Page 96 of Shadow and Skulls

Jackson lies back on my bed, making himself comfortable. “Nice touch, though. The whole town got to watch the kid die. Don’t you think he’s awfully young to die on the basketball court from a heart attack?”

“Again, he didn’t die. They shocked the little fuck back to life.”

“It’s all good until the toxicology report comes back.”

Jackson stands, staring down at me. “You’re not allowed to be at the warehouse … yet,” he adds. “I want to see how this plays out.”

“I take it Dan doesn’t know about this?”

Elijah backs away, laughing. “Oh, he knows. That doesn’t mean he likes it, so Kelsie is also off limits.”

“Who do I have to thank for my second chance?” I ask as they politely shut my light off.

Jackson places his finger over his mouth before backing out of the room. “Nighty night, prospect.”

A smile spreads across my face, because it really doesn’t matter who it was. I’m back in.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kelsie

“Right there. Take a breath. Release …”

My dad grabs Ash’s arm and jerks him away from me. “Too close.”

“Dad,” I grumble. My eyes connect with Lexi’s for a second, and she dips her head, embarrassed on my behalf.

“That would have been a perfect shot,” Ash jokes, not letting my father get to him.

I shoo my dad away with the wave of my hand. “You said he could teach me. Let him do his job. He’s the best in the club, isn’t he? Don’t you want me to learn from the best?”

His nose flares because Kelsie one, Dad zero. I mentally throw up the tally on the whiteboard of my mind.

Dad goes back to sulking under a tree away from us.

“Jesus, I think I shit myself,” Ash jokes, making Lexi smile.

“I’m sorry my dad is so intense,” I tell them both. I bring my gaze back to the target. This time Ash doesn’t lean in with me. I’m on my own.

After it goes off, I stare at the hole for several minutes. I wonder if Tank is watching. If he sees how much I’m healing.

Lexi stands up and does a little cheer for me. When she finishes, I jerk my head. “Your turn.”

Ash looks over his shoulder at her.

“I’ll … I’ll just watch for today,” she says quietly, sitting back down on the grass.

He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “Okay, again.” We turn our focus back to the target. “Once you get this down, then we’ll move on to a moving target.”

My earlier pride deflates. It took me forever to hit something that wasn’t moving.

“What happened to your boyfriend? I haven’t seen him around lately,” Lexi asks when Ash and I take a break.

Ash looks away.

“He’s not … we’re not …” I sigh looking at the tree line, wondering if he’s really crazy enough to be stalking an inexperienced shooter.

“Her dad won’t let her see him,” Ash explains.

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