Losing Francesca Read Online Free Page B
Author: J. A. Huss
lot. It was strange, that color. Did she always have those eyes?"
I have to turn away before I say it, that's how shaken I am. "Yeah. She always did."
That's who that was last night.
Fiona.
Fiona . I say it to myself again and let out a long breath.
"She doesn't speak any English, though," Case adds.
"What?" I laugh this time. It breaks the spell and I manage a real sentence. Sort of. "How the hell does that happen?"
"The kidnappers had her in Italy this whole time, so she speaks Italian." They both shrug.
Maybe that's why she didn't say anything last night. But at least she doesn't know I was talking shit about her when I was leaving. "Is Sean home?"
"Nah," Park says. "He's at work today, otherwise we wouldn't have been there."
I nod at them as the wheels spin in my mind.
Fiona.
My feet are walking across the driveway towards my dirt bike. I'm on automatic pilot right now, I've got one thing on my mind, just one thing. I start up the bike and spin gravel as I speed down our driveway towards town.
Woods on the Lake is not a big town by any stretch, but it's got all you need close by. The town itself is only a few square miles total, but there are plenty of other towns as you travel the shoreline of Lake Erie up towards Pennsylvania. Our house is just outside of town and we own thirty acres, most of it heavily wooded and untouched, but there's a bit of beach as well.
We used to have a lot more lakefront property but after the parents died several years back, my older brother Renn decided to sell some to the Sullivans to pay off the house. And we didn't care really. That's not why our families, or what's left of them, aren't friends. It's because Frank Sullivan always thought Renn was too reckless and immature to care for us after the accident, and I was a total disaster with my arrest record. It was a pretty tough struggle there for a while. But now that Renn is what I'd call professionally successful, and I finally have steady mechanic work, people around here seem to have a little more faith in us to keep Case and Park out of prison.
Still, they're teenage boys. They do what they do.
Sean and I have never exactly been enemies, but he's never liked any of us around Lindsey and if he knew Case has a serious crush on her, he'd definitely come over and start shit with me. Not that I'd care, I'm pretty sure I could kick his ass, but I've tried to cut back on the fighting since the parents died, so I'd rather not go to jail on account of my little brother's choice in teen love affairs.
I pull into the garage where Sean runs the parts counter and park the bike. I only then realize I forgot to wear a helmet and I'm riding my dirt bike on the street. Fuck . I look around for cops—we only have three on duty at any one time, so I don't see any, but they don't like me at all.
My attention returns to Sean's work.
OK, why am I here?
I guess I could grab another air filter for the Jeep. That'll work. The door chimes my presence and Gary comes out of the back to check things out, still chewing on his lunch and holding a big can of iced tea.
"Hey, Brody."
"Hey," I call back. "Sean in today?"
"Yeah, let me get him." He disappears in the back calling for Sean.
When Sean is home from school he runs the parts counter, Gary does repairs, and never the two jobs shall meet, it seems. I browse the shelves a little, pick up a new lighter, and then grab an air freshener before Sean finally makes it up to the counter.
"What can I get for you, Brody?"
"Uh, air filter for the Jeep. Thanks."
"What you do, lose the last one?"
"Oh, no. I just like to have a spare."
"Spare air filter?"
"Just get me the fucking air filter, will ya?"
"Just tell me why you're here."
I slap my lighter and air freshener on the counter. "Air filter, 1978 CJ7."
"I just got off the phone with my dad, Brody."
"Good, how's he doing?"
"He said Park and Case were hanging out with Lindsey this morning, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume you know exactly
I have to turn away before I say it, that's how shaken I am. "Yeah. She always did."
That's who that was last night.
Fiona.
Fiona . I say it to myself again and let out a long breath.
"She doesn't speak any English, though," Case adds.
"What?" I laugh this time. It breaks the spell and I manage a real sentence. Sort of. "How the hell does that happen?"
"The kidnappers had her in Italy this whole time, so she speaks Italian." They both shrug.
Maybe that's why she didn't say anything last night. But at least she doesn't know I was talking shit about her when I was leaving. "Is Sean home?"
"Nah," Park says. "He's at work today, otherwise we wouldn't have been there."
I nod at them as the wheels spin in my mind.
Fiona.
My feet are walking across the driveway towards my dirt bike. I'm on automatic pilot right now, I've got one thing on my mind, just one thing. I start up the bike and spin gravel as I speed down our driveway towards town.
Woods on the Lake is not a big town by any stretch, but it's got all you need close by. The town itself is only a few square miles total, but there are plenty of other towns as you travel the shoreline of Lake Erie up towards Pennsylvania. Our house is just outside of town and we own thirty acres, most of it heavily wooded and untouched, but there's a bit of beach as well.
We used to have a lot more lakefront property but after the parents died several years back, my older brother Renn decided to sell some to the Sullivans to pay off the house. And we didn't care really. That's not why our families, or what's left of them, aren't friends. It's because Frank Sullivan always thought Renn was too reckless and immature to care for us after the accident, and I was a total disaster with my arrest record. It was a pretty tough struggle there for a while. But now that Renn is what I'd call professionally successful, and I finally have steady mechanic work, people around here seem to have a little more faith in us to keep Case and Park out of prison.
Still, they're teenage boys. They do what they do.
Sean and I have never exactly been enemies, but he's never liked any of us around Lindsey and if he knew Case has a serious crush on her, he'd definitely come over and start shit with me. Not that I'd care, I'm pretty sure I could kick his ass, but I've tried to cut back on the fighting since the parents died, so I'd rather not go to jail on account of my little brother's choice in teen love affairs.
I pull into the garage where Sean runs the parts counter and park the bike. I only then realize I forgot to wear a helmet and I'm riding my dirt bike on the street. Fuck . I look around for cops—we only have three on duty at any one time, so I don't see any, but they don't like me at all.
My attention returns to Sean's work.
OK, why am I here?
I guess I could grab another air filter for the Jeep. That'll work. The door chimes my presence and Gary comes out of the back to check things out, still chewing on his lunch and holding a big can of iced tea.
"Hey, Brody."
"Hey," I call back. "Sean in today?"
"Yeah, let me get him." He disappears in the back calling for Sean.
When Sean is home from school he runs the parts counter, Gary does repairs, and never the two jobs shall meet, it seems. I browse the shelves a little, pick up a new lighter, and then grab an air freshener before Sean finally makes it up to the counter.
"What can I get for you, Brody?"
"Uh, air filter for the Jeep. Thanks."
"What you do, lose the last one?"
"Oh, no. I just like to have a spare."
"Spare air filter?"
"Just get me the fucking air filter, will ya?"
"Just tell me why you're here."
I slap my lighter and air freshener on the counter. "Air filter, 1978 CJ7."
"I just got off the phone with my dad, Brody."
"Good, how's he doing?"
"He said Park and Case were hanging out with Lindsey this morning, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume you know exactly
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