บททั้งหมดของ The Lansing House: บทที่ 111 - บทที่ 120

EmersonShe tried to run the moment Asher went down. Two men had come into the house from the kitchen. One had hit Asher on the back of his knees with a metal rod, the other one had pressed two tasers into his flesh, one against his back, the other against his neck.She didn’t know the first man, the one Asher had called Joey. She did, however, know the other two men. They were the same men who had beat that man to death in Grover’s office. Grover always called them Mr. Black and Mr. Blacker.She had nowhere to escape to. They were in the open-plan foyer and living room and blocked her only exit.“Easy now, Emerson. We won’t hurt you if you cooperate, but we will if you fight us,” Mr. Black said.She nodded her head meekly, knowing there was no way out. This was the end of the line for her. They would take her to Grover. He would torture her and kill her slowly. She doubted that her body would ever be found, and Asher would wake up, still mad at her, and never know what had happened.

AsherHis knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. Emerson had fallen asleep quickly, the adrenaline, the fear, and the shock, giving way to exhaustion. He slowed down as he reached the town limits, and he looked around at his hometown with new eyes.When he finally drove past the entrance to the main house, he swallowed his emotion away. This was his home. It was his safe space. Joey hadn’t been at the cabin, and he hadn’t told Mark about him.The betrayal stung. Asher and Joey had been friends since they could walk, their mothers having been best friends. He parked the truck in front of his house, and carried Emerson upstairs to the guest room. He tucked the blanket around her and left the hall light on.When he got back to the foyer, he stared at the blood on the floor. His blood. He pulled a dark parka from the foyer closet, a beanie, and a pair of gloves. He locked the front door behind him, and headed back to the SUV.Joey lived in a single family home on the other

AsherHe stared at the room downstairs, and clenched his jaw. He had no idea how far Emerson had gotten in the journal. He didn’t know how much she knew, but it was more than she should know. He spent the entire day packing everything into boxes and stowing it in the shed. Emerson’s drawing desk still stood there. He’d glued the plastic sheet to the desk two days earlier, and he had planned to give it to her on Christmas.He locked the shed behind him, telling himself that he’d find a use for the desk, burn it, or give it away. He didn’t know what to do with it. He headed to his barn and stood in front of One Star’s stall. The horse took the peppermint from his hand, and he sighed.“Why is life so complicated?” The horse just looked at him, and he smiled sadly.That night, he ate dinner alone in the kitchen, and he stood in the doorway to the living room for many minutes, just staring. They had always watched a movie or series after dinner.He couldn’t fall asleep that night. He’d gr

AsherChristmas morning arrived bleak and cold. It had snowed the previous night, and Asher remained lying in his bed. It was still early, but he felt tired and restless. He finally got up, pulled on his clothes from the previous day, and headed out to the barn. He mucked the two stalls, fed and watered his horses, and gave them their treats. It was barely 7 a.m. when he was done with his chores, and the rest of the day loomed ahead of him. He trudged through the snow, back to his house, and stomped his feet before he stepped into the mudroom. He switched the coffee machine on, a gift he’d bought himself, and went to the living room to start a fire.Emerson’s gift to him still stood on the foyer table under the ridiculously small tree. He ignored it, and headed back to the kitchen. He heated up some leftover food, and took that along with his coffee back to the living room. He made himself comfortable on the couch and switched the television on. He scrolled through the movies and sel

AsherHe stepped into the cabin and closed the door behind him. The two boys were scared to death; he placed the rifle against the wall, and took his beanie and gloves off.“What are you boys doing this far up in the woods?”“We’re really sorry. We were just going to stay for a few nights. We didn’t take anything,” he said.“I don’t mind that you’re here. I want to know why you’re here,” Asher said.“Our dad—”“Shut up, Oscar.”“Your dad kicked you out? Maybe got a little aggressive with you? Is that where you got that shiner?”“It doesn’t matter. I’ll find someplace else for us to crash,” Joel said.He’d never officially met the two boys, but they were afraid, probably a little cold, and more than likely, starving. Asher put his backpack down on the floor, and walked over to the small furnace. He opened it and put more wood inside.“Do you boys know who I am?” They both shook their heads. “My name is Asher Fitzgerald, and this is my cabin. These parts of the woods are on our land.”“