Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
“Of course. Whatever you need”—I regard the card—“Officer Swanson.”
Falcon finishes up with Officer Denny, and the two of them appear in the Shaws’ kitchen.
“Can one of you wait for the coroner? And then forensics?”
“With all due respect,” Falcon says, “it’s late, and Ms. Gallo isn’t safe here.”
Officer Denny nods. “Mr. Bellamy here told me what happened earlier, and I agree with him. I don’t think Ms. Gallo should stay here. Once the coroner and forensics are done, we’ll need to rope all this off anyway. It’s a crime scene.”
“I’ll stay,” Falcon says.
“Oh, no you won’t.” I shake my head. “I can’t leave you. I’m frightened.”
Officer Denny nods. “We’ll get someone to stay. You two go…wherever you’re going.”
“Thank you,” Falcon says. “She’ll be at my place. You have my information.”
“I need to see if any of my personals are salvageable,” I say. “And then we’ll be on the way.”
Falcon and I leave the Shaws’ side of the duplex and head into mine.
Everything is ruined. Even the carpeting has been ripped up and shredded.
I gather some underwear and salvage what I can of my clothes, along with some personal items that are still in one piece, and then I leave with Falcon.
I say nothing on the drive back to his place. At least his house isn’t a crime scene. Only his backyard.
How did my life come to this?
How?
13
FALCON
Eight Years Earlier…
I flush the powder. Nothing like seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars go down the toilet, but the Bellamys don’t fuck with drugs.
Hawk and I both swore to keep it a secret, and we made plans to have that old barn razed.
But before we could do it —
Eagle came to my room. I was living in my old room while my house was being built. I’d just graduated college, and in a few weeks Mom and I were supposed to leave on a wine tour. Then Leif and I were going to join the Navy.
Except none of that will happen. I haven’t talked to Leif yet, but no way can I leave my family. No wine tour, and no Navy. Not until this drug shit is put to bed.
How did I not notice what was going on with Eagle? I was in my last year of college and Hawk in his first, Robin and Raven in their third, so Eagle was the only kid at home this past school year.
He seemed fine during winter break, and I didn’t go home for spring break. Leif and I went to Fort Lauderdale and partied it up.
But I look at my youngest brother now, as he stands in my doorway, trembling slightly, and I realize he’s lost weight.
I’ve seen the way he eats, and I know how hard Dad works him here on the ranch, so he should be all muscle.
He’s tall and lanky. Why didn’t I notice?
Was I not looking?
“Eagle?”
Eagle scratches his arm. “I need to talk to you.”
“Sure. Come on in.”
He enters and closes the door behind him.
“Have a seat.” I gesture to my desk chair, and then I take a seat on the bed. “What’s up?”
“I’ve got a problem. A big assed problem.”
“You don’t look good, E.”
“I’m not.”
“What the fuck is going on? You look like you need a hit.”
He rakes his fingers through his hair, stares down at his lap.
Looks like I fucking nailed it.
Anger laces through my veins. “What the hell, Eagle? Drugs?”
He looks up, his eyes wide…and kind of bloodshot. “Falcon, I’m in big trouble.”
“If you’re on drugs, I’d say you are. But we’ll get you detoxed. Mom and Dad—”
“Mom and Dad can’t know anything about this.”
“You know they’d do anything for any of us. We have plenty of money to get you the best help available. So we’re going to—”
He rises then, and he has a look on his face that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. Fear, agony, and…torment. “No. No Mom and Dad,” he says through gritted teeth.
“All right.”
Clearly I need to tread carefully. I’m twenty-two, and when I turned twenty-one, I gained access to my trust fund. Robin and Raven are both twenty-one, so they have access to theirs as well.
But already I know Eagle won’t go to either of our sisters with this issue.
This is a brother thing.
“How much do you need?”
“I can’t fucking believe this.”
“Just tell me how much money you need, Eagle. We’ll get you something to take the edge off, and then you’re going straight to rehab.”
“It’s not that simple, Falcon.”
“How is it not that simple?”
He sighs. “It’s a long fucking story.”
“Then you’d better start talking. Because if you want my help, I need every single detail.”
He stays silent for moment.
“Eagle…”
“All right, all right. You got anything to drink in here?”
“No. I don’t keep liquor in my bedroom. I need you to focus.”
“That’s just the reality of the situation, Falcon. I can’t focus. I need a hit.”