The Sinners of Saint Amos - Logan Fox Page 0,192

lock. It turns, the tumblers clicking loudly as they slide back into the door.

I twist the handle. Step back so the door can open.

Behind me, someone starts running.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, THUD!

The door is open.

But I can’t go through because someone’s standing there.

Cass is standing there.

What the hell is Cass doing here?

He opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something. But he never gets the chance. Someone crashes into him, sends him tumbling over the rose bushes lining the front drive.

Cass becomes Zach. Tall, grim, panting.

A second of frozen time. Then I surge forward, delirious with thoughts of escape. Hardly believing my luck.

He’ll save me.

Wrap me in his arms.

Hold me tight.

But none of that happens. He doesn’t drag me out of harm’s way.

Zach surges forward, and then shoves me. Hard.

I crash into the door. My scream is little more than a choked gasp of pain as my injured hand is trapped between my body and the door.

Zach pushes past me. My head slams against the wood. Sparks flash and pop in front of me as I sink to the ground.

And then he’s gone.

My conscious mind drifts, losing track in a deluge of pain and confusion.

There’s a loud clap in the living room, like a car backfiring. There was a young couple down the road who lived here a few years back. Their car would do that sometimes. Always scared the shit out of me.

Grunts and roars from the living room. Then another clap, this one louder than before.

Then legs swarm past me. I tip my head back despite the pain.

Reuben. Cass. Apollo.

They all look down at me, but only as they pass. Then they move on, deeper into my house.

It’s weird having them here.

Weird being back.

I should show them around. But I have to clean my room first. What’ll they think of the basement? Maybe I shouldn’t show them that. They wouldn’t like it.

I’ll show them the picture of the unicorn. It’ll make them laugh.

Awsum.

“Hey, pretty thang.”

I force my eyes open, catch sight of Apollo’s face. He’s pale, eyes jittery. “Everything’s just fine, hear me? You’re safe now.”

And I believed him.

Lord, I believed him.

Chapter Nineteen

Zach

Christ, where are my brothers going in such a hurry? I’m too far away to see who’s driving—all I know is that Reuben was inside the Redford Missions of Love church for a few minutes, and then came out empty-handed but with a speed to his steps I haven’t seen in a while. Not full out running—I guess he didn’t want to draw unwanted attention, but it was obvious he was on the move.

When they slam on the gas and throw the car into a U-turn, I almost think it’s because they spotted me.

But I doubt it.

It seems they have other things on their mind.

I give them a lead before following.

We drive for a few minutes, headed downtown. Our route takes us past a mall, and then almost back the way we came before heading downtown again.

Are they being paranoid? Retracing their steps?

Or are they struggling to find their way in a strange town? Ha, if Apollo’s the one navigating, then we’re all in for a few more U-turns.

Eventually, we venture into the suburbs. Perfect little houses on their perfect little lawns. Two and three bedrooms, mostly. Some double stories here and there.

Where are we headed, boys? I can’t for a second believe Gabriel would live in a place like this.

Trinity.

I start looking around a little harder. Driving a little slower.

Is this her old neighborhood? There was no address on the intake form at Saint Amos. I guess, by then, she was officially a ward of the state.

Or someone had fucked with her records.

My brothers turn down a side street. I park on the sidewalk, tracking them on my phone’s app, because I have a feeling this is their last turn.

Seconds later they stop.

Then I’m out of the car and jogging down the opposite side of the road. Thank God I had the foresight to pack a hoody. I keep the hood pulled up as I jog. Paired with sunglasses, I’m hoping I’d look like another guy out on a jog, but I know it’ll only take one longer-than-normal glance in my direction for my brothers to recognize me.

The people around here like their trees and shrubs. And not so much fences between properties. As long as no one looks out their window and spots me jogging over their freshly manicured lawn, I should be good.

My brothers’ silver car is parked a few drives