AllFreeNovel
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If I could bottle this moment and take it with me, I wouldn’t be so scared of my future. “I’m so grateful he didn’t help. I don’t want him to have anything to do with that studio.” The way he acted about my dancing was so awful at the time, but it turned out to be the biggest boon.
Mother peeks at her phone. “Oh, look at the time. The delivery driver will be here soon to pick all these up.”
She rushes around to finish all the final tasks and double-check that we’ve packed all twelve hundred and fifty-four boxes. I do a second count too.
Cannon appears by the doorway. He’s waiting for the driver. I’m not supposed to leave the house without him, not even to stand in the driveway.
I’ve barely seen him for over a week. He’s outside taking calls, or he’s in his room on his tablet or his laptop. Tension radiates from him, but every night he’s in my bed, on top of the covers. We haven’t talked about what happened in the bathroom, and as much as I’d love a repeat, it’s best I try to forget about it.
Impossible, but it would be best. Then I could forget the hurt and disappointment coursing through me each night he doesn’t touch me again.
Mother’s phone buzzes, and she lets the driver in. I pick up a stack of boxes. Cannon’s brows draw together, but he doesn’t say anything. He props the door open instead of holding it for us.
Outside, he stalks up and down the driveway around the house. His hawk-eyed gaze watches the driver roll in.
The man hops out. His black uniform shorts are loose, and his black button-up top resembles the wrinkled Hawaiian shirt Cannon’s wearing. His black dreads are gathered behind his head and sticking out of the back of the company ball cap he’s wearing.
Cannon continues to prowl like a caged tiger. He’d be intense, but his baggy clothes decrease the effect. I help Mother and the driver load the boxes. They aren’t large, but with so many, the task isn’t a quick one.
Finally, we’re all done. Mother signs the invoice as I’m doing another quick count.
Cannon wraps a hand around my elbow. “They’ve got it. You should go inside.”
“Are you sure? I’m almost done.”
“It’s good enough. I can’t shake the feeling—”
A whack is followed by plaster flying off the house. My gaze is stuck on the house, confused, when Cannon’s large hand lands on my back.
“Get down!” He bends me over like a rag doll and hustles us to the side of the van. Fear takes over and I do as he says, but I can’t make sense out of what I saw.
Mother blinks at us from the back of the van when a metallic thud makes the driver duck.
“Shit!” the driver hollers.
Cannon puts me behind the van and makes me cower next to Mother. Her eyes are wide and mine must be too. Understanding is too slow to dawn on me. Gunshots.
Oh, God. Someone’s shooting at us. And it’s nothing like the movies. The bulk of the chaos is in my head. Mother’s arms wrap around me the same time I reach for her. We huddle together.
“I thought I left this back in Afghanistan.” The driver crouches by the passenger door. He uses the mirrors to look around.
“Got eyes?” Cannon shouts to him.
“They hit the other side of the truck,” the driver answers. “They must’ve snuck in behind me on foot. I swear I waited until the gates were shut behind me to go. I swear.”
The driver’s scared but calm. Mother’s shaking next to me, and I’m struggling not to panic. If the guys can be clearheaded, then I can at least not add to the chaos. Only, chaos is the wrong word. It’s eerily quiet. Muted traffic sounds are normal, but the birds that normally chirp around the house are silent. It’s too calm.
Cannon peeks around the back of the van. A black gun is in his hand. I don’t mean to gasp but I haven’t seen him carry one and I’ve never been close to someone so obviously armed. Yet my fear diminishes seeing him competently wield it.
He spares me a glance that tells me not to make any more noise.
“It’s okay,” Mother whispers like she’s reassuring me as much as herself, but I need to hear it.
The driver opens his door and crawls in, keeping his head down.
“Is he leaving us?” Mom hisses in my ear.
“Not if the gate’s closed.” I hope he’s staying put. Our only cover is the truck.
