Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
My neighbors, my former neighbors, my former life. I stare at the forest down through the grass and I don’t think I’ll ever be back in there again because my life is over. My life is finished.
A phone begins to ring. It takes a second to understand that it’s the car’s hands-free system, and someone picks up. “Yeah, boss?” A man’s voice, bored-sounding.
“Where are you right now?”
“Outside that diner where the girl works.”
“Is she inside?”
“I checked five minutes ago, she was fine. Her truck’s still here. What’s going on?”
“Any way she could’ve given you the slip?”
The man on the other end clears his throat. “I doubt it. What’s happening? Do we gotta be worried?”
“Go check and make sure she’s okay. When she’s done with her shift, bring her back to my place.”
“Boss? What’s up?”
“Her trailer’s compromised. Just do it.” Nolan hangs up, staring out the front window like he wants to turn around and burn the rest of the city to the ground. “Did you hear that?”
Some piece of sanity begins to return. “Can you trust them?”
“It’s the best we have right now. Do you want to go swing by the diner and make sure?”
I hesitate then nod. “Please. I have to see her.”
“Fine.” He slows and makes a turn and heads in the opposite direction. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“My move out of state’s going to be a lot easier.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “We didn’t have insurance, Nolan. We just lost everything.”
He breath is a low rumble in his chest. “This means you’re staying with me for a while, at least until I can get you a safe place.”
I look at him sharply. “No. Absolutely not.”
“I have a house in a decent neighborhood. A few other guys like me live there and we keep an eye on each other. You’ll be safe. You and Kady.”
“Nolan. I’m not living in your house, taking your money, and playing your games. My entire life is burning back there and you’re talking about a sleepover.”
“I’ll replace your clothes. All the things you lost. You and Kady.”
“You can’t replace the pictures.” My throat feels like it’s closing. “You can’t replace the memories.”
“You’re right. I can’t do that.”
We drive in silence until we reach the diner. He parks and goes to talk to a couple guys sitting in a nearby truck while I run inside. Kady’s behind the counter pouring coffee for a skinny older man and laughing at something he said when she looks up and meets my gaze.
Her smile fades. “Cora?”
“Kady.”
She comes around the counter. “What’s going on? You smell like a freaking chimney.”
“The trailer.” The words stick in my throat. “Momma’s trailer.”
“What the hell happened?”
“It’s on fire.” Finally, the dam breaks, and I begin to sob. Kady stares at me completely bewildered but she hugs me and manages to get me back to the bathroom. She holds me by the sink and I tell her everything I can—about the trip to Atlanta, about finding the flames eating at our life like starving beetles—and she wipes my face off with a paper towel. She’s ashen, completely pale, but she still manages to smile.
“It’s going to be okay. It’s only things, right? We’re safe at least.”
“Kady, it’s everything we ever had.”
“I know, but still.” She hugs me tight. “We’re okay, right?”
“We’re okay.” But I don’t add for now.
That fire was meant for us.
And if they lit it once, they’ll light it again.
“Where are we gonna go now?” Kady asks as she leans back against the counter and crosses her arms over her chest. Her hands are shaking but she’s doing her best to hold it together for me. Strong, amazing Kady. Even though I constantly break down and crumble, she stays standing and it makes me love her even more.
“Nolan said we can stay with him.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“Not even a little bit but we don’t have another choice.”
She sighs and nods. “All right. I can do that.”
“He’s got two guys outside keeping an eye on you. Listen to me, Kady, something big is happening here and I’m afraid we’re in danger. If you see anything weird, anyone you don’t know hanging around, or if Jaxson or anyone from the ORB comes anywhere close to you, run and find Nolan’s guys. Okay, can you do that?”
“I can do that.” She sounds flat and lifeless. “What are we gonna do about clothes? Toothbrushes? My laptop’s gone. My movies. God, all my jewelry, my shoes, everything. It’s gone.”
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.” I hug her again and when I pull back, she’s smiling sadly.
“At least that stain’s gone too, huh?”
I stare at her, startled. “Stain?”
“Momma’s blood. You’re obsessed with that thing. I catch you staring at it all the time like it’s going to start singing or something.”
“No, I don’t, it’s not like—” I stop myself because she’s right, I did obsess over that bloodstain. It’s hard not to when it was right next to where I slept every night. “Nolan said this fire is a good thing like it’s a reason to start over.”