Page 56 of On Your Life

The minutes crawl by before they return but they aren’t empty handed. One of the men walks directly in front of the camera with a limp body thrown over his shoulder. The small form sways with every hurried step. My fingers dig harder into the couch cushion. He shifts the body in his arms, preparing to throw it in the back.

And then I see her face. Every drop of blood drains from mine.

My heart pounds so hard it feels like it’s trying to break through my chest. The sound reverberates through my skull, drowning out everything else.

I know that face. I’d recognize it anywhere. The lifeless body being tossed into the awaiting getaway car belongs to Conner’s mom.

Chapter 29

Conner

January 18th, 2025: Two months and four days before…

“FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!”

My hand smacks the steering wheel between each word, the heel of my palm aching from the impact. I don’t even feel it at first. There’s too much adrenaline flooding my system.

I play the video again. And again. Like somehow the ending might change. It doesn’t matter how many times I try. There’s a war waging inside my head between anger and helplessness, and I don’t know which one I hate more.

I want to tear something apart. I want to punch a hole through the goddamn windshield. I want to rewind the last hour of my life so I don’t have to deal with this fucking shit right now.

She pisses me off damn near every day. But she’s still my mom. Now, I have no idea where she is or if she’s even alive.

My phone vibrates in my hand, and I’m shaking so badly I barely register it. I look down.

UNKNOWN

2300.

Be at Bristol Park or she dies.

No cops.

I stare at the messages until the words blur together. Then I suck in a sharp breath through my nose and check the time.

It’s almost ten. I have time to go home and grab more ammunition. Time to prepare myself for whatever the hell I’m walking into.

I hardly notice the drive back to the house. My phone stays silent the entire time, not even a photo is sent to prove that she’s actually alive.

Maybe it’s some prank, but it’s a really fucked up one if thats the case. Something in my gut tells me it isn’t though.

I park sideways in the driveway and practically fall out of the truck. The front door slams behind me as I rush inside, heading straight for the safe.

My fingers fumble with the lock. I grab extra ammunition and shove it into my pockets before closing the safe again. My pulse hammers so hard my head spins.

Whatever my mother has gotten herself into, I’m not sure if I can get her out.

The thought crosses my mind to message Fox for backup. My thumb hovers over his name for what feels like an eternity but I can’t do it. I can’t make him get involved in this shit because he would. In a heartbeat. That’s what brothers do.

I should just leave her to her own devices. She dug her grave, repeatedly. For years I’ve watched her make one shitty decision after another. And for some reason, I keep bailing her out.

Will there ever be an end to this fucking nightmare? I shove my phone in my pocket and head back outside. Bristol Park is about thirty minutes away. I make it there in fifteen. Probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done but I’m past the point of caring.

Every scenario played out in my head during the drive and none of them ended well. I don’t have money if that’s what they’re after.

My headlights sweep across the entrance to Bristol Park. A stone water fountain sits at the center. A playground is off to the right, the swings moving slightly in the wind. Creepy as fuck in the middle of the night given the situation.

The parking lot stretches farther than I expected, mostly empty except for one vehicle sitting dead center. A black SUV.