Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
I run up the steps to the house and stop in my tracks when I see blood on the floor in two different spots. My eyes scan the room for Officer Burke. I see him in a bulletproof vest, his badge clipped to the left side of his hip, and his gun holster on his right side. He’s listening to the guy beside him.
“Can I get some help over here?” I look back to see a bloody and bruised man sitting on his ass with his arms cuffed behind his back. One eye is already sealed shut. “I need medical attention.”
I walk past someone taking pictures of what looks like a bullet casing, up the steps to the bedroom. I glance around the room to see if maybe there is a T-shirt somewhere I can just snatch up, not really wanting to go through their things. My gaze snags on a chair in the corner with gym shorts on it, with a black T-shirt under them. I grab them and head back downstairs.
Burke looks at me with his eyebrows pinched together. “What the fuck are you doing in here?” His voice is tight, the scowl on his face showing me he’s pissed.
“Caleb asked me to bring him a shirt.” I look around.
“Who the hell let you in here?” he snaps at me and shakes his head. “Don’t touch anything.”
“I’m not going to touch anything,” I reply softly. “I don’t even know what’s going on right now.”
“That guy”—he motions with his chin toward the man still waiting for someone to pay attention to him—“he shot off two rounds.”
“Who is he?” I ask.
“No clue. I need to get to the hospital to ask all those questions,” he states.
“I need Caleb’s phone. He said it’s here somewhere.” I look around. The living room has blood splattered on the floor. “But I’m going to guess I can’t touch it.”
“You would be guessing correctly. We have to take pictures of the scene.”
“Not to ask too many questions,” I look down, “but when do you think I can get cleaners to come in here? The last thing I want is for Caleb to get back home and have to deal with this.”
“We’re going as fast as we can,” he offers. “I’ll have someone give you a call once we’re done.”
“Appreciate that.”
He nods at me as my phone rings. It’s Mikaela. “Yeah,” I answer, moving out of the way of the action.
“What the fuck is going on?” She sounds like she’s in full-blown panic mode. “I came to get lunch, and someone just said that shots were fired at Sierra’s house.” The joy of living in a small town is that news travels faster than wildfire.
“Yeah, I’m here now. I don’t know any details. Caleb is okay. Not sure about Sierra, but I have to call her friend Lilah so she can call her parents.”
“What do you need from me?” she asks.
“For now, nothing,” I tell her. “I’m going to need to schedule a cleanup crew. Not sure when, though.”
“On it,” she declares. “I’ll get everything settled on my end, just give me the word.”
“Thanks,” I reply and then disconnect.
I don’t have Lilah’s number, so I call her boyfriend, Emmett.
He answers after two rings. “Yeah,” he barks.
“Hey,” I say, “I need to get in touch with Lilah.”
“For what?” he snaps back, and I have to roll my eyes. He’s been in love with her for ages.
“Sierra,” I reply, sitting down, the adrenaline from today finally wearing off, “she’s been shot.”
“What?” His boots thump on the ground like he’s running.
“I’m at her house, man. I don’t know.” I look out the window at the blue sky. “Got here when they were loading her into the ambulance. Caleb told me to call Lilah so she can call her parents.”
“On it,” he replies and disconnects. I look at the phone for a second before getting up. The bloody man is gone, and so are most of the officers. One is looking around, and the other is still taking pictures with his camera. I head for the front door and see there is yellow tape across it with an officer standing guard outside.
I bend to go under the tape. “Thanks,” I say. There are only two police cars left now. I jog to my truck and drive to the hospital.
I rush into the emergency entrance and find Caleb talking to Burke. He is now dressed in a hospital gown.
“Hey.” I hand him the black shirt I took from his bedroom.
“Thanks.” He takes it and turns back to Burke. “From what I understand, Fiona is her birth mother, and Carl is . . .” He hesitates as Carl steps out of the swinging door. His shirt also has blood on it, and his face is enraged as he scans the area and comes toward us.