Page 78 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

“Fuck!” Don yelled before I had even started to inch away. He lifted up a vase from the coffee table and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a million tiny pieces.

“We’ll continue this later.” He walked out of the room and slammed the door closed.

It felt like the walls shook with his fury.

Chapter 34

Tuesday

I slammed my fist against the glass one last time. It wouldn’t budge. There was no use. What would I do if I broke it anyway? I was too high up.

The sun was starting to rise, but the city was eerily still. There were barely any taxis zooming by below. Barely any noise. It was almost peaceful. Everyone would be waking up soon and no one was going to care that my life was over. That I had just lost everything.

I turned away from the window. My eyes followed the light streaming into the room and landed on the vent. The vent. I ran over and knelt down on the carpet. Please. It wasn’t a way out. But it was a way to get answers.

“Mr. Crawford?” I whispered into the vent.

I stared at it. The morning sun was lighting it up in an odd way. Like I was meant to be speaking into it. Like maybe this was where I was meant to be. I shook the thought away. Meant to be? I was meant to be in Miles’ arms. No one deserved this.

I cleared my throat. “Mr. Crawford?” I said a little louder.

I looked behind me. There was another vent across the room. Maybe he was on the other side. I ran over and knelt down, putting my lips close to the vent. “Mr. Crawford?”

Nothing.

“William?” I tried.

Nothing.

I pressed my forehead against the wall. It was no use. I’d never get my answers. I’d never get a chance to live. The game was over. Don had won.

“Summer?” The voice was a whisper.

I lifted my head. “Mr. Crawford, is that you?” I pressed my ear against the vent.

“It’s me.”

I had a million questions to ask him. “Are you okay?” The words tumbled out of my mouth. All the answers I needed and that was what I asked him. What if he was my father? What if he was the only family I had left?

He sighed. “No. No, not really. Has he…” his voice trailed off. “Has he hurt you?”

Almost. “No.”

“Thank God.” He sounded truly relieved.

“You’re not part of the witness protection program, are you?”

“I’m sorry, Summer. I didn’t want to lie to you. I was just trying to keep you safe.”

I closed my eyes. “Why?”

“Because I was friends with your parents.”

Both of them? I opened my eyes back up. “What?”

“You really didn’t remember me, did you? I hoped you wouldn’t. It was easier that way.”

“Remember you? Remember you from where?”

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