Page 147 of Five Mountain Daddies

I’ve never been this afraid in my entire life. Sitting in my bed like that, listening to every single little sound from outside, I keep imagining how it must have been when Atticus was killed. I bet he was terrified, so beyond afraid. He probably didn’t understand what was happening as people brutally murdered him. And now that might happen tome.

Time slips past. I don’t know how long I’m sitting there, horrified, when suddenly someone’s knocking at my door. The bell rings again and again, and then my phone starts toring.

It’s Wyatt. I answer rightaway.

“It’s me. Let meinside.”

I slowly come out of my bedroom door. I creep up to the front door and peer out the top glass. Wyatt’s standing there, looking grim. I throw open the door and he comesinside.

I hug him without thinking. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me tight. “It’s okay,” he says. “It’sokay.”

“He was out there,” I tell him. “I swear. I sawhim.”

“I know,” he says. He shuts the door and locks it before fully letting mego.

“Did you seehim?”

He shakes his head. “No,” he says. “But your trashcan wasopen.”

I stare at him. “He must have run when he saw you pullup.”

“That’s my guess.” He sighs and we move further into my living room. He puts me down on the couch and refills my water from therefrigerator.

“What the hell was that?” I ask him. “Why would someone go through mytrash?”

“Hard to say,” he answers, sitting next to me. His big body is reassuring in the dark night. He looks tired but alert, wearing the same clothes as earlier. “But I doubt that it’s acoincidence.”

“That whatis?”

He looks grim. “That this happens right after we visited withKristi.”

My eyes go wide. “You thinkshe…?”

“I don’t know,” he says before I can finish. “Could be that they were watching her, too. Saw us show up there and talk toher.”

“Or she toldthem.”

“Maybe.” He shakes his head. “I don’t want to jump to anyconclusions.”

“Shit,” I saysoftly.

He watches me for a second. “Are youokay?”

“Yeah,” I say, taking a breath. “I thinkso.”

“You should get somerest.”

“Yeah.” I laugh a little. “I feel sillynow.”

“Don’t. I told you this might be dangerous. Are you sure you don’t want to backout?”

“I’m sure,” I say, not really feeling it. “I’m not walkingaway.”

He nods. “Okay. I’m going to sleep on your couch tonight, if that’sokay.”

I’m surprised by that, but I shouldn’t be. “You’re going to be my bodyguardtonight?”

He grins. “Exactly.”

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