Valerie
“What do you think of this, Fred?” Turning over my sketch pad, I propped my elbows on the table, and Fred grinned like a little boy seeing a lollipop he didn’t earn. “It’s just the sketch, so it can be changed.”
“No . . . no, that’s perfect.” The kitchen table was a complete mess of papers, and I gazed over the spine of my book as Fred nodded firmly. “You’re a really talented horror illustrator. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
“Not specifically. I just get told a lot that my stuff has dark undertones.” Pride bubbled in my chest when Fred’s smile widened, and Natasha sat back in her chair to groan loudly.
“There’s so much to do. Who knew making an app like this was so difficult?” Marshal raised his hand, not bothering to look up from whatever he was reading on his tablet, and I opened my mouth only to get cut off by the doorbell ringing. Pushing myself up, I skirted the living room with a pep in my step, and I couldn’t be happier with the progress we were making. Sure, it was a lot of work, but that made it so much better.
Not that Natasha ever appreciated hard work. She liked things easy.
Opening the door, my brows rose when no one stood on the other side, and I stuck my head out of the threshold. A glimmer caught my eye and dragged my gaze downward, and a slight frown dragged down my lips.
“Hey, Nat, did you drunk buy something online again?” Picking up the sizeable package, my frown deepened at the weight. “It’s pretty heavy— that means expensive!”
“I haven’t gotten drunk in days. I’m saving myself for Vegas.” Puffing out my lips, I set the box on the sofa to be ignored for now, and I snuck my phone out of my jean pocket. “Maybe it’s a present from your boyfriend!”
Huffing softly, I opened my unread text from Carlyle and rolled my lips between my teeth.
Carlyle: I’m glad things are going well. After we get back, I’ll introduce you to your marketing director.
Typing a quick reply, I wandered back into the kitchen to plop in my chair to sigh heavily. Either this project would go well, or it’d sink fast. We had to work to make it good, and my gaze flickered around the circular table. All I had to do was focus on concept art right now, but Fred had a clear vision of where he wanted this to go. He was a much better manager than Paul, and I licked my lips heavily.
“So, I’ll just run with this for now, and we’ll make changes as we go along.” Nods all around, and I cleared my throat as I grabbed my sketchbook.
“Don’t worry about anything but banging out il—” A shrillbeepcut Fred off, and I twisted with confusion, scrunching up my nose under furrowed brows. Natasha and I shared a weird look. The beep wasn’t coming from the stove or any phone, and I stood up to follow the sound. Pulling my phone out, I unlocked the screen to tap Carlyle’s number as I drifted into the living room.
“Hello?”
“Hey, you know, you could’ve just brought my present to me yourself. It would’ve meant a lot more.” Palpable confusion rose the hairs on my cheek, and I held my phone between my ear and shoulder. “What?”
“I didn’t send you anything. What present?” The sharp edge of his voice stiffened my knees, and I pushed my hair back to hold my phone against my ear. “What is that sound in the background?”
“You didn’t send it?” My gaze locked on the sofa, and dread curdled my blood as the beeping droned in my ear. “We didn’t buy anything online. Nat hasn’t drunk shopped in a while.”
“Is there a return address?” Anxiety beaded my upper lip as I peeked over the back of the couch, and I shook my head before remembering Carlyle couldn’t see me. “Get out of the apartment, Valerie. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“What? Why?” Backing up as I posed the questions, I tensed as my thoughts stalled. “Oh fuck . . . is there, like, a bomb in the box or something!”
“Valerie, shut the fuck up and get out, damnit!” I couldn’t hear anything but that beeping even as the air rippled against my back, and my legs locked as fear gripped my spine in a vice. “Fucking punch it, Carl!”
“Oh fuck . . . oh my God . . . Carlyle . . . is there a bomb in the box? Oh shit . . . ” My eyes ached, and my lungs seized as I shook my head wildly. Suddenly, the beep went silent, and my heart throbbed from its furious pace. Blood drummed in my ears, and I choked on the lump in my throat when two hands grabbed my arms and yanked me back.
Tile sent tendrils of frigid cold up my legs, and my grip on my phone tightened before a horribleboomrattled the very foundation of the apartment. Dust and smoke surged into the kitchen, and I crouched down to cover my head as a shriek burst from my throat. Ringing assaulted my ears, and my teeth trembled in their sockets from the ripples in the air.
“Oh . . . shit, Valerie . . . hey . . . hey . . . ” Squeezing my eyes shut tighter, I barely registered Fred’s call even when he shook my shoulders. “It’s okay. It’s fine.”
The sickening shattering of glass banged around in my skull, and I whipped around as the television mounted on the wall fell flat onto the floor. The sofa had been knocked back a few feet, at least, and I knocked back on my ass to scoot back.
“What the fuck? What the fuck . . . fuck . . . fuck . . . ” There was ahugepiece of wood blown out the back of the couch embedded in the floor where I’d just been standing. I was literally just standing there a second ago!
“Hey, Val, look at me.” Grabbing my face between his palms, Fred seemed excruciatingly calm, and he nodded with a little, reassuring smile. “You’re alright. Let’s get out of here. Can you walk?”
“I-I-I . . . ” A low groan cut off my stutter, and my eyes snapped to Natasha as she hoisted herself up onto her hands and knees. The table had been knocked over, and she pushed a chair off her to shake her head roughly. “Nat . . . Nat . . . oh, fuck!”
Crawling over to her, I wrapped my arms around my sister as my tears spilled out, and she gripped me in a deadly bear hug. Wrapping my legs around her, I struggled to breathe in her grip, but I didn’t care because at least I could still do it.
“Marshal . . . hey, Marshal, we gotta go, man.”
