Page 1 of Savage Keepsakes

Prologue

Lucy

Six Months Ago

The icy drizzle of autumn seeps into my bones, and I pull my black wool coat tighter around my body.

Winter is approaching, bringing with it freezing temperatures that will cover Canada and gloomy days with skies darkening by late afternoon.

Miles, my boyfriend, shuffles beside me, his muscular shoulder bumping into mine as we walk. I didn’t want him to be here, but he insisted.

We’ve been together since high school, although in the past year the spark we had has snuffed out, and we’re both going through the motions.

Two mahogany caskets sit above their graves. Across from the holes in the ground are the faces of people I don’t recognize, nor did I think anyone would. Who’d want to pay respects to the lowlifes my parents were?

My attention slips from the scene in front of me to the trees standing in a grotesque display, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers into the cloudy sky. The once lush grass has lost its vibrancy, as if mourning the absence of the sun.

“Today,” the bargain basement preacher begins, “we come together to pay respects to Andrew and Cathy Pots. Lives lost too soon. They leave behind a devoted daughter and many friends...”

I peer at the ground, sniffing to hide my scoff.Devoted daughter? Not me. Not anymore. My devotion—my love—to them dried up years ago, along with my tears.

The neglect wasn’t enough. They had to infect everything around me, breaking anything good I brought into my life.

I’m glad I wasn’t there when the fire spread through the trailer and roasted them alive. Mother was high as a kite when she dropped the lit cancer stick that began the end of my family.

“God, our strength, you listen in love to our sisters and brothers,” the preacher continues.

I keep my eyes down to avoid looking irreverent. He should save his breath for someone worthy of heaven. Although, I’m convinced we’re all in hell, and it’s not the glorious fire pit downstairs that they claim.

The preacher stops rambling when my step-uncle Billy wanders in late, but no one makes a fuss about it. He leans against a tree on the other side of the coffins across from me. He smirks, and butterflies tumble in my stomach.

Uncle Billy was married to my step-aunt Veronica. I wasn’t even a teenager yet when my aunt disappeared and life got worse. She turned a blind eye to everything that happened to me. Billy, however, was there to show me how to breathe through anxiety attacks and we would explore the forest together.

“We ask you today, Lord, that you take the hands of these souls and grant them access to the heavens above…” the preacher continues his speech.

Straightening my shoulders, I shove my hands into my pockets. The ebony dress I wore is too thin for this weather. A chill sinks into my bones. The buttons pull against my chest, and the nylons are pinching my thighs.

I bow my head. If I can’t cry, at least I can pretend to look like I’m going to lose it at any moment. It’s not far from the truth, just not for the reason everyone thinks.

I focus on the worn AstroTurf. My combat boots don’t seem out of place, but Billy’s black and white Converse stand out. My stare lingers until I drag it up to his grey jeans and pale vest over a dark pressed shirt. Red, yellow, and green tattoos climb his neck. I stop as his finger twirls theend of his moustache before I reach his eyes. My breath catches when his gaze is trained on mine.

One of Billy’s umber brows arches as his tongue slips out to wet his lips. His attention switches from me to Miles, but he only grins before turning his head. It’s irritating in a way I can’t explain. Billy’s always just kind of been there, watching—waiting—without being shady. I shiver, clenching my thighs.

How twisted am I?Half of my fantasies feature him. Warmth spreads to my cheeks, and I lean against Miles, slipping my arm into his.

“... cleanse them of their sins, give them the chance at redemption,” the preacher drones on, and I glare at him.

As if my parents deserve salvation. They shelled out money for headstones, but they couldn’t afford to fucking feed me.

“We now bid farewell to Andrew and Cathy. May you both rest in peace.” The preacher sprinkles dirt on the caskets as he steps back with his Bible in hand.

The dark cloud of people disperse around him, and this day is finally over.

“Ready, babe?” Miles asks, gripping my hand. I let him lead me toward the cobblestone path.

My long red hair covers my neck as I glance over my shoulder at Billy.Will this be the last time I see him? He turns his back to me and my chest tightens. The tears that have eluded me now blur my vision.

One

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