AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thunder gets ready for bed, stripping down to his boxers and sliding under the covers. I join him after my nightly ritual, and he drags me across to his side of the bed, tucking me in next to him. “Don’t worry, babe,” he says, “we’re not doing the nasty.” He snickers.
I playfully slap his shoulder. “Not funny. I was wondering if they knew what they were doing when they put us together.”
I can feel his body shake with laughter. “Your parents were our age once.”
“Do not go there.” I can’t help emitting a gasp.
He laughs harder. “Sure, babe, but just saying, you had to get here some way.”
I place my hands over my ears. “La la la la la.”
Thunder rolls me onto my back and kisses me soundly on my mouth. “Good night, my Rosie,” he says, turning off the bedside lamp and cuddling close.
* * *
The morning begins with Mom frying bacon and eggs while Thunder and I begin our search for the missing key. Thunder starts in the room we slept in, while I take the room across the hall where Mom had stored all our childhood mementos. The room is her craft and sewing room, but in the closet are a stack of boxes filled to the brim with things that belonged to Clarissa and me.
I’m saving them for last and decide to go through the drawers first. Thunder joins me soon enough. He pulls out all the boxes and takes everything out of the boxes, checking every envelope, every book, and every object. We’re three boxes in when Mom calls us down for breakfast.
“It’s getting cold.” I can hear Mom’s tone getting impatient.
I blow out a breath. “I don’t want to stop.”
“We won’t take long. Come on, before she comes to give us hell.” He takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen, where my parents are sitting and waiting for us.
I know my parents well, and when they exchange glances at the table, it’s obvious there’s something on their minds.
“Spill, Dad.” He looks at my mother, then lowers his eyes back to his plate, picking at his food, though he hasn’t taken a bite yet. I look at Mom. “Mom?”
Dad clears his throat, then says, “We’re thinking this thing that Clarissa was into was pretty bad. We’re concerned this Aldo character isn’t going to end it, even if he gets what he wants. What’s to stop him from coming after you again and again?” He drops his fork, covering his face with his hands in despair. “Maybe we should get you out of the country. Help you to disappear for a while.”
“No way!” I cry. “I’m not leaving everything I’ve worked for. I’m not leaving Thunder. Guard and the Pride have a plan. They’ve asked me to trust them, and I do.” I grab Dad’s hand and squeeze his fingers. “I’m not Clarissa. I’m not lost. I know who I am and what’s important to me. You know me, Dad. I’m not going to spend my life running from this. I’ll never have anything. I’ll never be able to put down roots or have a family. I’ll be looking over my shoulder and living in fear all my life.”
“I don’t know what to do,” he whispers, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Help us,” Thunder says. “Help us find this and try to remember as much as you can about Clarissa’s last visit home or conversations. Did the police give you any of her things when they released her body to you? You may not think it’s important, but it could be.”
Penny lights up, her eyes growing wide. “Honey, the box. The box!” she exclaims. “Where is that box?”
Erik shakes his head. “What box? What are you talking about?”
“After the, huh…” Penny struggles with her words and manages an anguished “autopsy.” Erik still seems confused, and Penny meets my gaze. “They had a clear plastic bag. I couldn’t take it from the female officer. All I could see was her blood-stained clothes through the bag. The lady saw that I was upset, and she grabbed a brown box, put the bag in it, and taped the lid shut.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t even want to bring it home.” She turns to her husband. “Do you remember that?”
Penny must have sparked a memory. He replies, “Yes, yes. I remember. You wanted me to throw it out as soon as we got home. I told you I couldn’t do that. It was part of Clarissa, and I couldn’t throw it away. It was like I was throwing her away.”
“Do you remember where you put it?” Thunder asks.
“The garage, I think,” he says uncertainly. “I debated whether to keep it or not when we moved here, but I’m sure I brought it with us. It’s got to be in the garage. I didn’t want Penny stumbling into it in the house and it upsetting her.”
“Show me,” Thunder says, rising from his chair. Both men disappear, leaving Mom and me at the table. I switch seats to sit next to her.
“It’ll be all right, Mom,” I murmur, putting my chin on her shoulder.
* * *
Thunder
Suffice to say, there’s no way Penny would have found that box. It was buried deep in the rafters, behind a bunch of fishing equipment, covered with dust and still taped shut. It’s wedged in tight between all the other stuff. I manage to wiggle it free where I can take hold of it easily.
