Page 65 of Chalk Outline

“No. That’s part of it. I have to do this.” She clears her voice. “I’ll be fine. I just needed a moment.”

I nod even though she can’t see me.

A sense of pride washes over me.

I know it’ll haunt her, but she did break out of her shell.

“This is what you’re going to do,” I instruct, “bring a sheet and a rope from the basement. Can you do that?” I ask, not pushing her to do something she’s not ready for.

“I can do that.”

That’s my girl.

“I’ll be here every step of the way.” I turn when something buzzes behind me. But there’s nothing there. “Don’t worry. You’re never alone.”You have me and my demons.

“Can you keep a secret?” she asks, her voice turning playful.

“Better than anyone,” I respond. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’ll come for you if you don’t.”

A low chuckle escapes me.

“You will haunt me until the end of time,” I murmur before speaking into the radio. “Our secret is safe with me.”

The door of her tower cracks open, revealing a petite figure. I examine every inch of her body to assess the damage, zooming in on the gun in her holster. I noticed she forgot it the first time; she probably woke up from a nightmare—they tend to confuse her sometimes.

She tosses a sheet and a rope at my feet, then walks toward the edge of the cliff.

“Winona,” I utter, her name melts against my lips.

Chapter eleven

Winona Bishop

Gravity — Lacuna Coil

The unknown gapes at me with sharp claws and bared teeth as I stare at the stream below.

Grandma said, “You can never forget your first.”

I don’t think Jason forgot his, either.

Will it fuel my hunger for a second, maybe a third? Maybe it will feed the darkness inside me—the one I tried to occupy with books and drawings because it never stayed quiet for long.

The icy rain cascades down my body—blood and soil pool at my feet, blending with the earth.

A safe space is merely an illusion created for personal comfort. It isn’t a physical place but a mental state. This was the foundation my husband cemented around the day I met him. Danger always lurked outside the walls of my home. Safety is a far cry from an engine that once belonged to him.

Nothing is safe.

Not even when Jason wraps the body behind me, pretending to have my back. He’s a faceless shadow from the other side, stained with blood. His intentions are unclear, and it would be foolish to let my guard down, regardless of his connection to my grandma. Loyalty often shifts when the benefit increases.

Where does he draw the line?

When does it get bloody betweenus?

He is not here to pass the time with Romina’s granddaughter.