My Sisters Keeper - Stephanie Parke (e novels to read txt) 📗

and looked down at his hat again before answering, “She hasn’t said a word since we found her Lee.”

Leona pulled back and looked into Angela’s deep blue eyes. What she saw there terrified her. There was an emptiness there that she had seen often over the years on Becky’s face and she shook her gently needing to reach her. “Angie honey,” she spoke softly “Where’s mommy and daddy?” “Can you tell Aunt Lee what happened?” The little girl whimpered and buried her face in Leona’s neck and began to shake. Leona looked up into Jerod’s eyes as her feeling of unease rose in her throat threatening to choke her.

They thanked the deputy and Jerod saw him out as she rocked Angela. She clutched her tightly wondering what had happened and how she could help Angela, she hoped she could still help Becky.
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Leona shivered despite the heat of the day remembering that sometimes you do things to protect those you love that you would never expect or regret, no matter how they change you.

The house had been asleep the following night as Leona sat Indian style in the living room looking out at the darkness. She had her back propped against her mother’s ancient paisley print recliner beside the fireplace and Angela slept on her bratz sleeping bag on the floor tucked up against her. Her small hand snuck out of the sleeping bag clutching Leona’s in the darkness refusing to let go, even in sleep. The crackle and hiss of the fire made Leona’s already stretched nerves fray even further as she stroked the fair hair back from Angela’s forehead and thought how much she looked like Becky. She sighed as she picked up the phone checking to make sure she had not missed any calls. The phone showed no new messages and Leona sighed trying to quell the fear that had lived in her throat since the police had brought Angela to her last night. They had not found Becky or Jay and everyone was still out looking despite the weather and the fact that tomorrow was Christmas Eve. The local news station had the story of the search on every newscast and with every hour that passed Leona was more and more afraid that Becky was not coming home.

Leona wiped a tear from her eye as she pulled the blanket more securely around her legs and prayed for the millionth time that they would hear something. Jerod was out now with the search party trudging through the snow looking for them. Leona hated waiting, felt like there was something more she had to do but wasn’t sure what it was. Events from the last six years rolled through her mind and Leona wondered if there was anything else she could have done to stop this but no matter how she looked at it she knew inside that she could not have stopped this from happening.

The ringing of the phone startled Leona, breaking the silence, and she hit talk before it could wake Angela.

“Hello” she said into the phone clutching it to her ear praying that this call would be good news.

“Lee, “a hesitant voice whispered, “Please help me.”

Leona felt her throat close up as she heard Becky’s whispered words. She felt panic rising inside her and found herself unable to speak for a moment.

“Lee,” Becky whispered again, “are you there, please god” she sobbed, “still be there.”

“Becky, I’m here,” Leona whispered back as relief and terror washed over her, “where are you?”

“Lee please come and get me, I... I’m hurt really bad, please help me.”

Leona closed her eyes as Becky told her where she was. She bundled Angela up in a blanket and left her with a neighbor, as she was unable to get through to Jerod. She gunned the engine of her Suburban and sped out onto the nearly impassible roads as the snow began to fall harder. She tried again to call Jerod or the police but was unable to get through due to the downed phone lines. She slammed the phone down and sped toward her sister.

She arrived at Jay’s parent’s home and noticed the door hanging open. She pushed it open and walked into the darkness cursing herself for not bringing a flashlight. She flipped her cell phone open and guided herself by its light. The small glow of the light illuminated a small area in front of her and made the darkness seem all the more dismal in the old house. The floors groaned under her weight as she crept through the darkness making her cringe with every step. She saw her breath in the glow of the cell phone and shivered as she whispered Becky’s name. The silence that met her call chilled her to the bone. She stumbled in the darkness as her foot caught on something and she fell to her knees with a thump connecting with the hardwood floor. Pain rocked through her and she gasped as she ran her cell phone light over the floor to see what she had stumbled on. Her light flowed over a body lying in the darkness. She scooted back as she registered Jay’s dark hair in the pool of light. His head was tilted at an odd angle that made Leona feel sick. She leaned toward him, her hand moving hesitantly towards his neck to see if he was breathing. She stopped cold when she heard a whimper from the darkness behind her. She backed away and ran her cell phone light toward the sound and found herself looking into her sister’s eyes.

She scooted over running her hands over her sister’s face. Becky breathed in hesitantly, her breath rattling around in her chest like rocks in a polisher. Leona felt tears running down her face as she took in the swollen and distorted face covered in bruises and blood. Her blonde hair had been pulled out in places and her arm hung at a sickening angle that left Leona in not doubt that it was badly broken. “Becky” she whispered, “My god how long have you been here? “Can you move?”

Becky smiled weakly, only one side of her mouth going up. “Been here since yesterday” she whispered as the breath rattled again in her chest. “Is Angela okay?”She asked frantically searching Leona’s eyes. “I had to get her out but wasn’t sure if she made it.” “Jay was so mad when he found out I’d slipped her out of the car, I was so afraid he would find her.” Leona nodded her head stroking her hair, “She’s fine honey I have her.” But can you move?”

Becky shook her head uncertainly,” I can’t feel my left leg Lee, it hurts so bad, please god, help me.” “Was finally able to get through on my phone, so glad I was able to get you, sorry to drag you into this.” She began to cry, her sobs dry and small as she struggled to breathe. Leona pulled head into her lap and stoked her hair looking over to where Jay lay.

“Becky is Jay dead?” she asked quietly almost afraid of the answer.

Becky sucked in a rattling breath as her eyes moved over to where he lay. “I wish he was, she wheezed, “he’s drunk.” Leona sighed as she surveyed her brother in law laying in the darkness. He lay so still she was tempted to check him but jerked back when Becky grabbed her hand. “Lee,” Becky said wildly “we have to get out of here, he could wake up any time.” She clutched Leona’s hand frantically trying to move.

“Becky lay still” Leona hissed pushing her down “I have to try and call for help.” She reached for her phone and began to try and dial. Becky pushed the phone closed again and gripped her arm. “Leona please, she begged, “Just get me out of here, you have to get me away from here or he will kill me this time, please don’t let me be here when he wakes up.”

The panic in her voice reached Leona and she wondered what to do, Becky was obviously to hurt to move far but she had to admit she was worried about what would happen if Jay woke up and caught them here. She picked up her phone and found no signal again. She made her decision and gripping Becky under the arms she pulled her to her feet. Becky screamed as pain ripped through her and Leona almost fell to the floor under their combined weight. Leona hoisted her up and began to pull them toward the door groaning with each step. Becky’s left leg dragged behind them pulling them down. Leona groaned and stumbled gasping as she felt the room swim as they almost crashed to the floor. The sound of their breathing echoed in the darkness as they slowly moved toward the door. Leona gasped in gratitude as the door came into view, grateful that they were almost there, grateful that their luck had held out.

A voice slithered out of the darkness stopping them both in their tracks. “Leave the bitch here,” it hissed sounding evil, angry and closer than Leona would have liked, “She belongs to me.”

Leona turned with a shiver as the voice hissed along her neck. She gripped Becky and tried to scoot toward the door slowly. She met Jay’s eyes and felt dread claw its way up her spine as his bloodshot eyes met hers. He smiled slowly, his lip curling up with a smug smile as he looked at them slowly pushing himself to his feet. Leona pushed Becky behind her, propping her against the wall by the door, praying she would be able to stay upright. “Get the hell away from her”, Leona hissed, “I’m taking her home.”

“You think you can protect her little Lee?” he asked with a snarl as he weaved toward them. “You think I wouldn’t take care of you to get to her?” He laughed and came closer. “You are nothing” he sneered with a laugh “she stays here.” He reached behind Leona and grabbed Becky’s broken arm-twisting it and yanked. Becky screamed as they struggled. Leone scratched his arm finally pushing him away, standing in front of Becky blocking his path as she struggled to keep her upright against the wall. He smiled as he rubbed the red welts of the scratches on his arm. He looked at Leona with a sick smile, almost as if he were happy she’d scratched him. You shouldn’t have done that” he hissed seconds before his fist connected with her face. Leona’s head spun and the punch threw them both to the floor. Jay smiled and drew back his foot kicking Becky in the ribs.

Becky screamed and coughed spitting blood on the floor. Leona’s eyes met hers from where she lay on the floor and the lifelessness in Becky’s gaze terrified her more than anything else. Leona’s jaw screamed as pain flashed up her cheek to her eye and she grabbed her jaw trying to make it stop. Jay grabbed Leona by the hair and yanked her to a sitting position. He slapped and punched her causing her head to spin. “You don’t try to take what is mine, you bitch.” He hissed between punches, “I’ll make you sorry you did,” he laughed to himself as if he’d made a great joke and punched again hearing something snap, “ I’ll make you both sorry.”
Leona’s head lulled to the side and met Becky’s eyes across the room and in that moment she knew she