Breathe by Kristen Ashley
For his sister.
The last time, the worst time, when he was determined to get her because he knew Chace and Faye would take care of her as well as him, she’d broken his arm and on his return to the shed, he’d been caught in the trap.
When he saw Enid at the town meeting, Enid being, Chace reckoned, the person Mary thought would back her play about the library, he’d seen this as his opportunity to get his sister free and he took it.
Incidental information he gave them was that he had not had his reactions to TV, radio and phones because he’d never seen them before but because Enid regularly lectured about the fact that they were the work of the devil. Enid informed the children, repeatedly, they were used to spread gossip and preach sin, she did not allow them access to any of them and she warned the children they’d land in hell if they ever utilized them.
He’d also shared that Enid had told them, again repeatedly, that grown men held evil. They were wicked, existed only to corrupt women and children to their wicked ways and should always be avoided. This was why he, at first, feared and shrunk away from men.
Further, he told them that Enid referred to him as Malachi and refused to address him by his given name, Jeremiah. Jeremiah didn’t understand the reasons for this thus couldn’t share them. Why he gave them Enid’s name for him, rather than his real name, he didn’t explain and considering the difficult information he was sharing, Chace didn’t press.
However, Becky’s name actually was Rebecca but Enid would not allow him to call her by her nickname and he only did so when they were alone. Becky was too young to understand the name change and never called him anything but his nickname, “Miah” for which she got in trouble but, from what Chace could tell from his faltering explanation, Jeremiah paid the price.
Last, he’d shared that he was not nine years old, but eleven. His growth had likely been stunted by malnutrition or perhaps both children came from small parents. Regardless, he didn’t do this to put them off the track. The way he haltingly explained made it seem he did this in order to hide his embarrassment at his lack of schooling which he expected they’d figure out, which they did but they had no idea, considering his real age, how bad it was.
In other words, the bitch wasn’t a whackjob. She was a seriously, fucked up whackjob.
They didn’t press him for more. He was worried about his sister and what he’d given them was already enough for him to relive for the time being.
Chace called in what he knew and it didn’t take long for them to trace “Enid” to Enid Eglund who lived in that area, about a five minute drive from Tate Jackson’s house.
By the time units got to her house, she’d discovered Becky gone, panicked, read her time was up and she’d taken off. They put a BOLO out on her and one of Mick Shaughnessy’s boys in Gnaw Bone nabbed her and brought her back to Carnal.
Becky was found to be malnourished to the point that her small stature meant Chace had underestimated her age. She wasn’t five or six but eight years old. Her feet were scraped but other than that she was fine. Regardless, they admitted her for observation and a psych evaluation the next day.
Leaving Faye with her father and mother at the hospital, Chace went to the Station and watched in an observation room full of men as Frank interrogated Enid Eglund. It took some time but things she said meant officers left the room to hit computers.
It all came together. Then, when confronted with it, Enid let it all hang out.
Enid Eglund had gone to Wyoming three years ago to attend a revival. Being seriously fucked in the head, she saw a young woman with two young children and no man. Clearly something about this made a woman living on the verge of snapping, snap. She made assumptions, followed the woman home, murdered her in her sleep, kidnapped her two children, brought them back to Carnal and kept them in captivity.
She was a recluse, came to town to grocery shop and go to Church, lived in the home she’d inherited from her parents and made meager money doing phone sales at home. No one really knew her but her sister and, from Mary Eglund’s rant, even that spinster didn’t know her reclusive spinster sister very well for she had no idea for three years Enid was concealing two children. Nor did she know, or admit to herself, the extent of her sister’s insanity.
Enid was also convinced she was doing God’s work, committing multiple felonies not only by the laws of the State of Colorado but against the Word of God, in order to save the children from a fallen woman and punishing them for their mother’s perceived sins.
The murder and double kidnapping in Wyoming, obviously, had not been solved. It wasn’t fresh but cases like that never went cold if there was someone left who loved the ones who were missing and missing persons, unless found, were not deleted from the databases. Therefore, how the interns hadn’t turned the children up in their searches, Chace didn’t know but come the next day, he would find out.
But upon calling the authorities in Wyoming, they found that Jeremiah and Rebecca’s mother was not an unwed mother full of sin, as Enid assumed, but a widow whose husband died in a car crash two months before she was killed by Enid Eglund. She and her husband were survived by parents who were still hoping their grandchildren were alive.
They would soon get really fucking great news.
Now, as Chace turned into the hospital parking lot, he had to give really bad news. All that went down with Jeremiah and the fact that, shortly, Jeremiah and his sister would be taken from them and returned to their grandparents.
He pulled in a deep breath as he parked and threw his door open.
Faye had told him that the hospital staff had agreed to them, and Jeremiah, sticking close to Becky. So Faye and her Mom and Dad were still there.
He moved through the hospital to the room number she’d given him but stopped one foot in the door.
Silas was asleep in a chair. Sondra was reading in another. Becky was asleep looking tiny in that huge hospital bed and there was a cot opened next to it in which Faye was curled and asleep, cuddling Jeremiah close to her front.
Chace stood frozen, staring at his woman with her boy so his body gave a slight jerk when Sondra’s hand fell light on his arm.
He turned his head to her.
“Outside,” she whispered, he nodded and moved back through the door which she carefully shut behind her.
She tipped her head back to catch his eyes.
“How bad is it?” she asked quietly.
“Brace,” he whispered gently and she closed her eyes.
When she opened them, he told her. He kept going even as the tears formed and her lips trembled and he did because he knew she could hack it. She’d made Faye, she wouldn’t break.
He was right. She didn’t.
When he was done, she simply said softly, “Grandparents.”
“They’ll process her, call the local authorities in Wyoming and those boys up there will either head out with the news tonight or they’ll wait until first thing in the morning. It’s been years, Enid Eglund is a sick woman whose story is rambling and hard to follow, so likely they’ll do DNA to make certain Jeremiah and Rebecca are who they think they are and tests will take a coupla days to run. That said, we got photos and, it’s been years, they’re older but there’s no denying those kids are theirs. My guess, any grandparents whose kids are dead and grandkids were missin’ for years, they’ll be down here soon.”
She nodded. She was a grandparent. She knew. But there was sadness in her eyes not only for what Jeremiah and Becky had endured, what they’d lost but that she was losing her boy.
“My play?” Chace asked and she focused on him again.
“Don’t take her away from them,” she answered, knowing exactly his question.
It was Chace’s turn to nod.
She turned to the room and Chace followed her.
Then, even though there was barely enough room, he took his jacket off, tossed it at the end of the cot then entered it carefully, fitting himself to Faye’s back and wrapping his arm aro
She stirred, her neck twisting, her sleepy eyes coming to him.
“Sleep, baby,” he whispered.
“But –”
“Sleep.”
She looked at his face, her eyes roaming it. Then she nodded and settled back in.
It was uncomfortable as all fuck, he was on the very edge but he settled in too.
He sensed Faye slide back into sleep and knew he probably wouldn’t join her.
He felt eyes on him and his went to Sondra.
When his eyes caught hers, she whispered one word across the room, it spoke volumes and settled warm deep in his soul.
“Perfect.”
Chace understood her and the enormity of her meaning.
But he didn’t reply.
He dipped his chin to her, settled back in, closed his eyes, held his girl and her boy close and, moments later, found sleep.
Chapter Nineteen
He Sent an Angel
“Son.”
Chace turned from watching Faye playing Candyland with Lexie, Krys, Twyla, Becky and Miah on the floor of the Goodknight’s family room to see Silas standing at his side.
Actually, Lexie wasn’t on the floor. Her pregnant belly wasn’t conducive to being on the floor. She was lounging on the couch and Miah was helping her take her turns.
“You couldn’t have gotten a good night’s sleep on that cot,” Silas went on. “Take my girl home, let her see to you, get some decent shuteye.”
It was just past noon the next day. Becky had been released. Faye had arranged for cover at the library, doing it muttering, “Frak Mary Eglund and her lunatic sister. They want, they can fire me for taking more personal time.” They’d shown up at the Goodknights with cars in the drive, these holding Lexie, Krys and Twyla with shopping bags full of clothes and shoes for Becky.
Becky had gotten a shower in and put on her new clothes. Like Miah, she seemed to be settling. Miah settled because he knew the Goodknights had a connection with Faye. Becky settled because her brother was there as well as food, clothes and a shower.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t skittish, wary and often didn’t jerk her eyes to her brother sometimes for understandable reasons like someone walked into the room or there was a loud noise, sometimes for what appeared no reason at all.
The psychologist had seen her and briefed Chace, Faye and the Goodknights.
The trauma Miah had endured, being cast out and his focus entirely on biding his time to save his sister was why he’d chosen not to speak. It was likely from both the kids’ behavior and things Miah had told them that he’d been looking out for his sister and shielding her as best he could from Enid Eglund’s lunacy for years. As a survivor, he took the good coming to him from living with the Goodknights. As a kid, he took the care Faye and Chace gave to him and let it build trust. But in the end, his mind was turned to getting his sister free, he considered it his responsibility and he wasn’t going to share it with anyone. Therefore, in an effort not to share at all, he controlled how he communicated.
The psychologist also told them they’d both need in-depth trauma counseling and their reunion with their grandparents would need to be monitored by a professional. As the two only people he truly trusted in this world, this the psychologist understood from Jeremiah sending Chace that note and allowing him to care for his sister, Chace and Faye had to be there.
Upon hearing the news, the cops in Wyoming didn’t wait to share with four of their locals that it was highly likely their grandkids were alive and in Colorado. They’d made their visits, waking them to share the news. Therefore, as expected, both sets were on their way and were expected to arrive at the Station imminently.
Chace was conflicted. He wanted to be there to meet the grandparents but he didn’t want to be away from Faye and the kids or take her away from them. He’d told her what had happened and her reaction had been much like her mother’s except stronger. It tore her up what had happened to those kids and it tore her up knowing, although it was a good thing they’d be with their blood family, that doing so would mean Miah would be a state away.
So she was staying close.
Chace wanted to give that to her but he didn’t want to leave her.
“I’ll survive, Silas,” Chace muttered.
Silas’s eyes moved over Chace’s face then they swung into the living room and finally he looked back at Chace.
“Right,” he whispered then, louder, “I’m goin’ into town. The kids’ folks will be here soon and I wanna do what I can to assure them their grandbabies are in a good place and, least one of ‘em for a spell, had folks lookin’ out for him. Sondra’s on the phone with Betty to get them rooms at Carnal Hotel. We wanted ‘em to stay here while they’re doin’ their testing but the psychologist thinks that’s too much for now. Miah feels safe here and Becky feels safe with Miah. That’s fragile so we gotta see to it. But Liza’s makin’ a coupla lasagnas to bring over. The psychologist can show tonight so they can come and have the reunion soon’s we can manage it. Good one, with family and food and my Liza makes a mean lasagna. But Liza’ll drop ‘em off and go. It’ll be just you and Faye, Sondra and I, the grandparents, the psychologist and the kids. Sondra’s bagged a coupla pop bottles the kids drank from and I’m takin’ ‘em in with me for DNA.”
“All that’s good. Thanks, Silas,” Chace replied.
He watched Silas’s expression change and read it instantly.
“Miss him,” Silas muttered, his eyes drifting to Miah. “He’s a good kid. Nice to have a lil’ bugger in the house again.” His eyes drifted back to Chace and when he spoke again, his voice was tinged with sadness but it was firm. “But they should be with family.”
“They should be with family,” Chace agreed.
Silas nodded. “Off with me then,” he murmured and moved away.
Chace watched him go then his eyes went back to the living room when he heard laughter. It came from all the women and Miah but there was also a little giggle from Becky who was looking timidly at Faye.
Faye had made her giggle.
That was his girl. She could break through anything. Even shit this huge. He knew it since she’d done it for him.
He felt his lips tip up as his phone rang and he saw Faye and Miah’s eyes cut to him and Becky jump, terror filling her features, her eyes cutting to her brother.
He automatically sent a reassuring smile their way, pulled out his phone and, for Becky’s sake, stayed calm and acted like what he was doing was just what it was, normal and natural.
He looked at the display and, at what he saw, he figured he knew the reason behind the call.
He took the call and put the phone to his ear.
“Frank, they at the Station?”
“They arrived twenty minutes ago,” Frank replied. “We got them sorted with coffees from La-La Land and some of Shambles’s brownies. Gave them a briefing up to now. Took the DNA samples. Lab is primed to fast-track it. But, uh…” he hesitated, “not callin’ about that, Chace.”
Chace felt his brows draw together. “What’re you callin’ about?”
“You got privacy?” Frank asked.
Fucking shit.
“No,” Chace answered.
“Get it,” Frank said quietly.
Chace didn’t look into the family room as he moved out of the doorway, up the stairs and into the living room on the top floor.
“Got it,” he said to Frank.
“Right, well, brother… fuck,” Frank started then stopped.
“Frank,” Chace prompted impatiently.
At his prompt, Frank went on hurriedly, “Okay, man. We got an outta town biker in holding, no big thing, pulled him over for reckless driving, he’d had a few, not over the limit, he was just jacking around. But when we ran his license, found he had a bench warrant on him, tickets he hasn’t seen to in C Springs. But he’s been in there with Enid most of the night and apparently, she’s been rambling. Some of the shit she said he thought
When he didn’t go on, Chace asked, “Got what out of her?”
“The reason she cast Jeremiah out.”
“And that would be?” Chace pushed when Frank again stopped speaking.
“Okay, Chace, shit, okay…”
“Frank,” Chace clipped when he trailed off.
When Frank continued, he again did it quickly. “Apparently, Jeremiah got away. He’d been attempting escapes frequently with zero success but he made it clear. He was in the woods. Brother, from what we can tell, he was in Harker’s Wood. What he saw there flipped him right the fuck out. So right the fuck out, he went back to the only thing he knew. He went back to her.”
Chace’s body went still as a statue and his mouth felt strange when it formed the words, “What did he see?”
“From what we can get from her, he saw a blonde woman givin’ a man a blowjob.”
Oh fuck, no.
Please God, no.
Chace closed his eyes and dropped his head.
“I think it was Misty, brother,” Frank whispered. “Enid didn’t see it, she wasn’t there. She just beat it out of him and what he told her he saw, she lost what was left of her marbles and got shot of him, thinkin’ he was makin’ that shit up or that he was the son of Satan or whatever. But I reckon, and the timeline jives, that he saw Misty and the man who murdered her. It flipped him, he went back to her because it was the only thing he knew, the only protection he had.”
It would jive, Chace knew it. Jeremiah was terrified when he was out on his own. Chace could see this fear coming from Enid, knowing his sister was still captive but he could see it was more. He’d seen Misty’s face get raped, probably sensed her terror, maybe saw the gun and possibly saw her murdered.
Fuck, he’d seen that shit.
Fuck, he still had to be holding onto that fear.
Fuck!
“He could be the key to finding who did Misty,” Frank told him quietly then finished, “And Newcomb.”