Page 5 of Property of Bones

“C’mon, man,” Skip grins. “She’s got that whole curvy, girl-next-door thing going on. Always smiling. Always happy. Kinda surprised you didn’t flirt.”

“I don’t flirt,” I mutter.

“Right. You just glare and grunt at women until they fall into bed with you.”

I say nothing.

Skip’s grin widens like he’s just figured out how to poke a bear and live. “Huh. Maybe I’ll swing by Marv’s and ask her out myself. See if she’s free Friday.”

It takes everything in me not to pull my gun out and shoot him in the leg.

I clench my jaw instead. No twitch. No reaction. Not even a blink. Just deadpan calm while my brain helpfully supplies an image of Sunny on a date, withSkipof all people, laughing at one of his dumb jokes.

The table creaks under my hands before I realize I’m gripping the edge too hard.

“Spike,” I say, my voice flat as asphalt, “we done here?”

Spike nods slowly, eyes flicking between me and Skip like he’s not sure if a fistfight’s about to break out or not.

“We’re done,” he says.

I push back from the table, stand, and head out without another word. My boots echo through the hallway as I leave the war room behind and head toward my place; one of the fifteen houses tucked inside the compound’s large perimeter.

It’s quiet out here. Peaceful. Not that peace does me much good right now. Not with the way my pulse is still hammering, or the ghost of Sunny’s voice still in my ears.

Skip’s lucky I like him.

Barely.

Chapter Three

Sunny

“Sunny, I know it’s your day off, but would you care to take me to the grocery store?”

“Mama, you can’t be walking around when your legs are swollen like that,” I shake my head. “Let’s get you settled in your chair and then you can make me a list.”

“Nonsense,” Mama puffs. “It won’t kill me to walk the store to get my own groceries.”

“Maybe not, but it might very well make it difficult for you to move around tomorrow,” I remind her. “Now, stop being so stubborn, and let me do this for you.”

“Very well,” she sighs. “Oh, your aunt Molly called this morning. She and Ashley need your help decorating Ashley’s dorm room before she starts college.”

“She’s going to live on campus?” I ask, confused because Aunt Molly and Ashley only live thirty minutes from Springs University.

“Independence, honey,” Mama smiles, leaning back in her chair. “Plus, Ashley’s scholarship includes a free dorm.”

“Well, that makes sense,” I mumble, scribbling down ‘milk, eggs, and bagels’ on the back of an envelope. Mama loves her bagels. “Still can’t believe that girl’s old enough for college. Weren’t we just chasing her around the church picnic last summer?”

“Thatwaslast summer, honey,” Mama says with a soft laugh. “You’re just getting old.”

“Rude,” I mutter, biting back a smile.

She grins like she’s proud of herself. “You’ll go help them, won’t you? Aunt Molly said they’re meeting at the dorm around noon.”

“I’ll stop by before getting your groceries,” I say, handing the list to Mama. “But if they expect me to hang curtains and assemble furniture, they better feed me.”

“They promised pizza,” Mama chuckles as she finishes her list.

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