The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart: A Hart Brothers Novel by A.M. Hargrove

heavens and say, “Oh, God, I’m sorry for
doing this. Please forgive me.” Then I bring my focus back on Kade.
“Two and a half years ago I came home from LSU after graduation to
find my beloved family had been slaughtered.” My hands start to
tremble so I clench them together to get them to stop. “They were
lying on the floor of the living room in a huge pool of their own
blood. My dad’s throat was ripped out, my mom’s and sister’s were
sliced to the point their heads were all but taken off, and my
sister …” I have to stop for a moment and collect myself. “My
sister, Sylvie, was naked and her body had all these weird wounds
all over it. They were all clearly tortured.” My voice catches at
the end and a sob escapes.
    Kade’s right in front of me, on his knees,
holding my clenched hands. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
    “It was the most gruesome scene ever. I
still have nightmares about it. Of course you already know that.” I
swipe my face with my sleeve.
    “I’ve often wondered what put that look on
your face.”
    “Yeah, well now you know.”
    “Was it always your intention to become a
nun?”
    “No. But there’s more. My dad left me a
message in his own blood. He told me to hide. So I ran. I didn’t
know what else to do. I totally freaked. He kept a safe in a
storage unit so I went there and pulled out the cash and
jewels.”
    “Jewels?”
    “My parents owned a jewelry store. And I got
in my car and drove. I ended up in Oklahoma, Texas, then Arizona.
But here’s the thing. Their deaths were never reported.”
    “What? I don’t understand.”
    I explain how it was all covered up.
Buried.
    “How can that be?”
    “The same way those footprints mysteriously
appeared. Someone made them, but no one shows up on your video
feed.”
    He’s quiet, thinking. His thumbs rub circles
on mine. The motion entrances me.
    “Did your parents have enemies?” he
asks.
    “No. Or at least none that I’m aware of.
I’ve been through this scenario so many times my brain hurts
thinking about it.”
    “No doubt. I want to run this by my
brothers.”
    “No! Oh, Kade, you can’t do that. If whoever
did this could make my family literally drop off the face of the
Earth, they could do it to anyone else, too. Don’t you see? The
more people who know about this, the more dangerous it is. I hate
that you know about it. I know my life has a very short
endpoint. I can’t outsmart these people forever. The fact they
located you lets me know my extermination is going to be soon.”
    “What the fuck are you saying?”
    “They’re going to kill me! And now I’m
afraid they’ll have you on their list too.”
    “Don’t say that, Emmalia.”
    “But can’t you see that it’s true?”
    “No! Swear to me you’ll fight. Swear you’ll
let me help you.” He grabs my hands and squeezes them.
    “I’ll try. But honestly, those people,
whoever they are, have great power. I think they must be government
or something. Who else could do that?”
    “Yeah, you’re right. But one question. Why
didn’t they come in here and kill us during the night?”
    “I’ve asked myself the same thing. They
follow me all the time. I see their shadows and feel them watching
me. But there’s something else.” I pull out the necklace from
beneath my shirt. “This.”
    Kade picks it up between his fingers and
examines it. His hand accidentally skims across my chin and I jerk.
Heat explodes and then travels throughout my body. I know he can’t
miss the flush that must be infusing my cheeks.
    “Are you okay?”
    Um no, I’m not okay. You are affecting me,
Mr. Hart.
    “Uh huh.” My lips press together as I
answer. This evocation of new feelings in my body is something I
don’t want to deal with right now. There are more important matters
at stake. Like the profundity of what I just shared and how it can
impact him. Besides, he is the last person that would want anything
to do with someone such as myself. I resemble a