Page 39 of Crown of Death

“But all that changed when you met Brent,” I say, standing beside her coffin, looking down at her peaceful face. “Then you only had eyes for him. Everyone made fun of you guys, but that’s the story you guys stuck to.” I smile. “Wouldn’t that be nice? To have it be soeasy?”

Love at first sight. Or really just any kind oflove.

Everyone always talks about how teenage girls fall in love easily, how they fall for the wrongguys.

But I can honestly say I’ve never fallen for anyguy.

I have no idea what love feelslike.

“You look beautiful,” I say once more, patting Dora on the arm, giving her a sad, maybe slightly jealoussmile.

My phone vibrates again, reminding me that I had a text come through. I walk toward the lockers where my purse hangs, ready to head home, and pull itout.

Bring me another $1,000 a week fromtoday.

My body instantly goes cold. My knees shake justslightly.

Payment isn’t supposed to be due for another two weeks, I text back with shakingfingers.

Seven days, Shylock responds. Nothingmore.

I look up, my eyes not really seeing anything as they scan thespace.

I’m working long, crazy hours to earn the money to keep up with Shylock’s demanding payment schedule. But this? Pushing up the payment day by a week? There’s no way I can have that money intime.

I swallow once, blinking five times fast, and shove my phone back into mypocket.

It’s eight o’clock when I step out into the darkening evening. After four days of this, I hardly even notice when Mina steps out of the shadows and slips into my passengerseat.

My hands shake as they hold the steering wheel. I hardly even pay attention to where I’m going as I pull out onto the main road and head to thehouse.

I have five hundred, or rather I will have it by tomorrow. But payday won’t be for another two weeks after that, long after Shylock’s seven-daydeadline.

Where am I going to come up with another fivehundred?

I could sell my car. It’s probably worth two thousand. But then how am I supposed to get to work to continue paying him off? I don’t own anything else ofvalue.

Borrowing it from my parents is out of the question. They’ll ask what I need it for, and there’s no way I’m dragging them into thismess.

The giant house looms up ahead, and I park in the last garage bay. Still completely ignoring Mina’s presence, I walkinside.

I lookaround.

Everything in this house is nice.Expensive.

My eyes scan the lamps. The artwork on the walls. The pottery in thekitchen.

Could I resort to stealing something from this house and pawning it to get themoney?

My jawclenches.

To protect my family, to protect Amelia, from Shylock, yes, Icould.

I’m so absorbed in my own neck-deep crap that I don’t even realize I’ve stopped, frozen in the doorway between the mudroom and thekitchen.

Cyrus stands at the dining table, his hands braced on its surface, looking at meexpectantly.

“Are you alright?” he asks, his browsfurrowing.