“How?” I asked.
Ray shrugged. “It’s a long story.”
“I’ll pay you back. I’ll...”
“No,” Ray said, closing my hand around the keys. “This is what family does.” She looked over to Preppy who now had Bo on his back and were chasing King and Sammy while Max shrieked around them, hiding behind Bear’s legs. “And like it or not, you’re family now.” And with that Ray sauntered over to King and stood on her tip-toes, planting a small kiss on his mouth. He returned her kiss with one of his own that wasn’t nearly as PG.
“Dre, do you know if there is any wine around?” My dad asked. “Sandra isn’t such a big fan of beer.”
I smiled at the grey haired lady my father had his arm linked with. “I’m on it. I think there is a bottle of red inside.” I ran up the porch and it only took me a minute to find a bottle of wine which had dust on it. I was trying to find a wine opener when I realized that it was a screw cap. “Hopefully Sandra doesn’t mind old cheap red,” I said to myself.
With a beer bottle in hand I turned around and stopped just short of crashing into Bo who had a frown on his face where only moments before he was smiling from ear to ear.
“Hey Bo! What’s the matter?” I asked, crouching down and inspecting him for any play session injuries. He vigorously shook his head from side to side. He looked up at me and his eyes went wide. Sheer terror was written all over his perfect baby face. When I realized it wasn’t me he was looking at, but something over my shoulder, it was already too late.
I was already too late.
A strong hand holding a rag came over my nose and mouth, the other gripping the back of my neck. Before I could even think to fight off whatever or whoever was behind me, my limbs went numb. My brain floated around in my skull. Bo’s frightened image turned blurry, and then sideways as I crashed to the floor.
My heart broke. Bo was scared I couldn’t help him. I couldn’t protect him. Only a few days in and I’d already failed him as his mother. As the blackness claimed me I heard a strangled cry. A beautiful yet painful sound. I drifted off into somewhere unfamiliar, grateful that the last thing I might ever hear was my son’s little voice for the very first time.
Even though he was screaming.
“Mooooooooommmmmmmmy!”
THE END
(FOR NOW)
PREPPY,
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SAMUEL CLEARWATER,
PART THREE
COMING SOON
MORE BOOKS BY T.M. FRAZIER
KING SERIES:
KING
TYRANT
LAWLESS
SOULLESS
PREPPY, PART ONE
STANDALONES:
THE DARK LIGHT OF DAY, A KING SERIES PREQUEL
ALL THE RAGE, A KING SERIES SPIN OFF
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
T.M. Frazier is a USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR best known for her KING SERIES. She was born on Long Island, NY. When she was eight years old she moved with her mom, dad, and older sister to sunny Southwest Florida where she still lives today with her husband and daughter.
When she was in middle school she was in a club called AUTHORS CLUB with a group of other young girls interested in creative writing. Little did she know that years later life would come full circle.
After graduating high school, she attended Florida Gulf Coast University and had every intention of becoming a news reporter when she got sucked into real estate where she worked in sales for over ten years.
Throughout the years T.M. never gave up the dream of writing and with her husband’s encouragement, and a lot of sleepless nights, she realized her dream and released her first novel, The Dark Light of Day, in 2013.
She’s never looked back.
For more information on her books and appearances please visit her website
www.tmfrazierbooks.com
FOLLOW T.M. FRAZIER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/tmfrazierbooks
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/t.m.frazier
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/tm_frazier
For business inquiries please contact Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary & Management.
www.browerliterary.com
Preppy, The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater, Part TWO (King) Page 21