Breath Of Life

“Without me?”

“What? No? Is that what you want?”

“Wherever you are is where I want to be,” I say honestly. I have no problem being transparent. The rest of my life feels like is occurred light years ago. It’s distant and removed from my present. Of course it does, I’ve been all but locked away from it for nearly a month.

“Then let’s go inside, grab a room, a real shower in a clean bathroom, and call room service.”

“I like that plan.” It’s a small decision, but it’s ours, and that feels better than turning eighteen and leaving my mother’s house. You never appreciate freedom until it’s taken away. The brightly lit hotel is a beacon as we move out of the night and into the light. I want it to be a sign of what’s to come. Even now I can feel the cold claws of depression and grief ripping into me. Is it okay to accept this as justice? How can one ever truly get over the loss of a child? Every instance of joy feels wrong because he’s no longer here. I coast on autopilot as we step inside and I book us a suite. After the cabin and the crappy hotel with questionable cleanliness, we deserve an upgrade.

Chapter Fourteen

Quinn

“Where are you?”

“Mom, I’m in a hotel.”

“Where? You disappeared off the face of the planet before. I’m never letting you do it again.”

“I didn’t want to do that, Mom. It was necessary to keep me and the rest

of the family safe.”

“A short communal text is a piss poor excuse to explain what’s going on.”

I sigh. “There are rules, Mom. Every call is monitored and scripted, believe me. It wasn’t a picnic for me either.”

“I know it wasn’t. I’m sorry. I’m just ... you scared me so badly, and when we went to your apartment and saw you hadn’t lived there for God knows how long we worried. No one would tell us anything, and the police refused to file a missing person’s report.”

“Because they knew I was under protection, Mom.”

“It’s terrifying not knowing where your child is, when she’ll be back, of if she’ll be back. We worried they’d taken you to another state, changed your name and outward appearance.”

“No. These men are dangerous, but they’re no mafia.” I hope I sound more convincing than I feel.

“When will we see you?”

“I’ll come by tonight for dinner, Mom.”

“Good.”

“Mom, I’m only going to come over if you promise it’s only you, Dad, and Riley. Max if he’s in town. Anything bigger than that and I swear to you I’ll leave the way I came.” Images of cake, balloons, and way too many people flashes in my head.

“I understand.” She sighs.

“Thank you,” I say dryly.

“Are you bringing Ollie?”

I glance into the room from the balcony and take in the tense set of his back as he calls his own people.

“No, he’ll be having his own family reunion. I think it’s better that way.”

“I heard what that woman did to you. You should press charges.”

“No, she’s a grieving mother.”

“Who doesn’t know what family she’s dealing with.”