Page 135 of The Secrets She Keeps

Summer handed one of thesomethingsin her hand to Cashlyn, who nodded. Her girls…would do whattheyhad to do too.

Heather looked at the rest of them: Eden, Joy, Samia, Summer, Cashlyn, Cara, Crispin, Marcia, Megan, and little Maris, too, while Norm finished up a job interview somewhere in the city. Bonnie and Hope were right there too. They knew what she was going to do. "I need to grab some things upstairs. Girls, do what you need to do with the Barratt boys tonight.Una Coleson, Omnes Coleson.”

“Never leave a sister behind." Bonnie was the one who had first taught them that phrase. She said it now, like she always had.

"Sister by blood," Hope said softly.

"Sister by choice," Cara added.

“Our sister is in trouble,” Crispin whispered.

“We’ll all do what we have to do,” Heather finished.

"Now!”Summer yelled. And jumped.

The poor Barratt boys just didn't know what hit them.

But, well, even the mighty do fall sometime. Even when he’s six foot five, big and strong and far too pretty to be real.

He’d get over it. Eventually.

It was time for Heather to mount a rescue mission.

95

He was getting erratic.The man who acted like he was in charge.

Trey Grundenman.

Powell knew exactly who he was now. She could see the resemblance between him and his sister Eden. Even Samia had similar eyebrows and a more feminine version of his jawline. And the dark curly hair. He was tall and on the thinner side too.

He was the man who had grabbed and groped Heather so crudely in that warehouse. The man from Wyoming. “What are you going to do to us?"

He brushed the hand holding the gun against his forehead. "I need to think. I need to get out of here, actually. Smart thing would be to head to Canada. I have connections up that way. I wasn’t exactly planning on McKellen and Erickson tonight. Those assholes. I had a plan. They fucking ruined it. Them, and Heather. When she gets here, I am going to shut her up for good. Buy myself some favors from the ones who think they are in charge. Bitches hate Heather and all the trouble she’s caused. Heather has always caused trouble. Bitch gets off on it."

Heather was on her way. Powell wasn't stupid. Heather had understood the message Powell had tried to send. But did he honestly think Heather would just walk right into this?

Did he think she and Heather were stupid?

Powell looked at her mom. There was so much fear on her mom's face. Her mom had always been so sensitive to any type of violence at all. She didn't even watch movies with the least bit of action or adventure. And her father protected her mother from the darker side of life every time it was necessary.

Powell looked at her dad. He wasn't moving. He just wasn't. Fear had her throat swelling, and her hands slicking. "So why don't you just go? We're not going to stop you. Or stand in your way. You can even take my dad's truck. They’ll let you out of the gates practically without even checking who you are in his truck. The keys are in the kitchen. If you go fast enough, you can get out the back entrance and be headed to Mexico or Canada within minutes. We’ll just stay here and help my dad. That’s all. You’d better go, fast.”

He had kissed her. Shoved his tongue in her mouth like he'd had the right. Nausea rose, just thinking about that.

Her mother wrapped her fingers around Powell's and pulled her tighter. Powell shifted, between her mother and the sight of Powell's dad on the floor.

"You are screwing Erickson. Pregnant with his kid. You ruined everything too. He definitely did. Has been ruining things for years."

"What did I ruin exactly?" Powellhadto keep him talking. The longer he spent talking to her, the more likely it would be that Heather would get there. And Heatherwouldn'tcome alone. Heather was too smart for that.

Powell just had to keep him talking, keep him distracted. Somehow.

"You ruined everything. Buying this house, buying that house. Always getting in the way. You andHeather.Heather, perfect FuckingHeather.No surprise. She's been ruining things since we were kids. Angelaalwaysbelieved Heather and Joy. Did you know that? Every time I even looked at them funny, they went running to Angie and tattled—and I would be the one to get in trouble.”

"Well, what did you do to them to make them tattle?"

Her mother sent her a look and shook her head in warning.

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