Voices by Kayla Frederick

Author:Kayla Frederick [Frederick, Kayla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Jayden

WHEN THE HANDSHAKE ended, Jayden continued to stare at this woman, thinking how odd it was that though he didn't know anything about her, he wanted to trust her. Lynn didn't seem to feel the same. She hadn't lowered her weapon during their entire encounter, but it didn't seem as if she'd hurt him. Though he couldn't say he'd blame her if she changed her mind. Clearly someone, or something here, was dangerous.

She could be, the tiny doubts in the back of his mind warned. These secluded towns are great for breeding weirdos. She’s already said she’s mentally ill.

“Do you...do you need a minute alone before we go?” she asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

Jayden didn’t know how to answer at first. He took a breath, trying to calm his frantic heartbeat and process all the information the last ten minutes had thrown his way. If that really was Kay’s body, then Kasey had to be around here too.

Maybe it’s not her, he told himself. Jayden inched toward the shadows in the corner of the room, the moonlight from the ceiling revealing a glint of a ring on her finger. The same one she had a habit of fidgeting with, and he couldn’t bury his doubts anymore.

“Please,” he said at last.

Lynn bowed her head and slipped across the room, disappearing into the shadows before her footsteps creaked in the hall. Jayden watched her, wondering where she’d go. Maybe she wouldn’t even wait for him at all and would resume her search for an exit.

I‘ll be a minute behind, he thought. But this comes first.

Jayden liked to pride himself on his ability to handle devastating news with ease. Ever since his brother had been killed in the war, not much hurt him. He navigated the world at a distance, keeping everything at arm’s length to avoid all possible pain.

Now, while looking down at the remains of his friend, he realized he hadn’t been as successful with it as he’d thought. Jayden crouched down, putting two fingers to the curve of her neck, ever hopeful that his previous search had been too hasty to prove real results. Like last time, no pulse thrummed. Her skin was ragged, torn and bloody. It felt warm, but not the normal kind of warm. Whatever life had been left was leaking out. The same overwhelming pain from his brother’s death crashed over him at the realization, and he couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t push the pain away.

It was like someone shoved a white-hot nail into his heart. He couldn’t breathe. An ugly weeping sound made its way into his throat, and thick tears scorched his face. Someone had done something to her. If it hadn’t been the mysterious girl he’d let leave the room, then she was in danger too, and he’d let her go right back into the thick of it. Carefully, he shifted, sure to touch the floor as little as possible. Jayden had never been the religious type. He had no idea how to start out a prayer, but this was his friend.

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