Page 3 of Vengeful Valentine

Hawk and Ace were right. If only for Ashmine, they needed to leave.

Tonight.

“We’re sticking to the original plan?” Silas whispered, continuing to stare at Ashmine.

“Gas stove and light the candles downstairs? I have the camping gear set aside so we can go into the woods, we’ll just stay a bit longer, for the whole week. Say that Jerald sent us there to better ourselves. Winter break doesn’t end for over a week. We can have our own Christmas out there.” Hawk shrugged.

“It’ll be cold for her. Bring extra bedding,” Silas declared gruffly, clenching and unclenching his hands.

This wouldn’t be the first person in his orbit to end up mysteriously dead. It was important that it looked as close to an accident as they could manage.

Jerald was a drunk asshole, but he occasionally had prominent guests over that might care if he were murdered.

Including the headmaster of the nearby St. Valentines University and several of their professors as well.

Silas rolled his head from shoulder to shoulder, stretching out his stiff neck, releasing the anxiety and tension stored there. “Ace, you take her and get us set up in the woods.”

“Wait, no, I want to help,” Ace argued, but he didn’t move or raise his voice. Still careful to not wake her.

“You will stay with Ashmine, isn’t that more important?” Hawk questioned.

Ace glanced down at Ashmine with an expression Silas didn’t want to see.

Adoration. Devotion.Obsession.

He would have to split the two of them up, but first he needed to focus on the task at hand.

“It’s settled. Let’s wait a little bit longer tonight, until they both fall asleep, and then we’ll act.” Silas was anxious at this rapid turn of events, but he was ready. They had been planning this for months,years. Waiting for him to turn eighteen, for the clock to run out. Working odd jobs, setting money aside, stayingalive.

He recognized that they needed to move the schedule up, he understood what was at risk if they didn’t.

Even so, it did not ease his anxiety that they were forgettingsomething, that it was too soon, but he squashed the feeling down.

His pounding head was a stark reminder of what was at stake. The beatings had steadily intensified in the last few months.

How long until Jerald hits us too hard? Kills one of us?

Mind made up, he jerked his head in agreement.

It was now or never.

***

A few hours later Silas and Hawk walked together, away from the house they had lived in for too long. He felt the heat of the fire brush against his back. Instead of taking the driveway up to the main road, the boys marched in the opposite direction towards the woods. A specific destination in mind. A clearing they had found years ago that they often used to escape Jerald’s cruelties.

Silas staggered a bit as he walked, his left leg splintering in pain—Jerald had taken a baseball bat to it less than a week ago—but he did his best to ignore it. This would be the end of it. He wouldn’t be avictimany longer.

His bones would heal, his bruises would fade, and this would all be a nightmare. One made of ash.

Silas took in his surroundings as they moved as silently as they could towards the woods. The sky was dark, lit only by thewaning moon, snow covered the ground, but to his left along the forest line, a single beacon of color shone through.

A group of flowers that Ashmine had planted when she first arrived. They had grown much taller now, nearing three or four feet, and their striking purple-blue color was a contrast to the otherwise dark night.

Silas wanted to go to the flowers, to grab them and bring her a few, but then a loud cracking from behind had Hawk grabbing his hand and jerking Silas the last few feet into the woods.

Later, they would all learn that Jerald was already dead before the house went up into flames.Heart failure.

Police would find evidence of another person,a guest,in the house when the fire started. But the visitor was never found nor did they come forward with any information.

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