Break Free The Night (Book 2): Loss of Light Read Free Page A

have one ? ”
     
                  “ I think so . ”
     
                  “ Not focused on his wrists when yo u’ re with him ?” Emma asked with a smirk.
     
                  “ Do n’ t be crude ,” Kaylee murmured out of habit, trying to get her new watch from its protective shell. Green. Green she could handle. She gestured for Emma to hand over the real pocketknife that she was using for the same purpose.
     
                  “ You rode back with Andrew ,” Emma said, eyes now locked with uncharacteristic shrewdness on her sister. Kaylee froze, suddenly glad for the low light. Emma should n’ t be able to sense her lie. She was talking about the last night they had in their city, when the dogs had attacked and their apartment building was blown up and their mother was killed.
     
                  But, of course, Emma didn't know that last part.
     
                  No one did. No one except Kaylee and Jack.
     
                  “ His bike was closer . ” It wasn't much of a lie. The bikes were close together, Andrew's could have been closer. Kaylee wasn't even sure which one was. Not that it was the real reason she had jumped on behind Andrew. The real reason was she just couldn't face Jack, not after her mom, not after... Kaylee grit her teeth and forced that red dot into oblivion.
     
                  Not now, Kay.
     
                  “ Tha t’ s all ?” Emma asked. She was squinting in Kayle e’ s direction.
     
                  “ What else would it be ?” Kaylee answered, taking her new watch from the box and securing it on her wrist. She squinted through the gloom of the department store and her eyes caught a promising word. "I'm going to find some clothes."
     
                  What she really wanted was rest, to curl up on some warm, soft mattress under a blanket. No bumps from the road as she pretended to sleep in the motor home, no Emma chattering away at her, no Andrew sending her questioning glances, no never-ending dot, no red. But even when she tried sleeping, people were near her, watching her. As she lay there trying, she knew Andrew would be watching, Anna wondering. So even above sleep, what she needed was to be alone. This was her first opportunity and she refused to waste it.
     
                  "Toss the keys?" She nodded towards the padlock key swinging from Emma's pocket.
     
                  "You sure?" Her sister asked, eyeing her speculatively.
     
                  "Yeah, I'm gonna be a while."
     
                  Emma threw the keys towards her sister with a mumbled, "See you later then."
     
                  The beam of light from Kaylee's flashlight swept the empty halls. Ahead was a maze of suitcases, in the center of which stood an escalator forever frozen. Kaylee made for the frozen stairs, following the promise of the sign hung above it. In a nondescript font, the black letters shone plainly on the white sign: Bedding.
     
                  As she reached the top, she heard the last echoing squeak of Emma's sneakers against the tile floor as she disappeared back into the mall. Emma would pull and lock the security gate and Kaylee could undo it later when she was finished sleeping. A dozen beds, dressed in all the frills of shams and bed skirts and duvets were scattered around her, each sporting at least four pillows. She found the nearest one and collapsed.
     
                  She turned her flashlight off with an echoing click and stared up at the dark ceiling. The bedding was soft but smelled of dust. Still, it was better to be alone. Without the light, the blackness pressed against her. She closed her eyes, watched the red take over her vision and then blinked them open. It was so dark, she might as well have had her eyes closed, there was no way to see through the