Chapter 6

"What's your problem, Warren? Tell it straight to my face!" Joe growled back at Warren. "I'm trying to bury my dog. What have I ever done to you?"

"Oh, I get it," Joe said as he glanced at the urn. "Another little show for Rose. You want her feeling sorry for you, is that it? You're one to talk. What? Don't tell me your sister died. She looked pretty happy in that video. Try a better story."

Warren listened as the insults got worse. He wanted to punch Joe in the face so bad.

Instead, he took a breath and called the cemetery manager.

The manager heard him, then told Joe to leave the plot alone as he knew who was in the right. "Sir, this plot has already been reserved. We can't cancel someone else's reservation just because you want it. If you're in a hurry, we can find you another one."

Joe glared at Warren. "How can you be so heartless? My dog's dead, and you won't even let me bury him!"

Warren lowered his sister's urn into the grave with care and did not even bother looking up. "You're calling me heartless? That's rich. I think that's an adjective that suits you better."

Joe swayed, furious. Then, he went pale and fainted.

Before Warren could move, he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Get that filthy thing out of there."

He turned and saw Rose hurried over to Joe and gathered him up, worried all over her face.

Warren's nails dug into his palms as he rushed to block the guards from reaching the urn. Warren looked at her through his tears. "Do you have any idea whose ashes those are?!"

Rose simply looked down at him icily. "Why should I care whose ashes those are? You keep picking fights with Joe. What did you expect?"

She gave the guards a look, and they seized the urn. They then emptied it onto the ground right in front of Warren and Angelica, and Mia's ashes spilled freely into the dirt.

Angelica screamed as she tried to scoop them up, but a bodyguard caught her. Another made a point of grinding the ashes under his shoes.

Warren stared at Rose. For a moment, he couldn't take in what she had done. He tasted blood when he swallowed. "Do you know whose ashes those are, Rose? That's…"

"Your sister's?" She sneered. "I knew you would come up with something like this. Keep lying to me, Warren, and I'll make it come true."

Then she carried Joe away.

With no one left to hold him back, Warren sank to his knees.

His hands shook as he tried to gather the ashes, but his fingers touched only cold earth.

Angelica cried herself hoarse, and he could not do a thing to help her.

Every sob went through him.

He'd never hated himself more.

Angelica was almost going mad. He forced himself to hang on and put his arms around her. "Four more days, Mom. Just four more days, and we can leave."