Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Another week and it will be called off with a promise to keep looking if any new evidence surfaces.
“You boys okay?” Sheriff Kelly asks from a safe distance. The lawman’s weathered cheeks are red from the cold, while his thick salt and pepper mustache is flaked with freshly fallen snow. “That don’t look too good. Maybe you boys should head home. We can handle the search today.”
“No can do, Sheriff. Our window of finding this girl alive is closing fast,” I say, spinning the same web of bullshit we’ve been weaving since we first got the call. “This chick seems like she meant a lot to people. Hate to let them down.”
“It’s just a little food poisoning,” Thorin adds. “We’ll be fine.”
“Food poisoning?” the sheriff exclaims with amusement. “You boys ain’t been making good use of those books my wife sent you?”
“Of course.” I force a smile. “I think we just ate some bad meat. We’re good to go. Let’s find this princess so we can all stop freezing our asses off.”
Sheriff Kelly eyes us closely and then takes his hat, made of muskrat fur and beaver pelt, off. His face is pinched, and he looks more than just a little frustrated as he shoves his fingers through his thinning hair. “I appreciate the dedication,” he whispers as he steps closer, “but can I speak freely with you three?”
“Sure.” Seth shrugs, but his eyes are glazed and distant as he daydreams about Aurelia for the umpteenth time today.
I know because it’s been the same for me.
I’ve never been so eager to get back to the cabin and hole up inside. Usually, I’m clawing at the walls to get out.
“It’s already been a week, and a fancy, city girl like that…” The sheriff blows out a breath and shakes his head. “The best we can hope for is a body to give her family. It will give them closure, permission to grieve and move on.”
It’s all I can do to keep my grave expression and not smile.
And then Thorin surprises the shit out of us all when he says, “If I can be honest, I think you’re underestimating her.”
“How so?” The confused pinch in Sheriff Kelly’s brow is genuine.
“Yeah, how so?” I echo with more than a little bite in my tone than necessary.
Thorin is seconds away from blowing our cover, and all because he chooses now to get defensive over a girl he wanted to feed to the wolves less than a week ago. It’s impossible for his timing to be any worse.
“I was there for the briefing, and it was thorough.”
Thorin’s right. It was.
The detailed glimpse into Aurelia’s life had been a real eye-opener. Let’s just say I’d slept with one eye open while lying next to her last night.
“A girl like that doesn’t seem ordinary to me, Sheriff. We may not understand her life, but I think you’d be surprised how far inside themselves people will dig when their back is against the wall.” No one except us and Aurelia knows just how hard she fought to survive, and I know Thorin is thinking about it now. “From the looks of it, Aurelia’s overcome a lot worse than a little cold weather.”
The frustration in the sheriff’s eyes suddenly clears, and then he straightens as Thorin’s words sink in. “Yeah, son, I think you’re right.” Clapping Thorin’s shoulders, I school my expression to an optimistic one when he looks at us all with renewed vigor. “Let’s just hope for the best then, yeah?” Kelly shoves his hat back on his balding head and stomps off with a purpose.
The moment his back is turned, I drop the expression and keep my gaze forward as I watch him go.
“Way to go, Thor. I’m sure your dick was in the right place, but you just gave that old bastard hope and extended this pointless search by two days.”
The three of us watch as Kelly rallies the troops and shouts orders to the shivering deputies, lingering around with tired and despondent looks on their faces.
Thorin, seeing for himself what his sudden infatuation with Aurelia fucking George has done, exhales and drops his head. “Fuck.”
Seth starts singing again.
It’s late when we finally make it home.
No one speaks as we trudge inside the quiet cabin. We’re too on edge, wondering if we should be suiting up for a repeat of last night. I’m honestly so exhausted pretending to look for Aurelia that I don’t know if I can spare the energy to fight with her again.
If she chooses violence again, I’m tapping out. She wins this round.
Thorin walks to his bedroom, where we found her last time, and peeks inside. There’s a mixture of relief and worry when he finds it empty.
We finish searching the entire upper floor before I realize the cabin is warm.
The last time we left Aurelia alone, she let the fire go out, and we came home to dying embers and a frigid cabin. The fire in the living room is still burning, albeit a little wildly, for the middle of the night.