Page 10 of Property of Bones

No. She’s not. But she’s also not the kind of woman who should be navigating this world alone. Not with the kind of shit I’ve seen and the kind of sweet she is.

“She’s been gone too long,” I say again, already turning toward the back of the store.

“I think someone’s got a crush,” Abby sings behind me.

I ignore her.

It’s not aboutlikingSunny.

It’s aboutprotectingher.

Even if she doesn’t know it yet.

***Sunny***

“Now, where did they pile the baby stuff?”

I look around at the endless piles of boxes and sigh. I really need to get after the young men responsible for keeping this stuff organized. Luckily, the stockers are coming in after closing to restock the shelves. I’ll talk with them then.

“I told you that you had a week.”

The voice comes from somewhere behind the towering stacks. It’s low. Rough. Not familiar.

I freeze.

A second voice answers, higher-pitched, shaky. “I… I know. I was gonna drop it off this morning, I swear. I just needed a few more hours to finish my shift.”

“I don’t give a fuck about yourshift.The payment was due this morning. You were warned what would happen if you were even a minute late.”

My heart stutters.

Payment?

I take one slow step back, but my heel knocks into a box. It scrapes the floor loud enough to make me suck in a sharp breath. But the voices don’t stop.

“Again, you were warned,” the rough one says. “Where’s my money?”

“I’ll have it to you by the end of the day,” the boy pleads. “I didn’t bring it with me. It’s at home in my safe.”

“Good. One last thing.”

“Anything,” the boy whispers.

“You’re fired.”

A softpfftbreaks the air.

It doesn’t sound like anything. Not like a gunshot. Not like anything I’ve ever heard in real life.

But the thud that follows it? That’s a body.

I slap a hand over my mouth. My whole body goes cold.

Did I just witness a murder?

I did.

I just heard someone die.

---