Page 52 of Roses and Skulls

Nope. No way did my grandpa cheat on my grandma. He was devoted to her.

This just can’t be. That’s not the kind of secrets I thought I would find here.

I shove everything back in the box except for the knife. I take the box back down to the tree and bury it. I can never tell anyone about what I found here.

My eyes take in the scenery around me as I shove dirt over it. How could he do this to grandma?

The hundreds of chimes play an eerie melody.

“You know me, baby girl. You know me.”

“I don’t know anything anymore,” I say aloud, standing and stomping on the dirt to pack it down tight.

After his secrets are hidden, I run back and hide in the bathroom. The sun is setting and it’s scary out here all alone. I sit on the floor and rock myself back and forth, staring at the blade lying on the floor.

I squeeze my eyes shut tight and rest my head on my knees. Elijah made me promise I wouldn’t do it. I’ve never broken a promise to him. Never.

He’ll never find me. He doesn’t know about this place.

If I just make it to morning, then I can leave and find somewhere else to go. I’ve wanted my grandpa to talk to me and now that he has, I don’t understand. I’m more confused than I was before. Nothing makes sense.

I’m tired of feeling so alone.

Yes, I know it’s my own fault.

“Please just give me something. Work your magic up there and let something go my way.” I groan in the space between my knees and my chest.

And then the bathroom door slams open.

I raise my head slowly and in the doorway stands the most terrifyingly, beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

He blinks, his gaze scanning me from head to toe. When he sees I’m fully intact, he lets out a harsh breath.

I continue to rock back and forth. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it,” I cry, tears streaming down my face.

Elijah sits down in front of me and pulls me into his arms. “I know, baby. I know. You did so good. So good.” He kisses me on top of my head, and I whisper a little thank you to grandpa. I don’t know how much longer I would have been able to hold on.

Chapter Eleven

Dirk

Iwas both relieved and pissed as hell that the only call she answered was his. My fist was just about to connect with his ugly face when he held up his hands and said he knew where to find her.

I’ll never get the image of him kneeling in front of my daughter out of my brain.

But right now, I’m focused on what I saw after that. The brutal scars that covered the tops of her legs. How did I not pick up on how much she was suffering?

Elijah sits next to me, pulling out a fucking sucker and shoving it in his face. God, how I would like to hurt him again.

The little fucker tricked me. Got me to jump in my truck with him by my side and he had no clue where she was. But he did hear something, windchimes. I knew right where she was when he told me. I tried to shove his ass out of the moving truck once he was no longer useful, but Dan wrapped his arm around my neck and kept me in the driver seat.

“She answered him. Let’s see if he can talk her down,” he said.

I’m her dad. I’m the one who should be talking her down. But then again, I’ve obviously failed her.

And now Raffe, Dan and I are all standing in the living room, listening to their conversation. The kid was kind enough to leave the door open.

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it,” she cries.

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