Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“I didn’t have a chance,” I said, my voice nearly a whisper. “It happened really fast.”
“So, you just came here,” she replied, shaking her head. “You could’ve come and seen me. You could’ve—”
“No, she couldn’t,” Otto said flatly, cutting her off.
“They sent me away,” I continued, keeping my voice as level as I could. “Dad drove me out to a cabin in the woods with no electricity or running water. He left me there.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” she argued stubbornly.
“It’s true,” Titus cut in. “She’s telling the truth.”
“You knew?” Noel spun to face him, glaring.
“Not until later.” He looked up at Otto. “Not until Otto brought her back.”
“When was that?” Noel looked at each of us. “When did you go get her?”
“Almost two weeks ago,” Otto replied.
“No.” Noel shook her head. She got to her feet, her hands fisted at her sides. “No. You’ve been gone since Thanksgiving. That doesn’t make any sense.”
I watched, my chest aching as my baby sister came to the same conclusions about my parents that had taken me weeks to come to terms with. Dad wasn’t worth the title, and Mom, well, she would blindly follow his lead if he jumped off a cliff and told her to follow.
“Why would they do that?” she asked through clenched teeth.
“Because I didn’t live up to the picture they wanted the church to see,” I guessed. “Because I embarrassed them.”
“Because they’re fuckin’ nut jobs,” Otto muttered under his breath.
“Where were you?” Noel asked accusingly. “You only went to get her two weeks ago. So, where were you that whole time?”
“Lookin’ for your sister,” Otto replied.
“How did you find her?”
“Coincidence,” Otto said flatly, shooting me a warning glance not to explain further.
“Mom and Dad still think I’m at the cabin,” I told Noel quietly. “We haven’t told them yet.”
“Mom and Dad think you’re dead,” Noel argued, glaring.
“No, they don’t.”
“They do.”
“Why would they think that?” I shook my head. That didn’t make any sense. Aunt Lacey and Uncle Hank had seen me the day before Otto found me. I glanced up at Otto in confusion and the breath caught in my throat at the guilt in his eyes.
“I’ll explain later.”
“You’ll explain now,” I replied hoarsely.
“Give us a minute,” Otto snapped at his brother. “Stay there.”
“We’re not goin’ anywhere,” Titus replied, raising his hands in surrender.
“Yeah, sorry if I don’t take you at your word.” He ushered me into the kitchen and stood there silently, using both hands to smooth his hair back from his forehead.
“Why do my parents think I’m dead?” I asked softly, watching his face. I knew the minute that he decided to tell the truth.
“We blew up the cabin.”
“You what?”
“Quiet,” he hissed, glancing toward the living room.
“Why would you do that?”
“Better if they thought that you used the phone and the guns were destroyed,” he explained, reaching for me. “Than them realizing that we’d found them and took you with us.”
“Better for who? My family thinks I’m dead. They—they must’ve been frantic.” My mind raced.
“Your parents are the ones that rigged that shit to blow,” Otto snapped. “Who gives a fuck if they think they got what they wanted?”
I jerked backward as if he’d slapped me.
“We needed the time, sugar,” Otto said, softening his tone. “We needed to make sure you were protected.”
“You needed to make sure we were married,” I replied, realization dawning.
“Protected, yes.”
I stared blankly at the dish rag I’d left hanging over the kitchen faucet. The instant wedding, not being able to call my parents, staying in the house all week, it all made sense. I’d been hidden away. Again.
“Did you get the guns out of the floorboard, at least?” I asked emotionlessly.
“Yes.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“Otto,” his dad called from the living room. “Where you at?”
“Go,” I ordered, waving my hand at him. “Good luck getting Noel to keep her mouth shut.”
“Esther,” Otto murmured, reaching for me.
“It’s not like you can cover up her disappearance,” I continued, taking a step backward. “They’d notice if she wasn’t there.”
“There you are,” Tommy grumbled from behind me. “This is a clusterfuck.”
“I’m aware,” Otto said in frustration.
“Your brother’s fuckin’ dead.”
“Did you really think he could keep his mouth shut?” Otto asked. “We were workin’ on borrowed time.”
“Got some news.” Tommy glanced at me. “We’ll discuss it after we figure this bullshit out.”
I followed them numbly back into the living room where Noel was quietly talking to Titus. They were holding hands.
“Hey, I’m Tommy, Titus’s pop,” Tommy said, reaching out to shake Noel’s hand. “Otto’s, too.”
“Noel,” she replied, glancing at me. “Esther’s sister.”
“I can see that.” He glanced between us. “Strong genes.”
“What’s going on here?” Noel asked, raising her chin. I was secretly impressed at her courage.
“Well, now, that’s complicated.”
My baby sister scoffed. Maybe she wasn’t as sheltered as I’d originally thought.
“Your parents stashed your sister out in a cabin about forty-five minutes from here, you knew that?” Tommy said, watching her closely.