Consume (The Devoured Series) by Shelly Crane Read Free Book Online Page B

always been soft," Finn said and laughed humorlessly. "Soft is good to get what I want from the feelers, but what you are is…I'm Charmin, you're a frigging down feather pillow, Eli! Too soft, man, and it's gonna get you strung up to a tree and branded."
     
    "Again?" Eli growled.
     
    Finn pulled on his hair. "Geez, Eli." It sounded like an apology, but I was sure that was about as apologetic as a Devourer got.
     
    "We're out of here tonight," Eli told them. "Happy?"
     
    "Is this thing still around my wrist?" Enoch asked rhetorically. "Then I'm not happy."
     
    Eli turned without another word and took me across the street to my house. I knew exactly what he was doing and I just let him do it. We went straight down the hall to my room and he threw my backpack on the bed, dumping out everything. I just watched him as he went to my dresser and grabbed two pairs of jeans and a few shirts, throwing them inside the bag.
     
    When he opened my top drawer, I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. He grabbed a handful of my underwear without really looking at them and stuffed them into the bag, only barely glancing at me.
     
    "Toothbrush, Clara," he commanded softly.
     
    I obeyed in a daze. I was about to get my wish. I was leaving this town, albeit not the way I had imagined. But I was leaving and there was something thrilling in that even though my life was in danger. But it also made me feel guilty in a way I never had before. That Finn guy was right. Eli was tied to me because I had bound us and I slowed him down, put him in danger, and forced him to look after me. A wretched balloon of regret began to bloom in my chest.
     
    I brought him my toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, along with my small makeup bag from the bathroom. He stuffed all that into the bag and then took my hand again to lead me down the hall. He stopped and hovered outside the kitchen. Mrs. Ruth was chopping something. The babies must've been down for a nap because the house was quiet.
     
    He looked back at me as if asking for permission. My mind ran. What was I going to tell Pastor and Mrs. Ruth? Then I saw the way he was looking at me; a shameful way. I knew then what he wanted.
     
    "It's ok, Eli. It'll be easier on them if you persuade them to let me go."
     
    "But I hate it," he admitted and sagged even more. "I hate it so much for you to see me like that."
     
    "I'm sorry. I can talk them into it," I suggested and rubbed his arm. "We never really discussed what I was going to do after graduation, but they had to know it wasn't going to be forever, right?"
     
    "I hate it, Clara, but it has to be done." He kissed my forehead. "And the fact that I'd do anything for you is there, too. Just stay here, ok?"
     
    I nodded and leaned on the wall as I heard a surprised Mrs. Ruth say hello to Eli. I heard him murmuring and her agreeing. About a minute and a half later, he came around the corner and grabbed my hand.
     
    We made a swift getaway from my house. I didn't ask him what was said. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it. I'd ask him later. We passed the bird on the way to his bedroom. He started packing up some of his stuff as well.
     
    "I only have four thousand in emergency cash," he explained. "We'll buy whatever we need, but we need to lay low for a while and not use any bank cards or anything. The cash needs to last for as long as possible."
     
    "I wish I could help in that department."
     
    He shook his head at me. "That's not what I meant."
     
    "I know, but my parents didn't have life insurance. It was just one of those things that didn't get done before they died. So we lost the house and everything. My sister and I split the money from all the stuff in the house that got sold, but it was only a couple thousand dollars. I've blown through that on school stuff."
     
    "I'm sorry," he said as he took his uniform shirt off and threw on a Ramones t-shirt over his wife beater. "That sucks, CB."
     
    "Hey, how come you got to