Page 246 of Did They Break You

I grin over at Cortland as he pulls me along to the rows of used books.And sometimes they make it up to you.

He drops my hand and plucks up a book with a haunted house on the cover.

My smile widens. I turn away from him, heading one aisle over, scanning the shelves.

“We’ll be there soon, I?—”

“Remi?” A cold voice interrupts me, and a chill slides down my spine.

“I have to go,” I whisper into the phone, whirling around as Cortland disappears further down the aisle I left him on, inspecting all the books on the shelves.

“Hurry up,” Sloane says, but I’m already ending the call.

Fear lights through me as I turn.

And my stepdad’s dark eyes hold mine.

I swallow, my mouth going dry.

He’s in a suit and tie, hands in his pockets, a faint smirk pulling at his lips as he stares at me.

“Why are you here?” I blurt out, glancing around the thrift store.He wouldn’t be caught fucking dead in a place like this. Not willingly.

His smile widens. “I finally sold the house you drove us out of.” He glances over his shoulder, at the row of windows lining the front door. “Saw you in here.” He shrugs. “Anyway, any ofyour belongings you left in the old house have transferred to the new owners.”

My stomach twists into knots.

I fist my hands at my sides. “I took all my shit out, but thanks for letting me know.” In my head, I feel his hands on me. His breath against my skin.

I see that glass shattering at his feet.

He steps closer.

I smell his cologne.

“You always were such a fucking brat,” he says, his voice low, but his tone is pleasant. Almost conversational. Like he just can’t wait to tear me down again. “You know, I heard Greg McGowan’s son was found hanging from the back of his closet.”

My eyes almost bug out of my head.

I think about the rope in the back of Cortland’s truck.

My stomach drops.

Silas steps closer. “I heard you were in the hospital recently.” Another step, and I can feel my pulse pounding in my temple. “It’s a shame it was Chase that died, and not?—”

Before he can finish his sentence, he’s yanked away from me, and I step backward.

Cortland has his fist cocked back, my stepdad’s tie wrapped around his other hand as he shoves him up against a row of books, some spilling onto the floor in a heap.

I try to breathe, my hand coming to my belly. I open my mouth to say something,anything, but before I can get the words out, Cortland has already launched his fist into Silas’s face.

I hear the crack of something that sounds like bone.

Blood spurts down Silas’s nose.

He lifts his hand to cover his mouth.

“You piece of fucking shit,” Cortland snarls.

---