Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
They didn’t deserve to live under the cloud we’d lived under. They didn’t deserve to have to constantly watch over their shoulders or be attacked in their house. They didn’t deserve any of the things that had happened.
David Granger knew our address. He knew who we lived with. We’d escaped to less than a day’s drive from him. I’d been an idiot for believing that was far enough.
I wouldn’t make that mistake again, and I’d also never let anyone else be put in the crossfire.
When Jesse didn’t come back, I finished packing their things myself and then grabbed their baby blanket off the bed and stuffed it on top of their clothes. Grabbing their backpack off the floor, I carried it to the bed, picked up their pillow and clothing bag, and carried them into my room to set them down with the others.
I still needed to grab Finn’s school bag, his pillow, and both of their sleeping bags before I started bringing everything down to the truck. I was so focused on trying not to forget anything that I didn’t hear the front door open and close sometime later.
I didn’t even realize he was home until Finn’s bag was pulled off my shoulder and sailed into the bedroom, crashing against the wall.
“What are you doin’?” Curtis asked, his tone vibrating with something under the calm words.
“I thought you were at work,” I replied dumbly as I turned. I’d watched him leave a little over an hour before.
“I’m not,” he replied. “What are you doing?”
I glanced over at the bed. “I’m packing.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re leaving.”
“You’re leaving.”
“Yeah. It’s time,” I said, straightening my shoulders.
“It’s time.”
“Are you just going to keep repeating everything I say?”
“Tryin’ to make sense of it.”
“What’s hard to understand?”
“The fact that you waited until I left the house to pack your shit and sneak away,” he replied, his voice rising.
“It’s easier that way.”
“For who?” he thundered.
“For everyone,” I snapped back. “I didn’t want to do all this.” I gestured between us. “Just go back to work. I’ll be in touch later—”
My words trailed off as I realized the kids were crowded outside our bedroom door, watching it all play out.
“Go back to your rooms and make sure I grabbed everything you’ll want,” I ordered.
Jesse shook their head slowly.
“This is ridiculous,” I murmured, closing my eyes as I took a deep, calming breath. “We’re leaving. It doesn’t have to be this big fight, okay? It’s time for us to move on.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“I don’t,” Curtis replied flatly. “Explain it to me.”
“We knew that it was only for a while,” I said.
“Thought you said we were doin’ this.”
“That was before.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Don’t act like you’re confused,” I ordered in frustration. “It’s different now.”
“Not for me,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Bullshit,” I snapped. I glanced past him at the kids still standing in the doorway and pressed my lips together. I wasn’t going to have this argument in front of them.
“Go into the bonus room and turn on a movie,” Curtis ordered, turning toward them. He walked to the door. “Got it?”
“Got it,” Dylan replied quietly, setting his hands on Jesse and Finn’s shoulders to lead them away.
Curtis closed the door and turned to face me. “How’s it different?”
“It just is,” I hedged. “This isn’t working anymore. We brought all this shit to your doorstep. Dylan nearly died! We need to go before anything else happens.”
“What do you think is going to happen?”
“Who the hell knows?” I yelled, flinging my arms out. “Kidnapping? Drive-by? Bombing? Who the hell knows what’s going through that monster’s head? He’s not going to give up!”
“He already has.”
“He hasn’t, and if you believe that, you’re an idiot.”
“You don’t think I can protect you?” he asked quietly.
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you sayin’?”
“You shouldn’t have to! I knew what he was capable of, and I brought it straight to your doorstep. I can’t believe how fucking selfish I was.” Reaching up, I rubbed at the headache forming above my eyes. “It’s better for everyone if we go. We can go further. Out of his reach. We don’t have to bring anyone else down with us.”
“What’s this really about?” he asked gently.
“I just told you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Stop acting like you don’t understand what’s happening,” I said, my voice thin with frustration. “You know you’ll be relieved when we’re gone. Okay? You know it.”
“Baby, that’s not true.”
“Just stop,” I ground out.
“What the fuck, Teddy?”
“Go take a look at your son,” I yelled, my patience gone. “Watch how he moves so carefully. Check out how he jumps at every sound. How he watches Jesse and Finn like a fucking hawk. Then tell me it’s not true!”
“The attack wasn’t your fucking fault!” he yelled back.
“You know it was!”
“It wasn’t!”
“Just fucking stop! You know it was my fault!”
“Why the hell do you keep saying that?”