you mean, no?”
“Bryce needs me. Tess needs me."
“I’m not arguing. I’ll take care of everything. Trust me.”
She covers her ears. “Stop. Can’t run away. No place to go. Girls die out there.”
“I’ll be back … with help. Do what I say and everything will be fine.”
She sniffles, shaking her head.
The barn door creaks open. I hustle to the opposite stall and catch a glimpse of Amy still cowering.
Tess yells at me as she marches toward Amy’s stall. “Thought I told you to stay away from her.”
“I was only giving her food.”
She peers in at Amy. “That should have taken only a couple of seconds. What were you doing, spoon-feeding her?”
“No, ma’am. Just trying to get her to eat.”
Tess looks me over. “It’s not your problem if she starves to death. You got that?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s RJ, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She keeps her eyes locked on mine. “Don’t let the little bitch fool you. She’s big trouble.”
Bryce
Making my own breakfast is bad enough. But getting my own wood, starting the damn fire? Women … fuck. I dump my plate and fork in the wash tub. Look around. Better get rid of any sign of the girl, just in case that nosey neighbor makes good on his threats.
I climb up the ladder, drop the damn mattress through the opening to the floor below. Same drill with all of the little bitch’s stuff. What the hell does she need with three sets of clothes? Better get rid of that bar of soap, toothpaste, toothbrush—everything.
I drag the mattress into my bedroom and stack mine on top of it. Grab a hammer and crowbar, along with her shit, and head outside to check for a loose panel of siding. If I remember, there’s a loose seam near the corner around the side. Planned on fixing it one of these days. Yeah. There it is. Hell. Worse than I thought. Don’t even need the crowbar … pull back the siding by hand. A shovel falls out from between two studs … nearly smacks me in the forehead.
Damn. How’d this get here? Shit … looks new. I squint at the trees between me and the lake. Is that damn neighbor up to something? Wouldn’t put it past him, not after last night. He better not come around looking for it. Finders, keepers. ’Sides, I could use a new shovel. Old one’s rusted … blade’ll snap off one of these times.
Stuff the girl's clothes and whatnot into the empty space between the studs and tack the plywood siding back into place. I laugh. Guess I finally got around to fixing it.
Back inside, I check the place one more time to be sure there’s no sign of the girl. Damn. They better not figure out Tess lives here, either. I’m alone. Keep to myself. If I wanted company, I’d move to a city. Not responsible for anybody but me. Never bothered the fella across the lake. No idea why he has it in for me.
Gather up Tess’s stuff and hide it with the girl’s things.
Chapter Six
Jacob
T wenty minutes on a wood bench waiting in the sheriff’s substation has me strung tighter than piano wire. Now, seated across the desk from a uniformed bureaucrat, I scrunch up my brow as he finishes his standard spiel.
“Sheriff, I appreciate your situation. But a child’s safety—maybe her life—is at stake.”
He combs his fingers through his slick, black hair. “It’s Deputy Sheriff Baker, Mr. Chandler.” I’m sure he used a level to straighten that name tag on his starched uniform.
I clench my teeth. Reminds me of those stockbrokers who spend half the day preening in front of the mirror. Resting on their laurels. Everything’s about making an impression. Give me a hungry, young buck any day.
He goes on. “And as I said, we’ll check out your complaint. We have procedures to make sure these things are handled properly.”
“This is about a child’s welfare.”
“I understand that. Now if you’ll just relax, I’ll write up a report and get a copy over to Child Protective Services.”
“So you’re willing to take personal
“Bryce needs me. Tess needs me."
“I’m not arguing. I’ll take care of everything. Trust me.”
She covers her ears. “Stop. Can’t run away. No place to go. Girls die out there.”
“I’ll be back … with help. Do what I say and everything will be fine.”
She sniffles, shaking her head.
The barn door creaks open. I hustle to the opposite stall and catch a glimpse of Amy still cowering.
Tess yells at me as she marches toward Amy’s stall. “Thought I told you to stay away from her.”
“I was only giving her food.”
She peers in at Amy. “That should have taken only a couple of seconds. What were you doing, spoon-feeding her?”
“No, ma’am. Just trying to get her to eat.”
Tess looks me over. “It’s not your problem if she starves to death. You got that?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s RJ, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She keeps her eyes locked on mine. “Don’t let the little bitch fool you. She’s big trouble.”
Bryce
Making my own breakfast is bad enough. But getting my own wood, starting the damn fire? Women … fuck. I dump my plate and fork in the wash tub. Look around. Better get rid of any sign of the girl, just in case that nosey neighbor makes good on his threats.
I climb up the ladder, drop the damn mattress through the opening to the floor below. Same drill with all of the little bitch’s stuff. What the hell does she need with three sets of clothes? Better get rid of that bar of soap, toothpaste, toothbrush—everything.
I drag the mattress into my bedroom and stack mine on top of it. Grab a hammer and crowbar, along with her shit, and head outside to check for a loose panel of siding. If I remember, there’s a loose seam near the corner around the side. Planned on fixing it one of these days. Yeah. There it is. Hell. Worse than I thought. Don’t even need the crowbar … pull back the siding by hand. A shovel falls out from between two studs … nearly smacks me in the forehead.
Damn. How’d this get here? Shit … looks new. I squint at the trees between me and the lake. Is that damn neighbor up to something? Wouldn’t put it past him, not after last night. He better not come around looking for it. Finders, keepers. ’Sides, I could use a new shovel. Old one’s rusted … blade’ll snap off one of these times.
Stuff the girl's clothes and whatnot into the empty space between the studs and tack the plywood siding back into place. I laugh. Guess I finally got around to fixing it.
Back inside, I check the place one more time to be sure there’s no sign of the girl. Damn. They better not figure out Tess lives here, either. I’m alone. Keep to myself. If I wanted company, I’d move to a city. Not responsible for anybody but me. Never bothered the fella across the lake. No idea why he has it in for me.
Gather up Tess’s stuff and hide it with the girl’s things.
Chapter Six
Jacob
T wenty minutes on a wood bench waiting in the sheriff’s substation has me strung tighter than piano wire. Now, seated across the desk from a uniformed bureaucrat, I scrunch up my brow as he finishes his standard spiel.
“Sheriff, I appreciate your situation. But a child’s safety—maybe her life—is at stake.”
He combs his fingers through his slick, black hair. “It’s Deputy Sheriff Baker, Mr. Chandler.” I’m sure he used a level to straighten that name tag on his starched uniform.
I clench my teeth. Reminds me of those stockbrokers who spend half the day preening in front of the mirror. Resting on their laurels. Everything’s about making an impression. Give me a hungry, young buck any day.
He goes on. “And as I said, we’ll check out your complaint. We have procedures to make sure these things are handled properly.”
“This is about a child’s welfare.”
“I understand that. Now if you’ll just relax, I’ll write up a report and get a copy over to Child Protective Services.”
“So you’re willing to take personal
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