NovelEnglish148. Ansel
Rueben stands, and before going to his room, he says over his shoulder, “You don’t understand what its like to lose a sister.” Diva
follows him.
| take anothe: drag from my cigar, this ta longer one. “Camila was like a sister to me, and | miss her too,” | say to no one in
particular.
Moments later, Tyson also stands. “I am going to call it a night as well,” he lets Mose andknow as he grabs his book and
disappears into his office.
When | finish my cigar, | turn off the music before | start cleaning the living room with the help of Mose. He always stays out of it,
when ites to Olivia, since he wasn't our friend at the tCamila was killed, but tonight, he has
something to say.
“] don’t think I like her.” He stacks up the pizza boxes before putting them in a trash bag.
| take the empty plates to the sink. “Because she killed Camila, or is there another reason?”
“Ever since she cto live here, she has destroyed our peace. Jasper no longer wants to be under the sroof as us, and
Rueben and Tyson are like two grumpy old men.”
| start washing the dishes. “Things will settle eventually.”
After we put everything in place, Mose goes to his room while | smoke another cigar and scroll through my phone until Diva barks. |
grunt because it means she wants to go out.
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A door opens, and by the squeak it is the one from Rueben’s room. He probably got up to let Diva out. Knowing how cranky he is
when he doesn’t get enough sleep, | say, “I got her.”
“Thanks, man.” He sounds half-asleep.
Diva walks into the living room, and | get up, grab my coat, and go to the kitchen to open the back door.
e on, you little pain in the ass.”
Rueben could have picked a nicer dog than Little Attitude. But she is loyal to Rueben and is a great asset to our career choice. |
never thought | would end up as a bounty hunter, but there are worse jobs out there.
Diva snifts the snow-a small set of feet is visible, and | squat to take a better look at them. The lighting from outside is enough
to allowto inspect the footprints. They are small, like those of a child. A child on the farm?
My heart pounds a little faster.
Why is there a kid here?
Diva keeps sniffing the snow while | try to figure out where the kid cfrom until | see that the footprints areing from the
guest house. | let out a sigh of relief.
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Wait.
If it wasn’t a kid who made the footprints, then was it Olivia?
Shouldn't she be in bed?
The footprints lead to the barn. She must be in there.
Diva keeps sniffing until she lets out a growl and runs to the barn. F uc k! | should have put her leash on, but who would have
guessed that Olivia would be out in the barn when she is supposed to be in bed, getting better?
1 rush after Diva, hoping to catch her in tas she is not that fond of women, but she slips inside the barn before | can reach her.
My heart is pounding hard as | expect to hear Olivia scream any moment now, but there is only silence.
Maybe | was wrong, and Olivia is not in the barn.
| rush inside. Instead of seeing Olivia on the ground with her neck torn open, | see her sitting on the floor petting the dam n dog,
who has her head on Olivia's lap.
Olivia tenses, her hand pausing, as she looks atwith eyes that once used to sparkle, but are now full of dispare. Bruises cover
her skin. My stomach turns in knots. In the forest, | was more focused on Rueben than on her, | barely paid took note of her, but
now it’s onlyand her in here.
| fold my hands against my chest. “Are you sdog whisperer or something?”
She blinks, confused by my question. “No.”
“Diva must really like you then. She never letspet her.”
Her gaze goes to the dog. “Diva,” she murmurs. “I like her name.”
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Miss Attitude licks Olivia's face.
“Rueben won't be happy when he finds out his dog likes you,” | chuckle, and Olivia turns pale. “But | am willing to keep the secret if
you tellhow you made it all the way here.”
She bites her bottom lip as she thinks. She doesn’t trust me. Good. If she is smart, she won't trust any of us.
“] walked,” she says a few seconds later.
“You walked while being sick as f u c k and having broken toes?” | ask, wanting to be sure | am not misinterpreting her
words.
She nods, then says, “I wanted to see the horses.”
| run my hand over my face. “You are something else. How are your ribs?”
She hesitates before saying, “They... hurt.”
“l didn’t mean to kick you in the forest. Everything was happening all at once, then you were vomiting and... | could
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148. Ansel
have hurt you seriously.”
“You are not the first person to burt me. | will eventually heal until | am hurt again.”
Olivia always had an air of sadness that cast around her, | noticed it before she knew how to hide it; noe she looks dead, as if she
has given up on life it self. This does not settle well. She is worth more than this.
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