Page 29 of Breathless
“Right,” Lydia said and went in, closing the door behind her.
“I guess I am after all,” Chaney said.
“Good,” Rawlins said, leading her outside. He opened the car door for her and she got inside. He ran around to the driver’s side and got in as well. Then he started the engine and drove across town. When he stopped at a red light he pulled the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“This is for you,” he said.
“From whom?” Chaney asked, slipping her finger under the sealed flap. She pulled out the page inside and couldn’t believe what she read.
Dear Chaney,
I want to thank you for coming into my life. It was your courage and determination that gave me the strength to leave, to cut all ties with Roger for good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If I had not seen how you stood up to him and not backed down I would not have found my own legs to walk away. Because of you I am starting a whole new chapter in my life. I am getting new parents, even if they are foster parents, but maybe they will see something in me that they will decide they want to make this a permanent thing before I age out. That’s my hope anyway.
All the best,
Josie
“She went into foster care?”Chaney said.
“That’s what Hannah said,” Rawlins replied as the light turned green. “But you can’t say anything. No one can find out because they don’t want Roger knowing with him moving to that new facility tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Chaney slipped the page back in the envelope and laid her head back against the car seat. “What should we have for dinner?”
“I was thinking Mexican,” Rawlins said.
“I can’t make that.”
“I know,” he said. “We’re going out.”
CHAPTER 8
Chaney reportedto Lydia as normal the next morning, but learned she was going to be working with Tonya on special projects for the next several days.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Lydia explained. “We rotate all volunteers this way. I get you for a day or two, then Tonya, then Sally, and so forth until you’ve worked with all the counselors.”
“Okay,” Chaney said, following her to the assembly room where it looked like Tonya and several other volunteers were setting up for another drive. Lydia didn’t linger and headed back to her office.
“Oh good. We can use another set of hands,” Tonya said. “We’re sorting books today. We got these donations and need to divide them into categories before we can pass what we can’t use on to other shelters.”
Tonya quickly explained what to do and Chaney began helping the other volunteers sort through the boxes, packing up what should go to domestic violence shelters, and other shelters in the state. By mid-morning they were finished and were able to clean up.
Tonya sent two of the girls to work with Sally for the afternoon. “We’re getting a shipment of clothing this afternoon. Chaney, Deidre, you go ahead and take lunch. Polly and I will take these boxes to the post office to ship them out.”
They left to go to the staff break room but ran into Roger in the hallway.
“What are you doing here?” Chaney blurted, surprised to see him out of quarantine.
He laughed at her shock. “Thought you’d seen the last of me, didn’t you, bitch? I wasn’t about to leave without giving you a parting gift.”
In a swift motion, he pulled something from his back pocket and jabbed Chaney in the stomach.
She groaned, doubling over. “Roger! No!” Her voice echoed down the hallway with his footfalls as he ran away.
Deidre shrieked her name in alarm when she fell to the floor, blood seeping into a pool all around her.
“I need Rawlins,” Chaney cried. “Find Rawlins.”
“Who?” Deidre asked, kneeling beside her, reaching for the producing object sticking out of Chaney’s stomach.
