Page 94 of Our Darkest Summer
My chest heaved, my body jerking, convulsing, every instinct screaming for oxygen. My vision flickered, dark spots creeping in. My ears rang. My limbs weakened.
I kicked him hard, but his grip only tightened.
The world tilted.
My body collapsed inward, weightless, suffocating.
And then?—
I gasped.
Chapter Forty-Two
Kevin
I checkedthe time on my phone. 8:57 p.m. Shit. I should’ve been at the party by now.
ME
will be late
I typed in the quick text to Con, then tossed my phone aside, turning my attention back to the safe on my lap. The damn thing was still locked, mocking me like it knew I was running out of ideas.
I’d already tried at least fifty different combinations over the past few days. Birthdays. Anniversaries. First case numbers.
Nothing.
I leaned back, running a hand over my face. Come on, Pops. Just give me a sign.
My gaze flicked to my crumpled list of failed codes, every number crossed out. There had to be something I was missing, something obvious…
I exhaled sharply, shoving off the bed.
Then it hit me.
How could I forget?I hurried into my dad’s room, yanking open the desk drawer. Come on, come on… my hands shifted through old paperwork, a few pens.Where the hell?—
A glint of metal.
There you are.
I grabbed my pop’s old badge and turned it over in my hands. The numbers etched into the surface were barely readable.
012.
I sprinted back to my room, my heart hammering.
One last shot.
I dropped onto the bed and punched in the numbers:001,my dad’s badge number, then012.
Nothing.
I gritted my teeth. Fine, one last-last shot. I reversed the numbers, my fingers hesitating over the keypad.
012001.
Click.My breath hitched.
