Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“We got married while I was deployed. It was about three months after that I received news that my apartment was broken into and Winter was gone. There was so much blood at the scene that everyone thought she was dead. Hell, they’d even found a body outside the city limits that fit her description. The corpse…” My eyes squeezed shut and I swallowed roughly as I saw the crime scene photos in my mind.
They were truly awful. Blood was on the goddamn ceiling, and the walls. Hair and fingernails were imbedded in the molding around the door. Large dents in the drywall from where a body was thrown against it stood out in stark relief. Then there were the pictures of the body. There was no head nor hands, only the torso and legs. The body itself was so swollen that you couldn’t even tell what the person had looked like before death.
I’d stared at those photos for hours, and my mind could never move past the green and white striped pajama bottoms that were on the mutilated corpse. Those pants were Winter’s favorite pants. The first present I’d ever gotten her, and she’d worn them every day after that.
“It was bad. When Winter screamed my name today, I’ve never been so happy in my life. I’ve wanted to hear her voice for the past seven years and when I saw her, she looked at me as if I was a stranger. .” I rasped.
“Wow.” Ember said quietly.
I nodded. “Try to be nice to her. I don’t know what happened. But I do know that if she leaves, I’m going with her. I won’t lose her again.”
“Balls.” Payton sighed.
My sentiments exactly.
“That’s why you followed that cute little waitress around, wasn’t it?” Payton said softly.
I grimaced. It wasn’t that I followed her around, per say. It was that she looked so much like Winter that it was hard for me to stay away. I’d had the same problem four other times in my life.
I would think I saw Winter in a grocery store or a gas station, too much. So, I’d stop what I’d been doing and checked it out. Just to make sure. I’d excused it as just some natural thing that everyone did; it wasn’t until Adam was with me once that I really realized what the heck I was doing.
I was searching for her, just in case. I’d never really stopped.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “That’s why.”
Payton’s hand went up and cupped my cheek before turning and walking towards the car once again. She paused just as she opened the door, then looked over her shoulder. “Bring her by. I’d like a chance to get to know her.”
I would too.
Chapter 4
Never mistake kindness for weakness. No one plans murder aloud.
-T-shirt
Winter
The Snickers were calling my name again. I eyed the selection of candy with a critical eye. My New Year’s resolution had been to stop being impulsive when it came to food. However, two weeks in, I was now two pounds heavier, straining the button of my jeans. That was even with laying on the bed and sucking in.
The older I’ve gotten, the harder it’s been to control the weight with just running. I used to just run for a month or so and shed the problem weight. Now, it wasn’t so easy. Hence, the New Year’s resolution.
Consequently, I started thinking about the Cheese Whiz I’d had over at Jack’s house and decided that today my diet had already been broken so maybe I shouldn’t over think the Snickers so much.
Grabbing two, I tossed them in the cart with the rest of my shit and looked up just in time to see the two women from earlier pull up to the next checkout line. The blonde pulled out a huge binder and I started thanking my lucky stars that I wasn’t behind her in line, because she sure as shit would have pissed me off if I had to stand there while she used her coupons.
“So, what do you think about the girl?” Pink stripes asked.
I knew I was the “girl” in question. It took me a while, but I finally remembered hearing that her name was Payton. The blonde headed one was Ember, if I remembered correctly.
“$150.78.” My cashier said.
I handed over two one hundred dollar bills, but kept my ear on the conversation behind me.
“I don’t know yet. If the amnesia story is true, that’s heartbreaking. I haven’t seen him with a woman in the three years I’ve been around, and for a man like him, that’s saying something right there. Although, he could just be discreet about it. It would explain a lot about him if he really hasn’t been with anyone all this time.” Ember said while keeping a watchful eye on the total.
“I’m just attached to him. I don’t want him to get hurt by some scamming bitch. He helped out so much when Harleigh was born that he really means the world to me.” Payton grumped.
“Thank you, have a pleasant day.” My cashier said with a bored tone.
Taking my change, I pushed my cart and sat down at the bench across from the register that Payton and Ember were checking out. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was listening. I was extremely interested in hearing what they had to say. Plus, it would be nice to get the down low now, just in case they hated me. Then I could put my guard up around them.
“I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt. I’ll reserve judgment until she proves that she isn’t playing him. Just keep a close eye on her. I don’t want Jack hurt.” Payton said as she watched the coupons being handed over.
I didn’t want Jack hurt either. It’d been merely six hours since I’d left Free, and I had the phone on and pressed to my ear before I even realized it.
I was now gainfully employed by Champion EMS, had a grand signing bonus coming, and had pretty sweet insurance coming my way.