I go from room to room, hunting cobwebby corners and spritzing fresh lemon.
Then there’s a deafeningsnap!
A twig.
I hope.
Even though I’m on the second floor, I race over to look out the bedroom window.
Predictably, there’s nothing.
Just a bitter fall wind tossing the trees around like bones. Branches will easily come off in that wind, which must peak around thirty-mile-per-hour bursts.
God, I’m a mess.
With a shameful sigh, I abandon my last project—sweeping under the bed—and pace through the house one more time.
Seriously, can we keep it together? Just for a little while longer.
I wonder.
It’s a struggle not to march through every room with a knife in hand. I’m ninety percent sure I couldn’t stab an intruder if I had to, but let’s pretend I could.
I might put on a brave face and say all the right things, but when it comes down to it, violence isn’t my thing.
“Settle down. We’re halfway there and he won’t be gonethatlong,” I mutter.
It definitely sucks when a girl has to talk herself down from turning into Courage the Cowardly Dog. Watching that cartoon as a kid was way more fun than imagining ghostly mummies and psycho barbers lurking outside in this wind.
I swallow thickly, hating how Kane would laugh if he could see me now.
Another look at the app.
No movement. No people. No cause for concern.
So I lean against the wall, exhaling roughly in the hallway.
I shouldn’t have asked Holden about the past when I could’ve saved it for another day.
But how would PopPop handle this?
Hard to say, but he’d probably not give a crap about some weirdo threatening him. And not just because he had a brawler like Holden around when he got older.
With his money and influence, I’m realizing he must’ve had enemies. Maybe even people who would threaten his life.
I mean, the Babins literally committedarsonon this property, and he still came back. He brought us here as kids.
Was that a giantfuck youto anyone who messed with him?
Time to channel a little Leonidas Blackthorn and stop slinking around like a scolded cat.
I head downstairs, find the flashlight in the kitchen drawer, and make sure it turns on.
Yes.
The bright light floods the dimly lit halls.
Just a quick look outside to make sure nothing’s blown loose. It can’t hurt for peace of mind.
