Brooding City: Brooding City Series Book 1 Read Free

same end result. Telling her outright at least had the added benefit of some peace and quiet from her incessant questioning.
    “I went to the Tower.”
    Ellie wrinkled her nose. “That place is dirty and old. Why would you want to go there?”
    Because being cooped up in here with you is driving me crazy. “It’s the coolest thing we’ve seen since coming out here,” he said instead. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about what’s out there?”
    “Mom said we’re supposed to stay close to the house.” She reported the cardinal rule with an adopted voice of authority. It was a voice he had heard before, and one which signaled that she might flip on her vow of secrecy.
    “Look at me,” Jeremy said. “Do I look hurt? Everything is fine, I promise.”
    She still appeared unconvinced.
    Jeremy frowned and looked directly into her eyes. “If I promise not to go back there, will you promise not to tell Mom and Dad?”
    Ellie chewed her lip for a few seconds before nodding.
    “I promise to stay away from the Tower,” he said solemnly. He felt bad lying to his sister, but it was the only way to make her keep quiet. Besides, he was still mostly being honest with her. The Tower wasn’t dangerous, and it was the most interesting thing they had seen in the valley.
    “Good,” Ellie said, nodding again. “Do you know when Mom is getting back today?”
    “No idea.”
    Even though the two of them were home for the summer, their parents still had busy work schedules that kept them in Odols. While his mother was able to return to the valley ranch most nights—whenever she wasn’t staying late to host some fundraiser she’d organized—Jeremy’s father typically stayed in their large city apartment except for the odd weekend visit. This hadn’t been one of those weekends.
    Ellie hid a yawn behind her hand and stood unsteadily, her long, black hair wafting silkily in her wake. “I’m going to go take a nap.”
    “Don’t let the Sleepers get you,” Jeremy teased, a grin tugging at his lips.
    In an instant, Ellie became her much younger self. “I’ve been a good girl,” she said, her voice childish and sweet. “They won’t come for me.”
    “Good girls keep promises.”
    She nodded sleepily. “Cross my heart,” she repeated, “and hope to die.”
    Jeremy watched her until she rounded the corner, then listened attentively. Once he heard her door shut, he sprung up from his seat by the window and retrieved a small pack that he had secreted away beneath the cushion. Inside was enough food for the trip to and from the Tower, plus an umbrella, in case the rain decided to start again. He wrote a note to Ellie, telling her that he had gone to roam around the orchards and read, and left it on the kitchen table for her to find.
    Jeremy opened the door and squinted. The clouds had parted, and sunlight shone from a light-blue sky above. His mood was greatly improved by the change in weather, and he was upbeat about returning to the Tower during the full light of day. He set off boldly, eager to start the hike that would take several hours, and he followed the southward trail away from the ranch.

Chapter Five
     
     
     
    Driving in the city was never enjoyable.
    Traffic was a nightmare, any given hour of the day. Taxis were belligerent, swerving madly in and out of spaces just wide enough to squeeze by if they suspend any sense of self-preservation. Pedestrians walked out in the street whenever they liked, crosswalk or not, and the sidewalks were more like temporary auxiliary lanes for cars.
    The OST was hardly a better option. Odols Shuttle Transit wound in a wagon wheel circuit beneath the city, leading to all the different sectors in the fastest way possible. It was the preferred mode of transportation for many in the city, which was precisely why it had become as dirty and crowded as the streets above.
    Brennan, having worked in the city for years, was aware of all this. Most of his social life took place within