Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
The fact Collin Creed has zip ties in a drawer near his front door says a lot about him that I will think more about later on, but for now, I hold Olive while Amon and Collin secure her. And the whole time, she just keeps whispering. Like she’s not even here. Like she’s not even aware of what’s goin’ on.
They haul her outside—Amon has one arm, Collin has the other, and he is not being gentle as they go down the porch steps, leaving me behind.
For a moment, I don’t know what to do. I just watch them.
And then there’s the telltale squeaking of brakes and when I look all the way down the driveway, I see a yellow school bus stoppin’ at the guard house.
My head is pounding and my heart is racing as I watch the bus get checked through security and make its way down the driveway. Then I just stand there stupidly on the porch of Collin’s house as Cross jumps down the bus steps, smiling.
It’s so surreal to see his happy face, I have trouble processing it for a moment. Because how could it be that this morning when he left there was no Olive at Edge Security and by the time he got home, she had almost killed Collin Creed and is now a prisoner?
“Shep?” Cross asks. “Are you OK?” When I don’t answer, he looks over his shoulder. “Who’s that lady my dad and Collin are haulin’ off?”
I let out a long breath, force a smile, and say, “I didn’t get a chance to get through your list today.”
“What?” Now he’s annoyed. “But why?”
“It’s a long story. Maybe your dad’ll tell you about it tonight. But for now, I’d really like to go train a puppy for a little bit, if you don’t mind.”
Most kids his age would start asking questions. But I have a feeling that Cross isn’t anything like most kids his age. Because all he does is look over his shoulder one more time as Amon and Collin take Olive into the church.
When Cross looks back at me, he’s not a little kid anymore. He presses his lips together and nods. “I see. Well, let me put my pack in the house and we can go do that.”
Jagger is too young to do any serious training, so Cross and I take him to the big grassy area in the middle of the compound where there are still a few guys working with dogs and just play tug and fetch with him. Cross talks the whole time, telling me about his day. How some teacher assigned stupid homework. How some girl he likes shot him a smile during lunch. Then he goes into a whole monologue about how she’s from Bishop and it’s never gonna work out, but he still likes her, and anyway, he’s too young to date.
And eventually, as I listen to his free therapy session without comment, not even understanding this whole issue with liking a girl from Bishop, I calm down. The pounding in my head becomes more of a dull whooshing and my heart is only trottin’ instead of galloping.
What. The fuck. Just happened?
Olive Creed just shot her brother in the head, that’s what happened.
I mean, obviously, she didn’t. The gun jammed.
But she did. She did.
And it’s blowing my mind.
She almost killed him. She almost blew his fuckin’ brains out right in front of me.
And then all sorts of things start running through my head. How this is pretty much exactly what Collin did to her father when they were kids.
Does that mean anything?
I don’t know.
But then I remember what she was saying afterward—You think for me, I act for you. And it makes sense. She was triggered and she was being handled.
I let out a breath and look at Cross, suddenly realizing that he’s been quiet for a minute.
He squints his eyes at me. “You OK, Shep?”
I nod. But I’m not sure I am. Because they triggered her. How? How did they do it? I tell Cross, “Would you be mad if I cut out so I could go and talk to Collin for a bit?”
Cross doesn’t smile immediately. He’s a kid, after all. So he’s gotta think about these words and what they actually mean for a moment before he catches on. But he does catch on. “Nah. You’re boring, Shep. I’m gonna take Jagger home now and do my homework. See ya tomorrow.”
Then he picks up the puppy and walks away.
“Yep,” I say. “Tomorrow.” But I’m already heading across the driveway to the church.
Inside it’s dark and quiet and I have no idea where they took Olive. I walk over to the door Collin and I went through earlier that leads to the basement, but there’s a serious lock on it, so I don’t even try the handle. I can’t leave until I talk to one of them, so I just take myself over to a table and have a seat to wait it out.