Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
I want life to be simple again, to know most of what’s coming tomorrow and not fear any of what’s unknown.
"Goodnight."
I watch Dawn open the door and disappear into the darkness of her room, closing it softly behind her. It’s only then that I allow the rage from what’s happened tonight to surge inside me.
Jeffrey Barrow isn’t going to get away with this.
We’ll find a way to break him, if it’s the last thing we do.
29
DAWN
I don’t sleep well. The charred scent of burning clings to my skin, but I’m too tired to shower. Kyla sleeps beside me, restless with exhaustion and jet lag, twisting the covers around her limbs and sighing like the world is resting on her shoulders.
Inside, I’m restless too.
Caught up with the dangers that lurk outside Cloud 9. Caught up with the dangers inside me.
I blink in the darkness, remembering the way it felt to fall asleep in Thomas’s arms. To hear him sing Mom’s song. To cry and accept the sadness rather than fight it.
I think of Lachlan and his hand that won’t heal without leaving scars.
I remember Chantelle’s tears when she saw Barrow, and the fear in her trembling hands.
My mind swims with too many disparate thoughts, becoming a tangled mess of images and feelings that wrap around me like the tentacles of a mythical sea monster.
Eventually, that monster drags me down into the depths of a fitful sleep.
In the morning, I find Jared and Joshua with shadows coloring the hollows of their handsome faces, keeping watch. I slump down onto the bean bag opposite them and shake my head.
"Have you been up all night?"
"Yeah," Jared confirms. "Bryce and Bradley are going to take over at 8 am."
I pick at a hangnail on my finger, wondering if I should say what’s been brewing in my mind.
"I think Chantelle is the key to taking down Barrow, but she’s scared. I keep wondering what I can do to try to convince her to report what he did. If there’s enough coverage of his actions, I think other women will come forward too. I suspect there’ll be a trail. Sometimes, it just takes one person to stick their head above the parapet."
"You really think she’d report it? What about the risks?" Joshua asks.
"Her main concern is her safety. She lives alone. She doesn’t have family in the local area. It’s a big step to take without a network of support."
Joshua straightens. "We can be her network. We can support her. She could come and stay here."
"You’d do that?"
"Of course," he says. "We’re already in the shit with Barrow. I don’t have any concerns about adding to it. We have room. She could help out around the place for something to do if she’s not working."
I nod, already seeing the possibilities in what Joshua is saying. I don’t know Chantelle well, but maybe, just maybe, there'll be a chance that she’ll go for it. She’s scared of Barrow, but she’s also angry. If there’s a way of getting him to face consequences for what he did, she might just take it.
In the back of my mind, I imagine her taking over my place here, giving me the chance to walk away. Maybe, with Chantelle as a replacement, Jared, Joshua, and the rest of my lovely boys won’t feel the loss of my presence. I know I’d feel better knowing there’s someone around to brighten their days.
She could replace you in more than just waitressing, my mind whispers. She could replace you in their beds and in their hearts.
The thought curls in my stomach like a thick, black snake, jealousy an ugly emotion that I don’t have a right to feel. If I give them up, I can’t hate the woman who comes after me. I can’t resent them for seeking comfort and warmth and love in someone else's arms.
But I would. I know I would. I’m not a good person. I’m a selfish woman who wants it all, even though I can’t handle it.
Standing quickly, I smooth my shorts and make my excuses. "I’ll call her and ask. I’ll let you know what she says."
"We’ll be sleeping until this evening," Jared points out. "Tell whoever’s awake. We need to get onto this quickly before Barrow has a chance to rearm."
"I will," I say.
On the phone, Chantelle listens to what’s been happening, reacting angrily to Barrow’s continued assault on Cloud 9. "Your friends don’t deserve this," she says. "They’re all so nice."
"They said the same thing about you," I say. "I hate to have to ask you this again, but I have to. Will you consider going to the police with the information and evidence you have against Barrow?" Before she has a chance to say no, I continue. "The guys at Cloud 9 have offered to support you through the process. They’ve even offered for you to come live here, so you feel safe."