Page 27 of Always Us

“Yeah, I know. We’re turning around.”

“Did your dad call you?”

“No. Why would my dad call?”

“You need to hurry.” Jade’s voice is rushed, urgent.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Ryan turns into the gas station. I nudge his arm. “Don’t pull over, just go.”

“You don’t want to drive?”

“No. Just get back on the interstate and head home.” I speak into the phone again. “Jade? Are you still there?”

“Yes, but—” Her voice gets cut off. I check my phone and only see one bar lit up.

“You don’t have cell reception out here?” I ask Ryan.

“It gets spotty when you’re out in these rural areas.”

I hear Jade again. “Garret?”

“Yeah, we got cut off. What’s going on there?”

“You need to get home. Your grandfather—” The phone cuts out again.

“My grandfather what? Jade? Are you there?”

I check my phone. It’s dead. Shit! I forgot to plug it in last night. “Ryan, can I borrow your phone?”

“I left it on the kitchen counter.” Ryan’s on the interstate now, going the speed limit.

“You need to drive faster,” I tell him.

“I can’t. I’ll get a ticket. That cop we passed earlier might still be there.”

“I don’t give a shit. I’ll pay the ticket.”

He mumbles something about his insurance rates going up. I’m not really listening as I try to figure out why Jade sounded so frantic. Did someone show up at the house? Is my grandfather there? Or did he send someone there? Shit, what if he did? Is that why Jade asked if my dad called? Does she know what’s going on? Does she think my dad’s involved?

In my mind I see images of Jade and Frank being held hostage in the house, guns pointed at their heads.

“Ryan, drive faster. I’m serious.”

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

I keep my eyes on the road. “Do you have a gun?”

“A gun? Why would I have a gun?”

“So you don’t have one? Frank doesn’t have one?”

“No. Why?”

“Something’s wrong and Jade wouldn’t tell me anything. But she sounded really upset so we need to hurry up and get home.”

“Why did you ask about a gun? You think someone’s at the house? Like trying to rob us?”

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