AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sylvia and Nadia only noticed her once she’d made it to the corner of the driveway.
Nadia looked surprised. Sylvia didn’t.
“Hey,” Nadia said softly, her hoodie pulled over her hands as they wrapped around the mug that balanced on her knee. “You’re up early.”
Saff glanced at her, but didn’t say anything as she finished the last few steps, her eyes sliding to Sylvia.
Sylvia gave her a knowing look, then let out a breath, turning to Nadia. “Can you give us a minute?”
Nadia looked between them, then finally stood, shooting Saff a semi-apologetic glance before walking through the door behind them.
Saff waited silently, watching until the front door of the house closed behind her.
Then she turned back to Sylvia. “I want my stuff back. Now. Everything I arrived with.”
Sylvia returned a rigid, bitter look. “James told me they’re leaving this morning,” she said, shifting the coffee mug in her hand. “I assume this means you’re going with them.”
It wasn’t a question as much as an accusatory statement.
Saff glared at her, refusing to answer.
After a moment, Sylvia looked away, eyes flowing over the half burnt houses across the street.
“You know,” she said, her voice softening just a touch, “your skills would be better used here.”
Saff shook her head. “We’re not having that conversation again.”
Sylvia pursed her lips, but to her surprise, she didn’t argue. Instead, she raised a palm up to rest against her cheek, then mumbled, “They should stay here. They’d be safer here than out there.” Then her eyes flicked back to Saff’s. “Maddie would be safer here.”
Anger flared in her gut.
“No,” she gritted out through a clenched jaw. “She wouldn’t.”
Sylvia met her glare with the look a parent might give a child when they’re too exhausted to argue.
After a moment, she sighed. “The weapons you had on you when you arrived. Nadia can take you to get them.”
Saff surged past her, skipping over the steps onto the porch.
“You know, I meant what I said,” Sylvia called over her shoulder, and Saff paused, hand already on the doorknob.
Sylvia waited until Saff’s eyes met hers again. And although there was no trace of tenderness in her face, Saff could hear it in her voice.
“Sarah. The baby.” Sylvia swallowed, a hint of regret flickering in her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.”
***
Saff strode into the house, and the two men sitting at the table instantly shot her a look before their eyes dropped to the items in her hands.
Maddie sat beside her mother on the couch, head partially turned toward the door.
Saff cleared her throat before walking to Josh and James. “Got everything.”
Josh let out a low snort, his face flashing in amusement as he nodded at the rifle and shotgun in her hands. “I can see that.”
She laid the backpack Nadia had given her on the table, then gently set the two guns beside it before she began pulling the rest of the weapons out of the pack.
James watched carefully as she pulled out an array of knives, smaller handguns, ammunition, and then finally the two grenades.
