Chapter One-Hundred and Sixty
John dropped his stuff in the doorway to the house, sighing as he unlocked the gun-safe he kept in his office and placed his pistol inside. He rolled his shoulders and stepped over a few of Reya's toys on his way to the living room. "Hey…"
Clarissa smiled and stood from her seat. "How was work?"
"It was work." He shrugged, gently moving Maya's head so that he could sit. "Nothing special." He combed his long fingers through Maya's dark red locks. "How's Claire?"
Clarissa shook her head. "She hasn't gotten out of bed all day."
John's lips pressed into a thin line. "I wish I could help her." He brushed Clarissa off as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I want her to get better." He stood, and placed another log in the fireplace.
He looked into the flames, his frustration only growing as the fresh log began to catch. He thought back to that night back in Shermer.
John fought against sleep as Willard handed him another mug of coco. "It's warm…" He pushed the blankets off of him. "Too warm…"
Willard nodded and pulled John to lay down with his head on his lap. "Go to sleep." He soothed, cursing under his breath when someone knocked on the door. "Who in Hell's name…"
He opened the door and fell backwards as a burly eighteen-year-old pushed his way inside. "Where is he?" The young-adult barked. "Where's John?"
"Rafe?" John's voice was quiet and weak, but just enough to catch Rafe's attention.
Rafe pushed Willard away from him, and motioned to two big bruisers he'd brought with him. "Go look for his girl." He ordered, stepping toward the sofa where John was curled up on his side with beads of sweat rolling over his bare skin. "Bender?" He gathered John into his arms, his stomach hitting the floor when he felt how warm John's body was. "What the fuck…?"
Willard stepped back as Rafe's eyes landed on him.
"What did you give him?" Rafe knew the signs of drugs in a human being, but whatever Willard had given John, wasn't agreeing or acting right. "What did you drug him with?"
"I'm not telling." Willard stated, before he sprinted for the door and out into the night.
"John?" Clarissa's voice echoed in John's ears as the memory faded. "John?"
"I'm fine." He shrugged her off. "Just a memory." He lifted Sid as he stirred in his sleep. "Shhh…" He soothed, gently bouncing his son in his arms as he began to wake from a nightmare. "You're alright."
