River of Bones Dan Padavona (amazing books to read .TXT) đ
- Author: Dan Padavona
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Then what? She couldnât have reached LeVar in time. The attack happened too fast.
Deputy Lambert hurried to Thomas. The two officers shared a brief conversation. The grim look on Lambertâs face told Raven the deputy had bad news. She braced herself, understanding nothing would save her sanity if LeVar was already dead.
âI spoke to Deputy Aguilar,â Lambert said. âAguilar and the ranger are searching the state park grounds. The campgrounds are on lock down. So far, weâve found no one. No sign of LeVar.â
âFind him,â said Raven. âHe might be injured.â
Thomas flicked on his flashlight.
âWeâll take the trail along the lake and meet up with Darren and Aguilar. With any luck, weâll trap the suspect between us.â And find LeVar alive, Raven prayed. âDo you have your gun on you?â
Raven nodded and patted her holster. Thomas handed her a radio.
âKeep it on at all times, and donât let Naomi and Scout out of your sight.â
âGotcha.â
Thomas took a deep breath and touched Ravenâs shoulder.
âWeâll find LeVar. I promise.â
Raven steeled herself.
âBring him home, Thomas.â
Thomas and Lambert took off for the trail. Ravenâs body thrummed with tension as she cupped her elbows with her hands. She wanted to be in the park with the search team. Raven held the flawed belief that she could alter fate by joining the hunt. As she struggled to remain calm, she spied the terror on Scoutâs face. She needed to be strong for the girl. Kneeling before the wheelchair, Raven took Scoutâs hand in hers.
âYou did great, Scout.â
âNo, I didnât help him.â
âHeâs alive because of you. Darren and I missed the alert. If it wasnât for you, we wouldnât have known someone tried to break into the guest house.â
Naomi rested a hand on Scoutâs shoulder. The girl sniffled and swiped her hand beneath her nose.
âI just want him to be okay. Heâs my friend.â
A part of Raven broke inside. Since heâd left the Harmon Kings, her brother had touched so many lives. Not just his familyâs. That heâd befriended a paralyzed fourteen-year-old made her even more proud of what heâd become.
âHe loves you, Scout. LeVar has a funny way of showing affection sometimes. But heâs a teddy bear at heart. I see how he looks at you.â
Raven turned away when Scout broke down. As much as she wanted to comfort the girl, Raven couldnât watch Scout sob without falling apart. She faded into the shadows where the others wouldnât see her cry.
A shout pulled Raven around. She shared a glance with Naomi, then she ran toward the lake trail, stopping when LeVar walked out of the darkness.
âLeVar!â Scout cried out.
Raven breathed again. She wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him close, never wanting to let him out of her sight. The honeymoon didnât last long. Remembering heâd run after his assailant like a reckless fool, she shoved his shoulder.
âDonât do that again. You risked your life for nothing.â
âI had it handled.â
âOh, really? He shot at you.â
LeVar glanced over his shoulder.
âWell, heâs not a good shot, âcause he missed.â
Raven shook her head.
âThink with your head, not your fists. Did you see who it was?â
âNah, I didnât get a good look at him. It must have been one of the Kings. My guess is Rev or Kilo.â
Scout called to LeVar. He met the girlâs eyes and hugged her tightly, planting a kiss on her head.
âWe thought weâd lost you,â Scout said, on the edge of tears again.
âTakes more than a prowler to put me down.â LeVar brushed the hair off her forehead. âIf heâs stupid enough to return, weâll catch him.â
âNo, you wonât. Leave it to Thomas,â said Naomi. Raven nodded in agreement. âThis is a police matter. Thomas and the deputies are in the state park with Ranger Holt now.â
âYeah, I passed them on the way back. They wonât catch the guy, though. Heâs too fast.â
âPromise me you wonât do anything stupid like that again,â said Raven. âYouâre not expendable, LeVar. Everyone cares about you.â
âDonât worry, Sis. Like I said, I got it handled.â
Sure you do, Raven thought. Fire burned in her brotherâs eyes. If the Kings returned, heâd be prepared. What if LeVar found a gun and shot somebody? Worries fluttered through Ravenâs head as LeVar spoke with Naomi and Scout. How would Raven explain tonightâs events to Serena without worrying her sick?
Before Raven called her mother to break the news, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She stared at the screen. When it rained, it poured.
âWhatâs wrong?â asked Naomi, coming to Ravenâs side.
She put the phone away and exhaled.
âThat was Chelsey. Sheâs in the emergency room.â
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Saturday, August 14th
10:40 p.m.
Raven ignored the speed limit on her way to the hospital. Sheâd worried something like this would happen. Chelsey had grown sicker by the day, and Raven fretted over the myriad of possibilities. Was her friend stricken with a disease, or had the crippling depression returned?
She sprinted into the emergency room, but the receptionist wouldnât allow Raven inside because she wasnât family. After a lot of persuasion and arguing, Raven stood aside until a family gathered at the receptionistâs desk. Then she slipped through the emergency room doors before anyone noticed. She hurried to room four, the room Chelsey claimed she occupied in her text. A doctor with a gray mustache turned when Raven entered. There was nobody else in the room.
âWho are you looking for?â
âChelsey Byrd. She messaged me and told me she was in this room.â
The doctor scrunched his brow.
âThe woman who occupied this room is in surgery.â
Ravenâs stomach dropped. No, this wasnât happening.
âAre you certain?â
âWell, yes. They rushed her into surgery five minutes ago.â He narrowed his eyes. âAre you immediate family? You shouldnât be here.â
âIâm her coworkerâŠI mean her best friend.â
A confused expression fell across the doctorâs face.
âCoworker? I would have expected she retired years ago.â
âWait, are we talking about the same person? My friend is thirty-two. Dark hair down to about here.â Raven touched her shoulder.
âOh, my. You have the wrong
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