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Zipping up my bag, I headed back downstairs to find King in the club’s armory. Walking over, I slung my bag over my shoulder. “What are you doing in here?”
King grabbed a few Glocks and a box of ammo before handing them to me. “Take these.”
“King, it’s Redneckville, USA. Not a demilitarized war zone.”
“Just take them. Better to be prepared than finding yourself with your pants around your ankles. And here is a satellite phone. Pretty damn sure a place called Juniper Hollow doesn’t have cell reception.”
I chuckled. “Got that right. The nearest phone was an hour away.”
“Call when you get there and then keep me posted.”
“Yes dad,” I smiled, stuffing the guns and the satellite phone in my bag. “Anything else before I go?”
“Just play nice with the natives.” King smirked.
I huffed. “No promises.”
Chapter Three
Skylar
The sun was setting when I heard the front door open and close. Rolling over, I winced, holding my side. I wasn’t positive, but it felt as if I broke a rib. Not that it mattered. I didn’t have money for the doctor, anyway. Hell, I barely had enough left of what Mr. Montclair gave us and I rationed that down to a penny.
“Sky? You awake?”
Nodding, I reached for my brother. “Where have you been, Cam?”
“Taking care of manly business. Do you need anything?”
“No,” I muttered, looking at my baby brother.
He was filthy again.
From the moment he was born, Cameron Hobbs found happiness in the mud. He was so like Dad. Part of me knew that when Cameron got older, he was going to end up just like our dad, in the military, serving his country. Our father was a Marine Gunnery Sergeant, home on leave, when the accident happened. Dad wanted to take Momma out to dinner. Only they never returned.
I was lucky I had just turned nineteen when it happened, because when the sheriff showed up, he was going to take Cameron. I flat out refused. No one was taking my baby brother away from me.
He was mine now.
After we buried our parents, I didn’t give school a second thought. Cameron needed me and I did what I had to. I found a part-time job in a neighboring town, working while Cameron was in school.
My only problem was when summer hit.
I couldn’t leave my baby brother alone.
Now, without a job, I spent my days doing odd jobs for the mountain folks. Everything from washing laundry to running errands. It was a shit existence, but we were making it work.
“Dad would be so proud of you, Cam. Taking care of me like you have been. Momma too.”
“I miss them,” my brother whispered, his bottom lip wobbling. It had only been six months since the accident. There were times I woke expecting to hear Momma singing in the kitchen as she got breakfast ready or see Dad hug Momma as he sweet-talked her.
But I would never see or hear that again.
Nobody ever told me what life would be like when a parent died. Let alone both at the same time. Talk about a double whammy. I still had a hard time processing their passing.
They were just going to dinner.
For me, it was the knowing that I would never see them again. Never hug them, hear their laughter, see them smile. It felt as if someone ripped a part of my soul out. They were still young. Had many years ahead of them. I remembered them making plans for when dad would retire. They wanted to sell the cabin and buy an RV and travel the world. There were still brochures on the kitchen counter that dad was looking at.
