Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“No. Well, I mean one of them tried something with me. I was too young to really remember it, but Xanny told me about it. She stopped him, and he ended up bloody. She cut him pretty bad with a kitchen knife. But no one called the cops, of course. They’d never do that. My parents moved us to someone else’s house after that, but they always blamed her for messing up their ‘situation’ at that place.”
I say a silent prayer of thanks for Xanny. “She sounds like a good sister.”
“She really is.” She squeezes my arm. “We’re so different, but we always take care of each other.”
Something skitters across the ground to our right. Thankfully, Zoey doesn’t seem to notice the pair of large rats that seem to have made a large trash barrel their home.
“This is it. Up here.” I spy the lock boxes up ahead, their position still the same as it was in the photo.
Zoey quickens her steps until she’s practically running.
We skid to a stop in front of the small metal bank.
Zoey lets out a disappointed groan when she realizes every single box has been busted open. None of them have a lock left.
“Oh no.” She stares, her eyes welling. “They’re all empty. Someone stole whatever she left here.”
“Hang on.” I pull a flashlight from my pocket, the waning light not enough to get a clear view. When I click it on, I train it on one box after another.
Zoey’s right. They’re empty.
I click the light off, but then see a faint scratch mark on one of them. Clicking the light back on, I lean down and peer at it.
“Do you see this? It’s an X scratched into the edge here.” I show Zoey.
She leans down, too. “It’s Xanny’s mark!”
I push the creaky door to the corresponding box all the way open and train my light on the inside.
“Look!” Zoey points. “In the back. It’s like the metal is sort of–”
“Different.” I reach in and tap on it. “It’s a false back.” Shoving against one corner, I pop the back panel loose and pull it free.
“It’s just cardboard covered with aluminum foil.” Zoey smiles to herself. “Xanny, you’re too smart for your own good. She must’ve done this more recently.” She chews her bottom lip and bends down again. “What’s in there?”
I grab a small black box, the front of it secured with a combination lock. “I’m not sure what–” I stop.
“What?” Zoey looks at me.
I turn around and listen, then scoot Zoey behind me.
“What?” she whispers, her voice edging higher.
“Lenny hasn’t checked in.” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, and I pull my gun before I even hear the first shot.
But it comes soon after.
16
ZOEY
My heart sinks when Leone yanks me behind him before shoving the box into one of his pockets and pulling out his gun. I realize he’s moved me to use his own body to shield mine.
I want to protest, but I know right now the last thing Leone needs is to bicker with me. Not even a half a second later, the sound of a gun going off fills the air. I gasp when a bullet whizzes by both of us, hitting the metal locker right where I’d been standing moments before.
Leone pulls me into his side as more gunfire starts to sound all around me. I can’t tell if it’s coming from Leone or whoever might be shooting at us. I’m guessing both. I stay glued to Leone as we run back toward the car. Suddenly he stops, releasing his hold from me. I lift my head to see that we’re behind the small brick bathroom. I watch as Leone reloads his gun before turning to me.
“No matter what happens. If I fall, you keep going.” He thrusts a set of keys into my hand.
“What are these?”
“They’re to the car. Lenny hasn’t checked in, so I don’t know if he’s dead or alive.”
I choke back a sob.
“Remember, if I go down or tell you to run, don’t hesitate. You run as fast as you can to that car, and you get the hell out of here. Don’t look back.” Does he really think I could leave him?
“Leone.”
“Zoey, do you trust me?”
I nod. I more than trust him. I’m completely, hopelessly in love with him.
“Then do as I tell you.”
“Okay.” I agree even though I don’t want to.
“That’s my girl.” He presses his mouth against mine in a hard kiss.
When he starts to pull back, I grab him. I may have already lost one person I love with so many things left unsaid. I won’t lose another without letting them know exactly how I feel.
“I love you,” I tell him. Leone closes his eyes for a moment.
“I love you too, little one.” He gives me one last long kiss before he grabs my hand, pressing his back firmly against the wall before he peeks out around it and fires off a few rounds. Then we’re running again.