Chapter 5 - THE BURNING ICE
Outside,
the wind howled fiercely,
driving the snow against the glass where Zuri had been standing.
I didn't wait for Marcus to finish his disastrous phone call,
knowing my priority lay beyond his locked door.
I strode past Kellen,
who moved out of my way with sudden,
cowardly fear.
I unlocked the heavy deadbolt,
flinging the door wide open to the freezing night.
I stepped out into the deep,
biting snow,
my boots sinking into the white blanket.
Zuri was curled into a small ball on the porch,
shivering violently,
her skin turning a dangerous shade of blue.
I scooped her up into my arms,
holding her tightly against my chest,
feeling her tiny heart racing like a trapped bird.
Her cheek was already swelling badly,
a dark purple bruise forming where the heavy shoe had struck her.
I carried her quickly to my old car,
turning the heater on to its maximum setting.
I wrapped her in an old woolen blanket,
rubbing her frozen feet with my warm hands.
"I'm sorry,"
I whispered over and over again,
tears finally escaping my eyes.
"Mommy has you now,"
I promised,
locking the car doors from the inside.
Looking back at the grand mansion,
I saw Marcus standing by the window,
the phone still pressed hard against his ear.
His perfect world was actively catching fire,
and he knew it.
The glowing phone screens of his guests had lit the match,
and I was about to fan the flames.
I put the car in drive,
the tires spinning slightly on the slick driveway,
before gaining traction.
We drove away from the Holloway estate,
leaving the illusion of perfection far behind us.
My phone buzzed continuously on the dashboard,
as the first clips began to arrive in my inbox.
May you like
The evidence was compiling,
and the retribution would be absolute.
