Page 72 of Love You To Pieces

“So she has siblings?”

“Not any still alive that I’ve ever seen,” Fox admits. “But that doesn’t mean they weren’t found and taken home. That’s not uncommon around here. Lots of stray packs, too. Could be in with those.” But by the sound of his voice, he doesn’t make me think it’s a real possibility.

A pang of sympathy for my dog goes through me, and I scratch under her chin, watching her lift her head with her eyes half-closed. “So she just, what, became a town stray?”

“No one could catch her.” Deacon chuckles. “No one wanted to try after the first few times. And he wouldn’t let anyone shoot her.” Deacon nods at Fox, who grimaces. “Would you?”

“She’s harmless unless you mess with her,” Fox grumbles. “No reason to do that to her. Anyway, Ms. Hewitt’s been feedin’ her as long as she’s been hanging around. Not that she was ever real fond of her, but she feeds all the strays.”

That’s surprisingly kind of the cold-eyed woman who looks like she might have been around to wrangle dinosaurs and slap Judas. “Poor Pearl,” I tell the dog, who rolls over to give me her belly. “Poor baby. You deserve all the man organs you could ever want. And maybe a bath. Soon,” I add, when she breathes at me and the smell of her breath makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. God, maybe I should invest in a doggy toothbrush for her.

The truck slows, and even though I have no way of knowing where we are, I look out the window anyway, seeing a few old, abandoned trailers before we pull onto a gravel road.

“Where are we going?” I ask finally.

But neither of them answers.

That makes me look up, and when I see Deacon glaring Fox down with all the rage of a pissed-off porcupine, a sense of uneasiness goes through me. “Is…everything okay?”

“Yeah, Fox,” Deacon agrees unpleasantly. “Where are we going?”

The sheriff sighs and runs a hand through his auburn hair. His dark gaze finds mine in the rearview mirror, but before he can answer, I see the rusted old sign, and he pulls into the gravel lot that I do remember.

Miller’s Auto Shop.

Except, with the way the letters have rusted and fallen, it reads Millers uto Sho. It would be pathetic if the sight of this place and the building I escaped from feels like forever ago and yet also just yesterday, looms in front of me like a foreboding, haunted building.

“Oh,” I breathe. “I see.”

It makes sense, I tell myself as Fox parks and turns off the engine. If neither of them knows where the other three brothers are, this would be one of the best places to figure it out. But that doesn’t calm my racing heart, or quell the nausea that’s suddenly clawing its way up my throat.

I can’t look up once I’ve ripped my eyes away from the sign. I can’t do anything other than stare down at Pearl and focus on my breathing.

I can’t do this.

Fuck, I never thought I’d see this place again. So to just show up here, like this, to try to figure where they went? I know it makes sense, but I wish Fox had thought to warn me.

From the front seat, over the ringing in my ears, I can hear Deacon bickering with Fox, but I can’t quite tell what they’re saying, even though they’re only a few feet in front of me.

“I’m fine.” The words come out breathy and unsure, so I try again, clearing my throat to say, “I’m fine.”

I’m not fine, but fuck if I’m not going to pretend otherwise.

“You are not fine,” Deacon snaps. “It’s fine, you can stay in the truck, Sadie-Rae. You⁠—”

But I refuse to let them tell me what to do. I refuse to be a victim anymore. I want the Hill brothers dead for what they did to my friends.

Even Tyler, though I definitely don’t feel as bad for him as I do for Scotty and Ariana. Without another word, and without letting Deacon finish, I shove open the truck door and get out with Pearl leaping to the ground after me.

The change in her is immediate. She looks around, nose up and working, then growls low in her throat. “Yeah,” I murmur. “I figured you’d remember this place too.” My hand goes out to rest on her head, and that quiets her a little, causing my dog to nuzzle into my palm and press against my thigh. “Good girl.”

“Hey, Sadie.” Fox gets out and closes the door behind him, and in a few quick steps he’s closed the distance between us to reach out to me. He pulls me to his chest, blocking my view of the auto shop and wrapping his arms gingerly around me. I don’t return the embrace; I just inhale against his chest, where his cologne is strong in the fabric of his t-shirt.

Fuck, he smells so good.

“Maybe this was a bad idea. Why don’t you get back in the truck, huh? It’s okay. Let us look around for a bit; let’s⁠—”

“No.” I pull away from him, not wanting the easy out. “No. I can do this.” I will do this. Can or can’t isn’t part of the equation. “I’m fine. Hell, maybe I’ll find a piece of Sally the chainsaw to hang on a chain around my neck.”