Page 44 of Property of Chaos

“The fuck?” I glance back to where Andy patiently waits on his horse, the animal shifting its weight between its feet. “Why did nobody fuckin’ phone?” I glare at Loki.

He nods to my pocket. “We did. You didn’t answer.”

I pull the fucking thing free to check the screen. Sure enough, five missed calls, all placed between ten and thirty minutes ago.Fuck it all.I vaguely remember the thing vibrating in my pocket, but I’d immediately forgotten to check it when Vanessa had stepped out her front door to call for my goddamn partner in crime.

Appeared the furry asshole got leftovers after all.

“Fire crew there?” I gesture for Loki to scoot up toward the tank.

“Probably arriving as we speak.”

I lift a hand to Andy and point beyond the house. “I want it no more than forty feet from the back porch and make it as big as you fuckin’ can. Ride up and take a look.” I swing a leg over and get cozy with Loki. “I’ll come by in two days to work out the details.”

“Sure thing.” The young guy tugs on the reins, calming his horse as Loki kicks the bike into gear and rips into the driveway to get me to my bike.

Fuckin’ Matthias.I’d wager my left nut this stinks of his shit.

SEVENTEEN

VANESSA

I watchedfor the glow of his cigarette.

Like the unhinged, mentally deranged bitch that I am, I sat at my window for a solid half hour after the sun went down last night and watched for any sign he was there, watching, And when it never came, I shoved Murphy out the fucking door with my foot up his ass to see where the damn cat would go.

He promptly dug a hole in my withering vegetable bed and took a shit, all while glaring at the house.

This isn’t helping your lack of sleep, you ass.The criticisms started the second I woke up, bleary-eyed and wishing for just one more hour.

I may have stood on the front porch for my first coffee of the day.

I may have also jogged across the road to look for signs of his company.

All I found were a few old cigarette stubs wet from the rain we’d had the day before.

Fuck.I press my middle finger to the inner corner of my eye and sigh. Evelyn arrives today. In less than two hours, according to the clock on my wall. I glance at the folded letter stuffedbeneath my house keys.What if Mom’s actually gone?What if my gut is wrong, and she’s no longer there? No longer an open thread for me to pick up when I have the strength.Fuck.

Why can’t life be simple? A happy little nuclear family, the same as they love to portray on primetime television. Two parental figures and a small brood of siblings who, despite their bickering, have each other’s back.

That’s all I ever wanted. When my classmates fawned over the latest music idol or begged their parents for the newest clothing trend, I sat on the bench waiting for the afternoon bus that would take me home and watched the people going about their lives in our small town.

I yearned for the smiling fathers doting on their kids, the mothers who’d crouch with a welcome hug, and the kids who’d chase each other, giggling. Happy.

Iachedfor happiness.

“I should sell myself to science,” I mutter to a purring Murphy. “I’m sure somebody would love to study how I keep fucking going despite all this shit.”

He yawns, whiskers fanning out as he displays his needle-sharp teeth.

“Thanks for listening,” I sass, downing the last of my coffee and ditching the mug in the sink for later. “You ready to go out? I have to leave soon.”

Asshole turns his little head to squint his eyes against the morning sun that barely broaches the windows.

“You know,” I snap, shooing him toward the door with my hands. “It’d be nice if you could do your fucking job tonight and find where he went.”

I get a disgruntled mewl in response and a lifted tail so the fucker can flash me his asshole.

“Yeah. Fuck you too.”

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