If Daniel is lying, I won’t kill him.
No.
I’ll keep him alive and make him wish for death every day for the rest of my life.
“Abbey! What’s going on?” Tahli’s sweet voice reaches my ears as heavy steps rush my way, but I don’t stop, my eyes trained on the weed-ridden soil and the small hole I’ve already clawed out.
“She’s at Bobbi’s grave,” Brody pants, falling to his knees beside me, obviously still relaying details to Ringo over the phone. “She’s digging it up… with her bare hands.”
“Shovels!” Millie shouts from somewhere. “Get some damn shovels!”
I keep digging, covering myself in dirt.
Heavy feet run off as more knees fall to the ground around Bobbi’s grave. Hands, some delicate and others strong, join me, clawing at the dirt without hesitation.
I barely spare anyone a glance, already knowing the delicate hands are Millie’s and Alana’s. I just sob and dig, knowing this could take hours, but not caring.
I’ll do this all night if I have to. I need to dig up my little girl’s casket. That’s all there is to it.
“Abs… your fingers are bleeding.”
Brody’s voice is low next to me, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder, but I shake him off, not stopping, not caring if all the flesh peels away leaving only bone.
I won’t stop until I have that casket out of the ground.
Sighing, Brody starts clawing at the ground next to me again before heavy feet pound our way.
“Shovels!” the deep voices bark, and as people shift away for the Marx guys to start digging, I remain in place, excavating the earth with my hands.
“Is she injured?” Millie asks from somewhere behind me. “Why is she covered in blood?”
Shit. I forgot about that.
What must I look like to Tahli? To Doreen?
A monster, most likely.
“It’s not her blood.” Brody answers for me, not going into any more detail than that, which I’m glad for. I don’t really want Ringo’s mum and my little sister hearing about how I pretty much shot Donny Allen’s head off his shoulders and stabbed his uncle Ian in the ankle. Or how some of the fleshy chunks in my hair were once part of a Rebel’s brain before Jols blew a hole in his head for attacking me.
“Why is she digging up Bobbi’s grave?” Alana asks quietly, and another sob lurches from me as I answer this time.
“Daniel said she’s still alive!”
My voice doesn’t even sound like mine anymore. It’s hoarse, unhinged and screechy, matching my mindset right now.
I feel like I’m all over the place, yet at the same time, extremely focused.
I need to know. To see for myself. To experience the truth of Daniel’s words firsthand.
In the background as I claw at the earth, I hear faint voices talking, and cars skidding somewhere close by.
A few moments later, a barrage of heavy booted feet is getting closer, and then strong hands cling to my waist and start tugging me backwards.
“No!” I scream and thrash, but the strong arms wrap around me as warm breath fans my ear.
“Stop, Angel. You’re hurting yourself.”
Ringo.
