Page 2 of Property of Scythe
I scrub my hand down my face. “I need a drink.”
“I’ll join you.” My V.P. doesn’t surprise me with his answer.
“Not me. Got shit to do, Pres,” Phantom explains, snapping his fingers and poofing away again. He fucking loves that shit.
“I could kick his ass if you want,” Mountain offers.
With a snort, I shake my head. “Nah. We both know he’d disappear before you got the chance.”
“Fuck. You’re right.”
We head toward our bikes, and when I drop my ass on my seat, I feel the tension stretching across my shoulders and along the back of my neck.
Whatever is happening, I need to figure it out. Fast.
Chapter 2 Lottie
“How much farther do you have to go?”
“Not far,” I answer as I spot the sign for my exit. Just a few more miles. “I’m nearly there.”
After four days on the road, I’m ready to sleep in my own bed and soak in the tub.
“You’ve made good time,” Mom observes.
I have. I limited myself to 8-9 hours a day, and I’ve gotten the best rest I could along the way in hotels. But I’m over fast food and vending machines. At least I’ve stretched my legs and walked at rest stops when possible. Still, my body feels stiff from traveling.
“Where are you staying tonight?”
“Mom. I’m okay. I’ve got an apartment lined up, and I already paid the deposit and the first month’s rent. Remember?”
“I know.” She pauses, and I can hear the slight catch in her throat. “It’s just that you’ve been through so much.”
“I need to do this. We’ve talked about it. Alot,” I emphasize. I’m not losing patience with her as much as I don’t want to talk about all the reasons I left California.
“It’s so far,” she finally says with a sniffle.
“It’s a relocation and an amazing job opportunity. You’re the one who found the job listing.”
“I regret that now,” she laughs, but I know she’s not serious.
“I’m only a plane ride away. We’ll schedule a weekend for you and Dad to visit once I’m settled.”
“I should have come with you. You’ve driven all that way alone.”
I needed the time to think and process the changes. Not to mention escaping any connection to the attack that nearly took my life eight months earlier. With the reminder, a phantom pain flares in my left thigh, and I tense, breathing through the flashback as my therapist advised in one of our sessions.
My knuckles turn white as I grip the steering wheel, relieved my parents won’t see my struggle. One of the best features in my Chevy Equinox is hands-free calling. Okay, the remote start, heated seats, and panoramic moonroof are awesome too.
It’s not easy, but I maintain control without slipping into the nightmares that haunt me whenever I close my eyes. Some might say I’m running from my past. I just want to move on and live my life. Before I can answer my mother, I hear my father’s voice in the background.
“She needed to do this, April.” His voice is gentle. If anyone can calm my mom, it’s my dad. He’s had decades of practice, and he knows just what to say. His tone is always patient when she’s emotional. It’s a testament to how much my parents still love one another after so many years. “Lottie is capable of handling herself.”
My dad made sure of that. Still, his confidence in me is appreciated and means everything. After my attack, I took some self-defense courses. I keep pepper spray in my purse,and I’ve gone to the firing range to practice with the gun my father purchased for me. I’m much better prepared if someone tries to hurt me as compared to a year ago. I’m not the same girl. It’s a sad truth, but also a necessity. I’m aware of my surroundings now, and I’m careful who I trust.
It’s not a bad thing.
“Dad’s right. This is the type of opportunity I’ve been waiting for, and I want to make a fresh start,” I assure my mom.
