Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Despite it not being real, it gave Shavonne comfort for the time being, and Krystal took Shavonne under her wing. Shavonne wanted to know everything about being a psychic, seeing into other people’s minds, knowing their secrets, and seeing as Krystal was getting up in age and would need someone to take over the shop one day, she let Shavonne hang around to tidy up the shop and run the register.
Shavonne learned how to palm read, which crystals were best to wear for wealth and positivity, and even how to feel other people’s energy. The last bit, Shavonne realized as she got older, was just a gift rooted inside empathetic people. She felt it all and could sense a negative vibe or a bad person from a mile away—even a bad situation made the hair on her arms rise. She felt all of this in that moment and it was those feeling that had her worried to death about Brynn.
Shavonne paced the apartment then paused by the window that revealed the busy street. She and Brynn had installed an app called The Green Dot on their phones. It was an app that could be used for many reasons—one parents could install on their kids’ phones, or for a bitter boyfriend or girlfriend to install on their romantic partner’s device to see where they’ve been without the partner knowing. But she and Brynn used it because it helped them know where each other were, especially on nights when they went out.
She looked up Brynn’s location, as she’d done less than ten minutes ago, and it was still pinned somewhere outside the Garden District. If she were still with her ex, she’d be at the Ritz Carlton like she’d planned. She’d been texting Shavonne all night with pictures, bragging about the scene, the singers, the drinks.
Shavonne drew in a slow breath and gave Brynn another call.
No answer.
She fired up another text in all caps: WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU BRYNN? I’M WORRIED!
Brynn had a work shift at eleven o’clock and it was already nine-thirty in the morning. She never missed work and wouldn’t start missing it now over an ex from high school. Shavonne sat on the sofa, blinking at her phone, waiting for a message or a call from her best friend. When a measly five minutes passed, she called Krystal.
“Vonnie?” Krystal answered.
“Hi, Krystal. Do you think I can take the day off? I have a bit of an upset stomach. Probably that crawfish I had last night.”
“Oh no! Do you still have some of the peppermint chamomile tea blend I gave you?”
“I do.” Shavonne’s eyes flickered to the tiny kitchen, where the rack of teas from Magic Hour were. She hated lying to Krystal, but she wasn’t sure what else to say. Krystal needed her now more than ever since she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Krystal, the woman who only ate fruit, vegetables, and drank tea, had high blood pressure. Go figure.
“Well, drink some tea and get better. I’ll man the shop today, don’t worry about it.” Shavonne could tell Krystal was smiling, which made her feel even worse for lying. But she’d feel downright awful if she didn’t trust her gut and go after Brynn.
Something wasn’t right, and she was going to find out. Worst case scenario, Brynn had been kidnapped then killed. Best case, she’d just forgotten to call or text back and was fucking her ex in every position she could.
When Shavonne hung up, she rushed to the closet and got dressed in dark brown joggers and an oversized T-shirt. She tugged down a black zipper hoodie, just in case, and went for her keys in the key bin.
Inside her car, she checked Brynn’s location on the app again, then entered the address of it into her phone’s navigation app and followed it.
FORTY-FOUR
SHAVONNE
Four years ago
By the time Shavonne reached the location, her hands were clammy, and she was thirsty. She picked up the plastic bottle of water from her cupholder that’d been sitting in her car for the past two days and gulped some down as she turned onto a street she’d never been on before.
The street took her toward a wrought iron gate with the letters MV built into the iron. She was in Marshview, a neighborhood many people talked about, and a place designated for the rich. She stopped the car and studied the gates, then her eyes wandered to one of the houses behind it. It was massive. All brick, two stories high, with an enormous front yard.
There was a security box to her left that required a pin. She checked her phone again and Brynn was definitely around here somewhere. The Green Dot said she was an eight-minute walk away. But there was a gate and a code required. How was she going to get in?