Page 120 of Sticks and Stones (Shadow Valley U)

Just as Jessie Davis returns.

“Are you being a good girl, Pumpkin?”

I hate his fucking voice.

Wren clears her throat. “It’s almost done. Do you want to see?”

He steps in closer. She pours something into a beaker and quickly steps away. One foot, then two. She glances at me and mouths, “I’m sorry.”

Why?

Too late, I know my answer. Jessie yells, the beaker smoking—and then it explodes.

A wall of fiery heat blasts outward, knocking Jessie and Wren against the far wall. My head ricochets off the tiles. The walls of the trailer tremble from the force, and the smell of smoke reaches me first.

The trailer is on fire. It’s caught on the walls, climbing toward the ceiling.

I ignore the wetness on the back of my neck and lean up, biting and tearing through the tape. I get out of it and rush into the room. The air is thick, hot and smoky. I choke, pulling my sweatshirt up over my nose and mouth, and find Wren on the floor.

She’s not moving.

My heart stops. But my feet don’t. I stumble-run to her, staying under the heaviest of the smoke. I drop to her side and brush her hair back. My hand comes away wet with blood.

Her dad lies a few feet away, in a similar state. Except, burns blacken the front of his shirt.

Ignoring him, I haul Wren into my arms and hurtle toward the open door. The floor tilts, and I lose my balance on the stairs.

We hit the ground hard. I roll just as hands grab for me and Wren. My foot kicks out on reflex, nailing Kerrigan in the balls.

Good.

He doubles over, gritting his teeth and curling his hand in the front of my sweatshirt.

My ears are ringing, and even as the asshole’s mouth starts moving, I can’t hear shit.

His head lifts. Something in the distance has caught his attention—but it doesn’t last. Suddenly, he’s focused back on me, and a sneer creeps across his face.

The first sound to filter in is the sirens.

And then his voice as he says, “Wren belongs with us.”

The glint of the knife in his hand—the one that he used to slice through the tape earlier—now draws my focus. Almost in slow motion, he slides it into my stomach.

But the pain…that’s delayed.

“What are you doing?” a voice shouts. “We need to get the fuck out…”

Kerrigan rips the knife from my stomach. That’s when the agony lances through my abdomen. He rises and hurries away with the other guy.

I press my hand to my stomach, letting out a hiss of breath, and roll onto my hands and knees. I crawl toward Wren’s prone form. She’s lying on her side where she fell.

The blue and red lights from the cop cars flash across the house, followed by a fire truck and ambulance.

“Wake up, baby.” My arms are shaking too badly. I fall to my side behind her, dragging her limp body against mine.

If she’s dead, I don’t know what I will do.

Tears fill my eyes. “Wake up, Wren.”