more chaos into my life, her voice was soothing, and there was a part of me that wanted very much to believe she’d come to help us. That I had some sort of family besides Gram— real family, the kind that cared about one another, like other people had.
“Good night,” I finally mumbled.
A little later, before I drifted off to sleep, I peeked at Prairie. She wasn’t lying on her back anymore. She was leaning on her side, up on her elbow, and staring at the doorknob. I closed my eyes again.
The next thing I knew, a scream tore through my dreams.
C HAPTER 11
I T WAS COMING from the other side of my bedroom door, and it sounded like Gram.
Prairie bolted to my side, clapping a hand over my mouth. Before I could protest she leaned in close and whispered, “ Quiet . Take Chub in the closet and close the door and stay there. Don’t come out.”
“But—”
“ Do it, Hailey. Please.”
Chub was a heavy sleeper—once he was out, he could sleep through anything. I picked him up, which took some effort because he’d gotten so big, and he snuggled in next to my neck, his skin hot and damp.
I glanced back, but Prairie was gone; the door to the room was open a few inches. My heart thudded as I went to the closet.
I yanked a bunch of clothes off their hangers, put them on the floor and laid Chub on them, covering him with a long sweater that I tucked in like a blanket. I kissed his cheek and then left the closet, closing the door almost all the way.
As I crossed my room, I heard a man yell, “Stop right there!” and a pair of sharp cracks and then Prairie’s voice, speaking softly, something I couldn’t make out. I had to find out what was happening. I wasn’t worried about Gram, exactly—but I had to know what kind of trouble Prairie had brought with her.
I tiptoed down the hall, flattening my back against the wall, and peeked around the corner so I had a view into the kitchen and the living room.
What I saw made me suck in my breath.
A man stood a few feet from the door, pointing a gun at Gram and Prairie. It was one of the men from the car I’d seen at the drugstore—I recognized his gray jacket and his blond buzz cut. Gram was sitting in her chair and I could tell from the drool trail that still shone wet on her cheek that she’d passed out, like she sometimes did. She was blinking fast and patting at her hair nervously. Prairie stood behind her, hands held out at her sides.
Dun was exactly where I’d last seen him, slumped over the table, except there was a leaking pool of red coming from his mouth.
Prairie looked furious. I wanted to signal to her somehow, but I knew I couldn’t do it without the guy with the gun seeing me.
“You,” the man said in a clipped, calm voice. “Old lady. Get down on the floor. Lie on your stomach with your hands straight out to the sides.”
“You ain’t supposed to—” Gram protested. I suddenly smelled urine sharp in the air and I knew she had peed her pants.
A movement in the corner of the kitchen caught my eye. As it flashed past I realized that Rattler must have hidden behind the refrigerator—but why? Was he helping the man with the gun somehow? Before I could even finish the thought Rattler’s arm came up and there was a flash of metal as he buried Gram’s chef’s knife deep below the man’s shoulder.
I screamed. I tried to scream, anyway, but what came out was more of a choked gasp.
“Get back, Hailey!” Prairie screamed at me.
Rattler let go of the knife handle. He didn’t wait for the man to fall but threw him onto the kitchen floor as he scrabbled at the knife sticking out of his shoulder. Then Rattler reached for Prairie.
“Get Chub,” Prairie yelled. “ Now . Run!”
I turned and sprinted for my room. I got Chub from the closet—he didn’t even stir in his sleep. From the other room I heard a crash and glass breaking. I looked toward the window and considered jumping out with Chub—it was only a few feet to the ground, we’d
“Good night,” I finally mumbled.
A little later, before I drifted off to sleep, I peeked at Prairie. She wasn’t lying on her back anymore. She was leaning on her side, up on her elbow, and staring at the doorknob. I closed my eyes again.
The next thing I knew, a scream tore through my dreams.
C HAPTER 11
I T WAS COMING from the other side of my bedroom door, and it sounded like Gram.
Prairie bolted to my side, clapping a hand over my mouth. Before I could protest she leaned in close and whispered, “ Quiet . Take Chub in the closet and close the door and stay there. Don’t come out.”
“But—”
“ Do it, Hailey. Please.”
Chub was a heavy sleeper—once he was out, he could sleep through anything. I picked him up, which took some effort because he’d gotten so big, and he snuggled in next to my neck, his skin hot and damp.
I glanced back, but Prairie was gone; the door to the room was open a few inches. My heart thudded as I went to the closet.
I yanked a bunch of clothes off their hangers, put them on the floor and laid Chub on them, covering him with a long sweater that I tucked in like a blanket. I kissed his cheek and then left the closet, closing the door almost all the way.
As I crossed my room, I heard a man yell, “Stop right there!” and a pair of sharp cracks and then Prairie’s voice, speaking softly, something I couldn’t make out. I had to find out what was happening. I wasn’t worried about Gram, exactly—but I had to know what kind of trouble Prairie had brought with her.
I tiptoed down the hall, flattening my back against the wall, and peeked around the corner so I had a view into the kitchen and the living room.
What I saw made me suck in my breath.
A man stood a few feet from the door, pointing a gun at Gram and Prairie. It was one of the men from the car I’d seen at the drugstore—I recognized his gray jacket and his blond buzz cut. Gram was sitting in her chair and I could tell from the drool trail that still shone wet on her cheek that she’d passed out, like she sometimes did. She was blinking fast and patting at her hair nervously. Prairie stood behind her, hands held out at her sides.
Dun was exactly where I’d last seen him, slumped over the table, except there was a leaking pool of red coming from his mouth.
Prairie looked furious. I wanted to signal to her somehow, but I knew I couldn’t do it without the guy with the gun seeing me.
“You,” the man said in a clipped, calm voice. “Old lady. Get down on the floor. Lie on your stomach with your hands straight out to the sides.”
“You ain’t supposed to—” Gram protested. I suddenly smelled urine sharp in the air and I knew she had peed her pants.
A movement in the corner of the kitchen caught my eye. As it flashed past I realized that Rattler must have hidden behind the refrigerator—but why? Was he helping the man with the gun somehow? Before I could even finish the thought Rattler’s arm came up and there was a flash of metal as he buried Gram’s chef’s knife deep below the man’s shoulder.
I screamed. I tried to scream, anyway, but what came out was more of a choked gasp.
“Get back, Hailey!” Prairie screamed at me.
Rattler let go of the knife handle. He didn’t wait for the man to fall but threw him onto the kitchen floor as he scrabbled at the knife sticking out of his shoulder. Then Rattler reached for Prairie.
“Get Chub,” Prairie yelled. “ Now . Run!”
I turned and sprinted for my room. I got Chub from the closet—he didn’t even stir in his sleep. From the other room I heard a crash and glass breaking. I looked toward the window and considered jumping out with Chub—it was only a few feet to the ground, we’d
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