Page 14 of What I Should Have Felt

So, I simply kept my mouth shut as I stared at someone who I refused to admit still had a part of my soul.

“Anyway, it’s eight. You know, in the evening. Meaning my shift is done, right?” Azelie added.

“Yeah, go on. But—”

“I know. I know. Don’t go anywhere with strangers. Always have a trusted adult around, and be home by ten. Can tonight be eleven, though? It’s the music festival and summer.”

“You know how dangerous it is right now with that real estate dude and his cronies hanging around. They already came after us a couple times before,” I replied without moving my gaze away from Ford.

I silently pleaded for him to turn his head. To do something. To bring his gaze toward me. I wanted to stare at those two different-colored eyes just once.

“They haven’t come after me specifically,” she whined.

“Yet.” I pried my stare away from Ford and faced the girl who was only an inch shorter than me. “Look, they haven’t escalated past anything…mild yet because of tonight’s deadline. And while I’m holding out hope that somehow they’ll be distracted by something the Thibodeauxs do or don’t do, I can’t bank on it. So, once they realize we’re not selling to them, they might come after you next instead of me. I can manage if they come after me again, but not you. Not anyone in our family. Only me. Okay?”

“Ten-thirty?” she pressed, clasping her hands in front of her.

“Fine. If you have your location on your phone at all times and—”

“Have an adult around. Thank you!” She grinned and skipped away.

I glanced back over my shoulder and furrowed my brows. Ford was gone. But it hit me like a ton of bricks crashing down from a wrecking ball.

The deadline.

Shit.

I’d been so consumed by Ford’s sudden appearance, I’d forgotten that the deadline was tonight. Sell, or O’Connor would make good on his latest threat.

And I still had no idea how he might escalate. He’d already messed with our orders and bought out the local sheriff’s department. Already had his cronies rough up Dad and trashed our restaurant.

Luckily, Mom and Dad had some funds left from their most recent loan to help replace and repair most of our equipment, and the couple of attacks on Dad barely left a bruise or two. So far.

I groaned and spun on my heel, making my way back to the restaurant. I refused to let my parents stay at the restaurant alone after he’d messed with my dad. Hopefully, the guy wasn’t crazy enough to go after them at our house. If he trashed the place again, my parents would be forced to take out another loan. But how many more places would give my parents more money when they could barely pay back what they already owed?

If the Thibodeauxs weren’t doing too bad, maybe we could—

No. No. I refused to give in to that.

I would figure this out. On my own.

Chapter 6

COLETTE

Iflipped the final chair on top of the table and sighed. It was after two in the morning, and I was alone. My parents deserved to be home after such a busy day, and Azelie had returned with them. Besides, I wanted a moment to collect my thoughts. We’d made a decent amount today. But the profit would barely make a dent in the debt. No matter how hard we worked, we wouldn’t be able to hold out forever. Honestly, I wasn’t sure we’d make it another week.

The streets were now as silent and hollow as my own soul. Shadows writhed in front of the restaurant’s windows, reminding me of that stupid childhood legend my parents told me growing up. The Rougarou had come to haunt me tonight, it seemed. I knew the fable too well—it was recited to me by heart growing up—which made venturing back home this late a little risky. But I was exhausted and chalked up the strange fluid movements outside the building to my lack of sleep.

Until knuckles rapped against the closed door.

Blood rushed to my ears. There had been no one around for at least an hour. Not just inside, but outside as well.

The door frame rattled, and wood groaned beneath a relentless pounding fist.

I hadn’t believed in the Rougarou since I was a child.

But red glowing eyes hummed at the back of my mind.

---