Page 99 of Knox
Kelsey had seen him in the barest of light—gauged ears, an eyebrow bar, and a look on his face that suggested he meant business.
Kelsey wasn’t sure what business that might be.
She just knew he wasn’t going to drag someone she cared about away to do who knew what, so she did the only thing she could think of.
She stabbed him with her hot marshmallow skewer. Pitiful, she knew, but when he shouted and dodged away from her, Glo kicked him in the instep.
Which caused him to swear, cuff her, and turn on Kelsey.
She had picked up a nearby log and clubbed him with everything inside of her.
Grabbed Glo’s hand and ran.
They scrambled up the path etched out in the rock, nearly impossible to see in the darkness, and somewhere in there, she’d heard shouting.
Then a scream from Glo as she stumbled beside her.
Kelsey grabbed up her friend, clamped her hand over her mouth, and kept running.
Not until they reached the overlook did she pull Glo down and in the wan moonlight see what she’d grunted about.
Her flesh was torn, right through her shoulder, maybe even to the bone.
“Glo, I think you’re shot,” she’d said, and pressed her hand over the wound.
Glo had groaned again, just a whisper of what she probably wanted to do. Kelsey had to give her props for her guts.
And to think her biggest problem seconds before was trying to decide how to tell Glo that she wanted to turn down the NBR-X gig.
That she liked—no loved—living on the ranch. It brought back her life on the farm, the memories she harbored deep inside, and being with Knox…
Knox. He felt like home. He was the exhale, the soft place to land.
In fact, since Gerri’s words this morning, lyrics had begun to form in her head.
Something dug out of the griefs and sorrows of her heart.
She wanted to feel the love Knox offered, and if that meant digging down into the darkness…
She’d never expected the darkness to climb out and go after her.
But maybe Glo was right—they’d worked so hard for this moment. This opportunity.
She couldn’t run from her past. And maybe hiding wasn’t the right answer, either.
“Who is he?” Glo whispered, pain tremoring her voice.
“I don’t know.”Knox, please find us.But she hadn’t seen him since he’d gone into the house with the rest of his family.
His amazing, overwhelming, embracive family that she very much wanted to belong to with each passing moment.
Then they’d simply lain there, trying not to breathe. Kelsey practically willed her heartbeat to slow, to become silent.
In the distance a glow lit the sky, and she watched as it flickered against the night. The smell of smoke burned the air.
Oh God, I’m not sure what’s happening, but…
She stopped, aware of the crazy, desperate prayer.