The lights I’d found in a dusty box in the basement flickered when I plugged them in, glowing weakly like little dying fireflies. I wound them around the tree anyway, humming along to the new music playing. A few of the bulbs had burst, leaving sharp little mouths of glass alongthe wire, but it added character. I had that too, or so I’d been told more than once over the years.
I cut my finger on one of the edges and stared at the red bead forming on the tip as it dripped down and disappeared into the cracks of the wood below me.
“Well,” I said. “A little color never hurt no one, now did it?”
I wiped my hand on my apron and went back to decorating. The ornaments were mismatched, some old and chipped, others handmade by Granny and the little feet that touched these floors long ago. There was a string of popcorn garland, stiff and yellowed with time, but I hung it up anyway. Then, near the top, I tied a bow from Granny’s shawl, the crocheted perfection she’d almost finished. It looked beautiful, even with the dark stains at the ends.
“Gran, you’d be so proud,” I whispered lovingly. “What d’ya think?”
The rocking chair in the corner seemed to sway for a minute, and I smiled.
I carried the plate of cookies over to the table by the window and set them down beside a single chipped teacup. It was my favorite and reminded me of the cartoon movie we used to watch together. The snow outside had started up again, soft and steady, covering the woods in silence. I pressed a palm against the cold glass, blowing hot air onto the surface and smiling at my reflection. My cheeks were rosy, flour dusted my strawberry hair, and my green eyes were too wide and too bright.
I must have been tired.
“See?” I told Gran softly. “Everything’s perfect. Everything’s the way you wanted it to be.”
The radio fizzled out. It was just the sound of the wind now, and the slow tick of the old cuckoo clock on the back wall.
Then a blurred image in the frosted window moved.
I blinked, leaning closer to the sill. At first, I thought it was just my reflection again, a trick of the eyes. But then it shifted and a shadow outside got close enough to press its hand against mine through the glass. Someone was standing just beyond the light. I could barely make out the outline, but it was tall.
They’re watching me.
The smile froze on my lips. I didn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. The warmth from the oven hummed at my back, and the scent of cookies and that damn pine twisted around the cold draft leaking through the windowsill. My fingers curled against the pane until I felt the warmth transfer from the shadow’s hand to mine.
It didn’t move either. Just kept watching me.
For a long moment, we stayed like that, separated by a thin slice of glass and a breath of frost. Then I smiled again, slow and deliberate like.
“Gran,” I whispered, never taking my eyes off the figure outside. “We have company.”
CHAPTER 2
RUDY
The cold hit harder once the sun went down. It crawled through my fucking clothes and bit frosted holes at my skin. My breath looked like smoke from a dying engine. It reminded me of the van and I used that to push my feet harder. We’d been running for hours now—mud on our boots and our hearts pounding like the damn hounds behind us.
“Keep fucking low, or your heads will be target practice for the snipers,” I muttered, forcing my way through a tangle of branches. “We’re close to the cabin.”
Que followed tight behind me, his silhouette a steady shadow in the dark. His body heat kept me going. I knew these fuckers were counting on me. Somehow I managed to get myself into being the leader of the gang of bastards.
Right now one bastard in particular was unusually quiet. Que never shut his damn mouth, unless it was around something. So it was odd that he wasn’t singing or cracking jokes about his face being so close to my ass.
I’d never admit it, but witheveryone spread out and the sound of the hounds in the distance, I could really use him humming folk tunes. His presence was a weird comfort. Always had been. Probably always would be.
I could hear him breathing behind me, slow and even, even though his knuckles were raw and his jumpsuit was torn from the struggle of getting free from that hellhole.
“You sure Prat said the cabin was this way? I think you’re taking us in fucking circles, Rue-Rue,” Que said, mindful to keep his voice low. “And as much as I enjoy staring at your fine ass, I’m freezing my fucking nuts off, dude.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Cabin near a lake. Follow the smoke. Said the place seemed safe. He never got close enough to check it out. As for being cold, I’m sure you can find a way to warm up.” I glanced over a shoulder. “You think I’m stupid for trusting the Bible-thumper?”
Que snorted. “Meh. I trust him not to run his mouth. Don’t know about this magical cabin in the woods, though. As for warming up,your mouthon my cock would do just fine.”
I almost smiled. Almost. The sound of the dogs carried through the woods again, and it wasn’t as distant as before. My gut twisted. “Move your ass or they’ll feed your dick to those mutts.”
Nothing killed Que’s libido, but he nodded and we moved faster. Crouched and quiet, following the faint glimmer of moonlight through the trees where the slight blur of smoke led. Somewhere to our left, a twig snapped and both of us froze. Que raised his makeshift weapon, and I lifted a hand to stop him before he ran off and bludgeoned a squirrel. The woods fell silent again, except for the rush of the creek nearby. Maybe a lake.
