Page 15 of Sleeper

“I know it’s a lot to take in but try and relax. We just got you back. They almost lost you several times while you were in the ICU. Your friend wasn’t as lucky.”

“I was in the ICU?”

“Yes, Kenzi, you were.”

“Kenzi?” I eyed her, wondering if this was another hallucination.

“That’s your name. Isn’t it?” She questioned me and just as I was about to tell her otherwise, I stopped myself, as her words really sank in. My friend wasn’t as lucky. Kenzi was dead. Tears soared down my cheeks.

“I know it’s hard, Kenzi, but you’re here. You need to be strong enough for you both.”

“Mhmm,” I sobbed, mostly to try and fill the void of emptiness inside me. “What happened to the man that was with us?”

“I don’t know.” If Willie was alive, he wouldn’t be for long. I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t, but I wouldn’t have injected myself willingly. I was in the hospital, and he was responsible, that part I was sure of, and he was going to pay.

11

VERA

TWO DAYS AGO

Kenzi’s phone rang from somewhere inside the clear bag the hospital put our belongings in, and I sat down on the bench, dropping it beside me and frantically digging for it.

“Hello?”

“Is this Kenzi?”

“This is she,” I lied. Anyone calling her was a suspect, so I wasn’t going to tell them otherwise.

“You’re all set for your interview with us tomorrow at three,” the man said in a smooth deep voice.

“Remind me again where I’m headed? I lost the address,” I asked, lying through my teeth once again.

“Royal Road.” He continued by giving me the address and I typed it into the phone. The name sparked a faint memory of Kenzi mentioning coming to Nashville to work there.

“Right. Thanks. I’ll be there.”

12

SLEEPER

Her eyes were on me as soon as I walked in the room. I hated how gorgeous she was, if she was uglier then torturing her would be a lot easier. However, I’d find a way to detach myself from her, I had to. There was too much riding on this.

Heat pooled in my face and my teeth ground together as her fingertips fiddled with the locket she wore. The one that most certainly didn’t fucking belong to her. “Nice necklace,” I spat out in a sour tone and her fingers closed around it.

“It was a gift from my best friend before she was killed,” she said in an acidic voice just as hateful as mine.

“Right. I’ll get to it. I’m not playing fucking games. We don’t have time for this shit,” Sledge barked.

“Where’s Vera and Willie?”

“Dead and your guess is as good as mine. I was just about to ask you the same question.”

“Why the hell would you be asking us?” I asked, truly curious. If anyone knew where they were it should be her. “Which is dead?” I needed to know, not that it really mattered. The necklace around her neck was proof enough for me. Soon they would all be dead if we didn’t get our guns back.

“This was the last place they were headed and Vera. She’s dead,” she said cold and detached.

“This is fucking useless. Like my brother said, we don’t have time for your bullshit. Tell me the truth, or I’ll make you,” I warned, pulling my gun out and forcing it against her temple.

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