Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Where was next after Texas? Somewhere up along Canada?
“Yeah,” I agreed. “We aren’t near the coast. But it’s not far if we need to be there. We could take a day trip there at some point if you’d like to see the ocean.”
There was a spark of interest there for a second before the guards went back up. And as much as I understood why they were there, I really hoped that, one day, she would feel safe enough to be excited about things in life again.
“Maybe,” she agreed, nodding, then getting up to feed Vernon before huddling back into her nest in the bed with her book.
We both went to bed early, knowing Raff would be at the door at the crack of dawn to get going again.
As we packed up the car for the final time, I couldn’t help but think it was kind of bittersweet. I’d enjoyed being ‘alone’ with Vienna for the past few days. And going back to Shady Valley meant sharing her with everyone else.
But, I reminded myself as I drove, that was what she needed. A support system. Friends. Not just a comfort person who made her feel safe.
“Well, my sweet girl, I know it doesn’t look like much,” Raff said as he pulled down the main drag of our sleepy little town, “but welcome to Shady Valley. Annnd… that’s it,” he said after we turned away from the main street with a few businesses flanking either side. “Blink and you might miss it, right?” he asked.
It kind of reminded me a bit of that town in Wyoming now. Small. Not a lot of ‘outsiders’ around.
I thought that maybe she would learn to find comfort in that. Lots of familiar faces. Small stores that wouldn’t be jam-packed full of people.
My only concern, as I glanced back to see her eyeing it, was the prison. The potential for newly released inmates, ones who had done crimes that would scare her, walking around too.
I mean, as a whole, not many stuck around in Shady Valley. They had homes and families elsewhere across the state.
But I understood if she was worried about it.
“Where are you going?” I asked when Raff didn’t immediately go toward the clubhouse.
“Just being a good tour guide and giving Vienna a full tour of the town,” he said. “This right here is the suburbs,” he said as we made our way toward that part of town. “Not much to say about that. Then the schools,” he said. “And the apartments, pretty self-explanatory too. Out that way, there’s some farmland. And, of course, the Death Valley mountains.”
“They’re… intimidating looking,” Vienna said.
We’d seen our fair share of mountains through Utah and Nevada which had me agreeing. There was something, I don’t know, looming about the mountains here.
“Now, this right here,” Raff said as he turned down another road that would curve us back toward the town again, “is what the locals call Millionaire’s Row. This is where all the rich folk live.”
“Including the Irish mafia family I told you about,” I explained. “The Murphy brothers,” I added.
“Don’t forget the Bratva,” Raff declared.
“What’s the Bratva?” she asked, watching the mansions as we drove past them.
“The Bratva is the Russian mafia. You don’t have to worry about them either. We might not be… close to them like we are with the Murphys, but they’re allies of sorts. They own the pool hall in town.”
“Really? Why?” she asked.
“Well, when most of your income comes from doing wickedly illegal deeds,” Raff started, making me snort, “you need to find a way to excuse all that money you get to Uncle Sam, who is going to always want his money. So you open a legit business to run your money through. The Russians have the pool hall. The Irish have a pub.”
“What do you guys have?”
“Mostly just the karate studio right now,” I supplied. “And in a smaller capacity, Morgaine’s business ventures. But we’re always talking about opening new businesses in town.”
“Lord knows the town could use it,” Raff agreed.
“What about the other chapters?” she asked.
“Golden Glades has a repair shop and a car parts store. They used to jack and strip cars, so that made sense for them,” I told her. “And Navesink Bank has a lot going for itself now. Car place. A shooting range. Other shit too, can’t remember.”
We drove through town again, and as we made our way past The Bog, three of the Murphy brothers moved out, each waving toward us.
I didn’t miss the way Vienna sank lower in her seat.
“Those were the Murphy brothers,” I explained to her, wanting her to know the safe faces in town.
“And that is one of the C.O.s that Coach likes to fuck with.”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently, some of the corrections officers in the prison are complete dicks to the inmates,” I explained. “Ever since Coach got out, he’s been fucking with them in little ways. Like he stole some wood that was delivered to one of their driveways to build the bookshelves in his room.”