Page 47 of Anchored to the Storm

Sarah sniffled. “He’s a monster.”

Ethan’s one eye not covered by his hair twitched. “The cocksucker is gonna walk. Free.”

“Not if we get to him first,” Gage replied. He sounded diabolical.

I’m not going to be able to hold anyone back. I have to do what Johnny did to spare them all the chance of prison time.

Shockingly, the only one seeming to have doubts like me was Sarah. Her hands wrung, over and over. “Don’t you all feel like we have something else to be doing right now?”

Seb eyed her like she was losing her mind. “What else is there other than taking care of Blue?”

She stood and began pacing also. Holding her stomach, she uttered, lost in thought. “I have to get something done.”

With her face twisted with confusion and worry, Sarah started to spook me. “You okay?”

“What?” Ethan stood, now watching her as if nothing else mattered.

When she turned to pace in another direction and saw him in her path, she jolted. Looked at his neck—where she had nibbled—then turned away to pace elsewhere.

Ethan rushed to get in front of her. “I’m fine, but you’re not. What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you what is going on!” yelled Sebastian.

Gage got up and went to him. “My brother, breathe. We are all on your side. Complicated shit. Okay?” He held up his blood oath palm.

Staring at it, Seb yanked on his hair, hard. “But what about her blood? She’s alone out there!”

What? I stood, too. “Seb, alone out where?”

“At sea!”

Er… I shook my head, praying he could hear me. “No. Seb. No sea. She’s in Heaven’s gracious hands now.”

Standing in a land of confusion, he covered his face, but I could hear crying in his voice. “I don’t know what I’m doing, but that man has to die.”

I grabbed him into a hug. Never would have done that before with him, but it felt right. He leaned into me and let out a sob, saying, “Help me.”

Tightening my hold, I vowed, “I will. Just be smart about it. Let’s keep Dale off our course, and let’s be sure we don’t get caught.”

A scared expression—one that reminded me of the old Sebastian—the one who used to stutter—looked to me. “We will do this, right?”

I swore, hard. “That man’s days are numbered.”

The old Sebastian faded away as a livid man took his place once again. “And I get to do it.”

Fuck.

I hope you forgive me for taking that from you.

Once this shit with the pastor was done, I was going to hunt Johnny down in hopes he could cover my tracks and keep me from going to prison. But at least Seb could become sane again knowing that man was in Hell where he belonged.

Heading up my attic stairs, I turned back to see Sarah following me. “Sorry,” she said, but she didn’t stop. In my—Johnny’s—room, she asked, “Got a minute?”

As she stared at Johnny’s bed behind me, I asked, “Have you changed your mind about me being in here?” Everyone had approved, but if it is too much, I’d go back to my cold, lonely room. Here, I felt Johnny was with me.

“No.” Sarah shook her head. “I totally get it.” She lifted her chin, changing the subject. “I’m here to ask you for help.”

I couldn’t understand why that made me happy, but my chest puffed. “Anything.”