Page 59 of Savage Ends

“You don’t need to panic,” Violet said.

“Someone shot up the garage,” Ava said, already pulling out of the parking lot.Her mother was still there, looking so sad.

She didn’t think, she just drove.Pushing her foot down on the gas to try and get to the garage.Why did she sneak out this morning?What if Pat was hit?What if he was hurt?Guilt rushed through her and she felt so sick, she wanted to cry and scream.Instead, she just drove toward the garage.

“It’s going to be okay.This is Pat, right, and he’s got military training.I’m sure everything is more than fine.”

On the approach, Ava saw the sheriff’s truck.There was no way she could park.The locals had set up a barricade around the garage, and it looked so empty.

She was able to drive around, and as she did, she went slowly, just in case anyone stepped out in front of the car.She looked, and there on the ground, she saw the blood.

“There’s blood, Violet,” she said.

“Don’t panic.You don’t know anything yet.Where can you go?Can you call Pat?Do you have his number?”

“We can go to the clubhouse.”

“Ava, I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“If someone has been shot, that is the only logical place to go,” Ava said.“He has to be there, right?”

She felt that panic starting to consume her.She felt sick.Glancing toward her sister, she saw the pity on Violet’s face.

“Please don’t look at me like that.I am not ...panicking.”

“Babe, you are, and that is fine.I get it, and if you want to go to the clubhouse, then that is where we go.I just ...I’ve never seen you like this.You and Pat, it’s a new thing, but you’re kind of acting like you have a lot more feelings for him.”

Ava felt the tears in her eyes.“I do.I don’t know if it is love, but it hurts.”She pressed a hand to her chest.“This morning, I snuck out on him because I thought I was going to get the chance to see him again, but what if I don’t?What if last night and this morning was all I had, and I could have prevented him from being at that stupid garage and getting shot?”

“You don’t know if he was the one shot, and you have to have faith.”

She felt like laughing.All she felt was panicking.Driving past, she didn’t stop, and didn’t second-guess what she was doing.She drove right to the main clubhouse.

There was a guy, Rip, or it might have been Sweet, she wasn’t sure.There was no sign of Pat.

Chapter Twelve