These Unquiet Bones by Dean Harrison Read Free Book Online Page B

she had seen Billy— or someone like him— somewhere before. She just couldn’t say who or where.
    Probably nothing. Stop obsessing.
    But she couldn’t. In her mind, Billy’s eyes still leered at her like a predator, and gave her a chill that sunk straight to the bone.
    Amy opened the closet doors and shifted through Catherine’s clothes, looking for something to wear.
    “Damn, you’re one sexy lil’ bitch!”
    She spun around. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. She folded her arms across her chest and stiffened. Fear gripped her heart.
    Billy Brown’s chilly eyes roamed her body as he eased the bedroom door shut and locked it.
    “Gotta be careful,” he said. “Be sure you lock doors in a house full of freaks.” A devious grin cracked along his acne-riddled face. “Never know who just might walk on in and get’cha!”
     
     

Chapter 11
    After tossing Amy’s jacket onto Catherine’s bed, Layne headed downstairs with a stomach full of fluttering butterflies.
    Tonight’s the night, man.
    Tonight’s the night you pour your heart out to Amy. Tonight’s the night you finally tell her how you feel about her.
    In the foyer he was stopped by the sweet, pungent scent of marijuana hanging in the air. He smiled, thinking of the perfect way to cure his nervousness and ease the tension swelling in his gut.
    Layne joined the small group of stoners in the living room for a hit. After bumming a joint from some guy named Scooter, he slumped down in a wide, leather wing-backed chair and gathered his nerve.
    Tonight’s the night.
    He savored the weed.
    Tonight I lay it all on the line.
    He tried to tune out the droopy-eyed stoner in the Pink Floyd T-shirt who was sitting by the fireplace and jabbering to his dazed-looking friends about Pink Floyd and The Wizard of Oz.
    Layne hated Pink Floyd and that stupid movie. So did Amy.
    Tonight I don’t hold back. Tonight I make her see that she belongs to me. Tonight I make her mine.
    Layne finished off his joint, pushed himself to his feet, and said to the Floyd fan, “Get your head out of Oz and listen to Black Sabbath.”
    As he left the room, feeling a little more confident, he heard the phone ring. One of the stoners answered and said, “Clancy? There ain’t no Clancy here, man. Wrong number.”
    In the kitchen, Layne grabbed himself a bottle of Bud Light and headed to the noisy den.
    He found Catherine in the swarm of dancing bodies and asked her about Amy. When she told him what happened to her, his cheeks burned with fury.
    “Ah, fucking hell,” he spat. “Where is that shithead, Billy Brown?”
    “I kicked him out,” Catherine said. “I’m going to kill Michael for inviting these creeps to my house, when I find him that is. Have you seen Michael?”
    “No. But if I do…” He looked into Catherine’s narrowed eyes and reconsidered. “Ah, forget it. Amy still upstairs?”
    “Probably. I haven’t seen her since all that happened.”
    “All right. I’ll go check on her.” Layne took a long pull from his bottle of Bud and retraced his steps.
    What happened between Amy and this punk named Billy Brown would be a minor setback. He’d make everything okay again. He’d make her feel better. He’d make her happy.
    Layne was sure of it. He’d make her forget all about Billy and the Nightmare Man.
     
     

Chapter 12
    “You’re mine, bitch! And I’m gonna teach you a lesson!”
    Amy yelped as Billy pinned her on the bed and yanked down her bra. She couldn’t believe this was happening, not to her, not on her birthday.
    Shock and terror stunned her. For a moment, she couldn’t even breathe let alone scream.
    “Damn, you got some nice tits!” He licked her right breast and groaned.
    Tears streamed down Amy’s face, but she found the will to struggle beneath his heavy weight. “Stop! Let me go!”
    He bit her nipple.
    A shriek rose up her throat. A flood of tears blurred her vision. Balling her fist, she swung out at Billy.
    He dodged the blow.