Changeling (Book 1) Rated R

Chapter 5

I couldn't explain it to him.

What would I even say?

I think our blended family might have just been abducted by some thugs in black clothing?

And how do you know this, Aimee?

Well, because a ghost told me.

I groaned, gripping my head between my hands. Ally's possessions always left me feeling clammy and like I might throw up.

"Aimee." He said.

His voice was low.

Patient.

Everything I couldn't be in that moment.

I could tell by the way he kept tapping his fingers against the wheel and the way his eyes darted to me every few seconds that not knowing what was going on was driving him insane.

"Just drive. I just need to get home; I'll explain later."

Before, I'd loved the fact that we lived far away enough from the city as to not be bothered by anyone but now it seemed like a curse because maybe, just maybe, if we'd lived closer to other people, someone might have called the police.

Despite my best efforts to cast the images out of my mind, all I could see was my mother, sprawled across the floor with blood on her face.

Was she lying there dead now?

Wouldn't I know it, instinctively, somewhere deep in my soul if she was really gone?

God, then there was Richard trying to protect a child that wasn't even his when all I'd ever done was complain about him.

And the last words spoken by the hooded man to Taylor...

You will have to do for now.

Small, fragile Taylor who had never hurt anyone in the hands of someone who could very well have been dad's killer. Maybe he'd come back to finish the job and brought a friend with him this time.

Maybe what they were really searching for was me.

God, I wished it was me.

Without giving them permission to, a few tears slid down my face.

How could this be happening again?

We'd gotten an alarm.

We'd gotten a dog.

We were supposed to be safe.

I sobbed, cutting through the silence, the sound uncomfortably loud to my own ears.

Christian reached for me and draped and arm across my shoulder, pulling me close to him.

He smelled of expensive cologne and rain water and it didn't matter that he was an intruder because right now he was all I had.

After a moment of much needed human contact, I shrugged his arm off and composed myself.

I would not crumble, not yet.

The car ride droned by almost eternal. Outside, thick clouds had rolled in, blanketing the sky in gray, promising more snow.

As we neared our street, I acted on impulse and it was a good thing Christian had fast reflexes because he realized just about at the same time I decided, that I wasn't going to wait until we got to the driveway to get down.

He stomped on the breaks.

The tires squealed against the wet pavement and the car came to a screeching halt.