieces in there that it would’ve been sad to lose to a fire.
I checked my phone and nudged Sid. “We need to get going or we’ll be late.”
I pulled up outside the bank. Sid and I had agreed a long time ago to have separate savings accounts but a joint spending account. It was easier when most of our gifts were cash or checks ‘to the twins’ and we had to divide it up anyway. Besides, we were both good with money and if there was something big one of us wanted, we talked about it. Dad said it was good training for when we got married. We figured that was a very big if rather than a when. The money from Grandpa needed to get deposited and we had to get the trust fund books settled.
When you had this much money for them to process, the bank manager herself came out to usher us into her private office.
“Mr. and Ms. Boudreau, to what do we owe this honor?” the manager, Mrs. Aucoin said as she sat behind her desk, leaving us with the two leather side chairs in front of it.
Sid gave the lady what I called her lawyer smile and settled her purse on her lap. “We have some business to transact. A cash deposit and the settlement of our trust funds in our names with no oversight or guardian.”
I opened my messenger bag on my knees and slid the two bank books out and handed them to Sid while I pulled out the bundles of cash. I stacked them on the edge of the manager’s desk and watched Mrs. Aucoin’s eyes widen.
“I see. Well, let me get the paperwork we’ll need, and we can get started,” she said.
Sid leaned forward and set the two books on her desk. “This should be easy. The trust accounts are already with this bank. We’re just removing our grandparent’s names from them.”
I muttered under my breath, “And bringing us into the next century, away from paper books.”
The manager opened one book. I almost laughed at the way her eyes widened and her face went pale. “You, uh, both, uh, have some identification?”
“Of course we do. But you already have our biometric print identification from when you escorted us back here. If that hadn’t been correct, we’d be in police custody right now. So, how about you take a breath before you pass out, go get those papers and we’ll finish up here. We do have other business we need to attend to today,” I said.
Sid just smiled at the manager as she folded her hands over her purse.
The manager, flustered, dropped the papers she pulled off the printer, so I got up and helped her collect them off the floor. I handed them to her, and she blushed. Great, a fan. Or something. While I might not be above using this in my favor, it was not something I liked to deal with. I sat back down to see what she did next.
Mrs. Aucoin counted the bundles of money and wrote the amount on a deposit slip. Sid filled out the rest of the slip and handed it back.
Aucoin sat at her computer and typed a few things then frowned. “I’m sorry, there’s a hold on these trusts. By Mr. James Boudreau?”
“A hold?” I asked.
“It means he hasn’t released the funds to us yet,” Sid said. “However, you know from our identification that we’re both twenty-one and named beneficiaries on the trusts. Legally, his hold is nullified.”
The manager gave Sid a faint smile. “Are you a lawyer?”
“Law student. But I do know the law, and I know I’m right.”
“Yes, you are correct. It just means an additional form needs to be filled out.”
Another sheet of paper slid out of the printer and I pulled it free, read it before I handed it to her. “This will cut any ties he has to this money, correct?”
“Yes, correct.” Mrs. Aucoin said.
“Then let’s get this all signed and witnessed,” Sid said.
Soon, all of the forms were filled out, signed and notarized.
“Congratulations, you’re both now the proud owners of your trust funds. I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest you talk to our investment officers.”
I laughed a little. “Thank you, but we’re good. We appreciate all of your assistance in this.”
“You’re most welcome. Thank you for doing business with our bank.”
Sid got to her feet, accepted our copies of the paperwork, handed me mine and put hers in her purse. I slid mine into the messenger bag as we headed out of the office. Imagine how surprised we weren’t when we got to the lobby and saw our grandfather, and his lawyer, standing there.
Sid just turned away and kept walking, but I slowed my steps. Sid turned and arched a brow at me, so I waved her on. She had a fob to get into my car, and I wanted to see what the old man had to say.
“Sinclair,” Grandpa said. “I see you and that sister of yours wasted no time in claiming the money.”
“Good business, Grandpa. I see you wasted no time in trying to keep us from getting it.”
“Now, Mr. Boudreau,” the lawyer started, and my grandfather lifted his hand to silence the man.
“You’re both too young to manage those funds,” Grandpa said.
“Well, that’s for us to decide now, isn’t it? Have a good day,” I said and turned for the door.
“Don’t you disrespect me, boy,” Grandpa said, his voice a low growl.
I stopped and turned back to him, my eyes flashing green and gold for a moment. “Don’t you dare disrespect Sidonie or me, ever again. You’ve overstepped, old man, and it’s time you realized that. You held on too tight
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