Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 779(@200wpm)___ 623(@250wpm)___ 519(@300wpm)
I was losing my mind. I must’ve been losing my mind.
But the flashback from my mom—until now I’d forgotten that conversation.
My brother.
God.
Ben.
What she’d done after that…
Their car accident.
I couldn’t concentrate on Travis anymore.
My mom and my brother. I’d lost them that day, and I’d been so wrong.
“I feel weird leaving you here tonight. I could sleep on the couch.”
Travis was inside my place, glancing around. The place was small, really small, which I loved. It felt right and cozy when Brett was here, but with Travis, who was smaller in size and height, it felt suffocating.
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
My phone was ringing. “I’m sure that’s Brett anyway.”
“Okay. Well…are you sure? I can stay. I’m getting a weird feeling here.”
The phone stopped ringing. It was charging in the other room so I hadn’t grabbed it yet, saw who was calling.
It started ringing again.
“Travis, I need to grab that. Go. I’ll be fine.”
I started for the phone and heard Travis saying behind me, “Well, okay. Oh! Hey.”
I stopped, looked back.
“Brett mentioned you still wanted to see the picture of the guy. Right? Or was I wrong and you don’t need to see the picture anymore?”
It took me a little bit to remember what he was talking about. “The picture?”
“From the traffic cams. We got Haskell, but I promised Broudou I’d show you. It took me this long to get it cleared for your eyes only. You still want to see it?”
“Yes. Right. Yes, I want to see it.”
“Okay. I got it in my truck. I can send it through on your phone. Type in the last four digits of your birthday to open it. Helps with the clearance.”
My phone stopped and started again.
I was distracted and said to Travis, “Uh huh. Sure.” I got to the phone and snatched it up, not looking at the screen before I swiped it open. “Brett?”
There was silence on the other end.
I frowned, pulling it away to see who’d called. It was a blocked number.
Ice lined my insides, and I hung up.
What to do?
Travis.
But I heard his truck starting and ran to the door, throwing it open.
He had parked on the other side of the yard, closer to the driveway. No wonder I hadn’t noticed his truck. It blended in with the shadows. His red lights shone brightly, then switched to a lower setting as he pulled out, heading back to the road.
My phone beeped a second later.
I glanced down, still distracted, that uneasy feeling starting to eat more of my insides, but it was the image Travis promised to send.
I clicked on it, my hand starting to shake. I typed in the last four numbers of my birthdate, and the picture popped up on my phone.
My blood ran cold.
I almost dropped the phone.
No! No, no, no. It couldn’t be.
I grabbed my key and tore out of my place, letting my door slam against the side as I sprinted for the main house. I already knew it’d be locked. They were in bed. Unlocking it, I threw it open and yelled out, “Vicky!”
I stepped inside, and just then the living room lights turned on.
I crossed to the doorway, still speaking, “Howa—”
They were there, and they were awake, but their mouths were taped shut. They were lying on the floor. Their hands and feet were bound. And standing by the light switch was the man I just saw in the image Travis sent me.
Everything went flat inside me, like I used to have to be when our father would show up.
He smiled, brandishing a butcher knife, as he motioned to me. “Come in, Billie. Join us.”
I said, my voice dull, matching my insides, “Hello, Ben.”
My brother was alive.
65
BILLIE
“How are you alive?” I asked.
He shook his head, tsking me. “No, sister dear. We don’t skip over the meal before going to the dessert. Try again.” He wagged his finger at me, then wagged his knife in the air at me.
I couldn’t stop staring at him. A part of me had stepped out of my body, but that also, couldn’t stop staring at him. There was nothing about him that stood out. He would’ve been described as a cute guy, but nothing more. Lean. His shoulders were slightly wider than his frame. Brown hair that was cut short where he could just comb it and leave it alone.
He wasn’t ugly. He wasn’t handsome. He wasn’t quite plain either.
He was nondescript.
Blue flannel shirt. Jeans. Work boots. He had some gruff on his chin, having not shaved in a day or two, but I recognized that jawline.
“You’re the one who tried to take me from the gas station,” I said, dazed, because this couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be happening.
God. My brother.
He laughed.
He wasn’t right. An unhinged look was in his eyes, but he smiled at me. “We’ve been waiting for you all day. I was about to come and get you, but now that the cop is gone, we can get started.” He lowered his head, a mischief gleam coming from him. One side of his mouth twitched up. “Should we hug, Billie?”