Page 43 of Recipes for Life

“Youneedto let me off this plane!” she screeched.

I didn’t recognize the voice that answered her. “Ma’am, please sit down. If you don’t calm down, I’ll have to call the airport police, and I don’t want to have to do that.”

“You don’t understand! It’s an emergency. I have to get off this plane!”

What the fuck was happening?

“Wynn!” I yelled loud enough that my mother heard me through the closed door and came running.

“Murphy! Why the fuckdidn’t you answer my calls?”

“What’s happening, Wynn?”

I heard her start crying. “I don’t know! I don’t know!” Her anguish and desperation had my body vibrating, and my mom was on the verge of tears, even though we had no idea what was happening.

“I was speaking with Odette...”

Oh god.

“We were on the phone, she was driving to work, and suddenly, I heard crunching metal and screaming.Shewas screaming.We got disconnected. I can’t get a hold of her, Murphy… Oh god. I can’t get a hold of her.” She screamed, “I have to get off this plane!”

“Where was she, Wynn? Do you know where she was?”

“She was close to HWY 80.”

“I’ll pay your bail,” I told her before I hung up hastily, throwing my mom a look.

“Lux is safe here. Murphy…” Tears streamed down her face.

“Stay here.” I grabbed my keys, and dialing Odette’s number, held my phone to my ear.

Please answer. God, please answer.

Ring…ring…ring…

“Hi! You’ve reached Odette…”

I hung up and tried again.

Ring…ring…ring…

“Hi! You’ve reached Odette…”

I growled in frustration, wanting to toss my phone but refraining because what if she called me back. An almost all-encompassing sinking feeling hit me, knowing she would call back if she could because I had Lux. She would never let two calls go to voicemail.

“A bad pile-up accident off exit eighteen on HWY 80 has traffic backed up to exit…”

My gaze snapped to the radio, and I felt any coloring I had left in my face drain.That’s where Wynn said Odette was.

My heart raced, thinking of the fastest way I could get there.I’m coming, Odette. I’m coming.

I just prayed I wasn’t too late.

Chapter 29

Odette

I was unsure if it was the sirens in the distance or the throbbing in my chest that woke me, but I was up and...

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