Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Today, it’s like they all went home.
Priya’s in the kitchen chatting with Byron. She happily takes Hattie off my hands when we arrive. “Shall we make some sculptures today? I brought Model Magic.”
“Yes!” Hattie claps her hands. She loves that fake clay stuff.
Priya and Hattie disappear into the other room. I turn down Byron’s offer of food for myself, but accept some for Marnie. He gives me a tray with tea and some sandwiches.
“Enough for both of you,” he says with a wink. “You sure you don’t want help getting it up there?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you.” I carry the tray into the hall and head to the stairs.
The quiet is oppressive. I consider calling Rafe but don’t. He left early this morning for the city. He said he had an important meeting and I don’t want to distract him. But I don’t like the way this feels, and maybe he’d know what’s going on.
Only I can’t go scampering to Rafe every time there’s an issue.
It’s time for me to stop being so useless and afraid all the time.
I reach Marnie’s door and rebalance the tray. I turn the knob—
But it’s locked.
“That’s weird.” I try it again, tugging harder. Then I knock. “Marnie? You in there?”
Her door is never closed, but maybe she’s got something going on with Birdie. She’s been doing much, much better, even starting to get around more on her own, but the healing process isn’t perfect. Birdie keeps reminding us that bodies adjust and change and fix themselves in fits and starts. Nothing’s linear.
“Marnie! Are you okay in there?”
Dead silence.
Until there’s a creak in the hall.
I yelp and turn. The tray teeters and it’s about to fall.
When Nunzio darts forward and catches the side.
It’s odd. I’ve never been this close to him before. He’s big and tall and broad. He smells like faint cologne. It’s nice, actually.
And I never noticed the mole near his ear. It’s round and black.
“Uh, thanks,” I say as he rights me. “Hey, what’s going on? It’s been really quiet today and Marnie’s door is locked.”
“I sent everyone home.”
“Really? Why?”
“They weren’t needed today.”
I glance over his shoulder. He’s staring at me hard. An ugly feeling rolls down my spine. “Okay… I mean… Does Rafe know?”
“I used to like my job.” He ignores my question like he didn’t even hear it. “But then Pops got sick… shit went downhill fast…”
“What are you talking about?” I take a step back.
“Pops was my everything. But the job demands a lot. Rafe isn’t an easy boss. He wants your heart and soul… but that’s not fucking easy to give when your old man’s dying.”
“Nunzio, I’m sorry about your dad, but I’m not sure what’s going on right now. Is Marnie okay? Are you okay?”
“Nothing’s ever fucking simple.” He finally looks at me and his expression is hard.
It sends a jolt of terror down my spine.
“I get it, I really do, but—“
“No, you don’t.” He steps closer and knocks the tray from my hand. It goes spinning, the tea spilling down my chest, the food scattering on the floor. “But you will.”
31
JUNE
Iscream and try to run, but only make it two steps before Nunzio slams me to the floor.
I gasp in shock and pain. His knee smashes against my spine as he roughly wrenches my hands behind my back. “Please,” I wheeze, confused and afraid. “Why?”
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he tightens zip-ties around my wrists, binding them together. I groan as the plastic digs into my skin. He pulls me to my feet and throws me against the wall, my head knocking back. Light flashes at the edge of my vision.
“Can’t trust you not to scream,” he mutters and shoves a cloth in my mouth. I grunt and try to spit it out, but he ties another cloth around my face, keeping the gag in tightly. “Breathe through your nose. Hey, look at me. Breathe through your fucking nose.”
I try to tell him to fuck off, but can’t.
Hattie. Oh my god, Hattie. My daughter. Does he have my daughter? Did he hurt her? And Marnie, and Priya—
“I don’t want any of this fucking mess,” Nunzio snarls as he drags me down the hall toward the back stairs. It leads down into the maze of staff hallways.
And the kitchen.
Byron… maybe if I make enough noise…
“You can blame fucking Rafe. That’s how it always is. They pay enough to keep me coming back but never enough to cover all my hospital bills. Ignazio though, he’s got deep pockets. An old bastard like that, he’s been squirreling shit away. So I take my checks, pay Pops’s medical bills, and do what has to be done. And you know what? I don’t fucking feel bad.” He pauses at the bottom of the steps and shoves me against a wall. I groan, pleading with my eyes.