All I've Ever Wanted - Adrianne Byrd [2]
“I don’t know. A growing boy needs his sleep.”
“Please? I’ll be quiet and stay out of your way.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to make such promises. I don’t mind if you wait up with me. Now, you’re sure your mother won’t mind?”
He nodded eagerly.
“Well, all right then.” She offered him her hand, and then led him to the sofa.
He helped clear her books away, then bounced up to sit next to her. She smelled like flowers. “I wish that you will always be my babysitter,” he gushed.
“Oh, really?” She smiled. “Why is that?”
He shrugged and blushed again. “Because you’re nice.”
“Aw. That’s sweet.” She pinched his cheek. “I think you’re nice, too.”
They shared another smile before she looked at her watch again.
“I wonder what’s keeping your mother?”
Kennedy had made a terrible mistake.
No sooner had she rounded a giant oak tree than her incredulous stare focused on a horrific scene—not Wanda’s wayward son, but four men clothed in black, with crossbones stitched across their jackets. The men stood menacingly around an impeccably clad, older man with nervous eyes. From what she could see, he had every right to be nervous.
She glanced around, wanting desperately to retrace her steps and forget that she’d seen anything. However, there was one problem with that plan. Her feet seemed rooted to the ground. She prayed, yet no sooner had she whispered the Lord’s name than she caught a glimpse of a gun.
Instinctively, she ducked back behind the tree, surprised that she’d managed to move at all. Run. But she couldn’t. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down. When she reopened her eyes, she could still hear the men arguing.
She pushed away from the tree, then hesitated to take the first step. There were dry leaves everywhere. Surely, if she made any attempt to get away, she would draw attention to herself. The mere fact that they hadn’t heard her approach was a miracle.
She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed again. The men’s angry voices shattered the woods’ stillness. Her heartbeat accelerated. Despite her decision not to get involved, Kennedy found herself listening.
“Tell your boss I was coming to talk to him.”
Kennedy assumed the new voice belonged to the well-dressed businessman. Despite his efforts to sound aloof, or to retain some type of control, she heard fear in his voice. She absorbed his emotions as her own.
“You’re not listening, old man. Now, turn around.”
Kennedy’s eyes flew open. She knew that voice. Carefully, she shifted her weight and peeked around the tree, squinting for a better view of the armed man. Her heart sank as she confirmed the man’s identity. Then, slowly, her gaze drifted to the businessman.
The moonlight illuminated the tears streaking down his face. He knew as well as she did that they were going to kill him.
“I said turn around!”
“Just call your boss,” he pleaded. “I swear, I can clear this whole mess up.” Desperation made the man’s voice quake.
Another member of the gang physically forced the man to turn around.
Fear squeezed Kennedy’s heart. She had to do something, but what—scream? Hell, that would just mean there would be two corpses instead of one. It wasn’t as if she could attack with her bookbag and actually hope to save the day.
“Please, I swear, I can clear this all up.” The man continued to plead. His entire body trembled.
Kennedy quaked with an overwhelming sense of helplessness as tears blurred her vision.
The man was forced to his knees and all residue of pride vanished. Words spilled from his lips, but none of them made any sense.
Dear God, no. Kennedy whispered silently.
The gun was placed at the back of the sobbing man’s head. Still, she hoped for a miracle.
A single shot ended it all.
The man’s body pitched forward, finally falling into a bed of dry leaves.
Kennedy jumped, but managed to suppress a horrified scream by clamping her hand over her mouth. Tears slid quietly down her face. She felt numb as she desperately tried to deny what she’d witnessed.
“No,” she whispered, backing