Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 72561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I found him staring at the TV, watching a breaking news cast with the phone to his ear.
“No, Trance. How would he know where we are? My mom’s name is changed. They live in a new house. I didn’t take my bike. I’m not wearing anything that identifies me. I’m safe. Keep an eye on Big Red, though. He may be able to take care of himself, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?” He relayed into the phone.
He snorted. “I’d check his friends. Tell the DA to make a deal with them, too, if they’re willing to give away anything on his whereabouts. Dortea will do it. Plus, he doesn’t have much else to go on. He wants me and he won’t be able to find me.”
He threw the controller down on the couch and grabbed what little hair he had on his head between his fists. “Fuck yes. Yes, check my house. Check Channing’s too. You could just do a stakeout there. Yeah, he’ll go there. He’ll go back to his place, too. I know he has shit stored somewhere. Probably buried it in the backyard.”
“Okay,” he nodded and turned.
I must’ve made some noise, because I’d actually startled him.
“Yeah,” a smile overtook his face. “No, Lucy has a mind of his own. I can’t help that he showed your puppies how to dig out of the yard. What do you want me to do from a thousand miles away?”
“Alright. Thanks. Bye,” he said before hanging up.
“What’s up?” I asked.
My voice sounded raw.
He pursed his lips. “Varian, somehow, escaped from the transport today. Fuckin’ blows my mind, because he didn’t even know when, where, or how he was being transferred. Whoever helped him must’ve been just lying in fuckin’ wait.”
My insides shriveled up even more. “So now we have Varian out of prison? Are we even safe here anymore?”
He thought about it for a few moments before answering. “Yes. I believe so. But I’m going to stay at an inn instead of here. Just in case. I don’t see him coming this way; but, just in case, I don’t want to put them in danger.”
“That’s not necessary,” Andrea said from the doorway.
We both turned to find her standing there, ringing her hands.
Her hair was slightly mussed from the ocean breeze, which only exacerbated her frazzled look. “I don’t want you to go. You just got here.”
“Ma,” Loki started.
“No. You’re not leaving,” she said in the most authoritative voice she could manage.
“Andrea,” I tried, but she was shaking her head no before I could even get two words out.
“No. You’re staying. That’s final. I have a ham for Christmas Eve, and a turkey with sweet potatoes for Christmas. I won’t have that...man...ruining this for us. I want to have a real Christmas. As a family. I deserve that, don’t you think?” Her voice quivered.
“Oh, mom,” Loki said before he enfolded her in his arms.
I snuck out of the open door, squeezing in between the door jam and Loki’s broad back, and walked outside to overlook the ocean.
Although it was touching that she wanted that, I couldn’t help but worry about the potential danger. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but I had a feeling that Varian would find us. No matter how adamant Loki was to the contrary.
Chapter 18
Dear naps, I’m sorry I was such a dick to you when I was a kid.
-Life Lesson
Loki
Christmas night
“Hey, daddy. Did you get my Christmas present?” Channing asked her father.
It was currently Christmas night, four days after finding out that Varian had escaped.
The state of Louisiana knew he was out, too, because he was leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.
First, it was the security guard that was driving the van.
Varian had constructed a shiv made out of toilet paper, building it like one would paper mache, complete with shit to ensure the weapon held up to the test.
After killing off the first guard, Varian’s partner, whomever it was, took out the other guard who’d gone to help the second guard with a shotgun to the man’s face.
From there, the two of them had gone from place to place, stealing cars, money, food, and clothing.
They didn’t do it nicely, either.
How’d we know it was them?
By the slit throats.
I wasn’t telling Channing any of this, though. I’d done my absolute best not to let her near a TV. I’d bought her a Kindle for Christmas, and gave it to her two days ago when she’d complained about not having anything to do.
I’d lied and said the TV had broken, and Zeth had upheld my lie, going as far as looking for new TVs at Best Buy, but coming back empty handed. He’d told my mother and Channing that all the TVs were sold out due to it being so close to Christmas.
I hadn’t argued. The lie worked out well for me.
Plus, I’d gotten to go with him to help ‘shop’ for the new TV, which was when I’d gotten Channing’s present.
Presents.
I hadn’t given her the main one, yet.
I was waiting for some alone time, which didn’t happen much in the last two days, seeing as my mom was really milking the whole family Christmas thing.
“What do you mean you can’t find Andrew?” Channing’s asked shrilly.
“No, I haven’t heard from him since he called last week looking for the spare key. No. Yes. No. Where’s he been living all this time?” Channing wondered.
“Yeah, here he is,” Channing said before handing the phone to me.
I took the cell phone from her warily.
“Hello?” I answered.
Channing watched my face worriedly.
“Hey,” Colton said roughly. “I didn’t want to alarm Channing, but I’m pretty sure Andrew’s got himself in some deep shit.”
I gave Zeth a look from where he was sitting at the bar with my mom, and he nodded in understanding.
Leaving out the back door, I walked down to the dock with purposeful strides. I wasn’t worried about Channing following me. I knew Zeth would keep her in there until Colton told me what he had to tell me.