Read Online Bloom by A.P. Kensey - Free Book Online

asked.
    Alistair grinned and showed his perfect teeth. “Montana.”
    “Wait, what?” said Reece. “That might sound good to you, being from overseas or whatever, but Montana ? I thought you were going to say Egypt or Switzerland or someplace fun and, you know, exotic .”
    “You don’t like Montana? I must admit, it wasn’t my first choice, either. But it grows on you after a time. We go where we’re needed, so to speak,” said Alistair. “And I am paying for everything.”
    “Oh,” said Reece. “In that case, where’s the plane?”
    Colton couldn’t force himself to completely let go of caution long enough to take the chance that the man was telling him the full truth.
    “Colton, listen,” said Alistair. “You have a wonderful gift, and you have the potential to help a lot of people. I know you’ve been doing it already, haven’t you? At the homeless shelter. Don’t be modest! Your instincts led you there because those people needed help. I can show you how to do so much more.”
    Colton stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged—the choice was made. “So, what’s in Montana?” he asked.
    Alistair smiled. “More people who are just like you.”
     

 
     
     
    7
     
    T wo weeks after her house had burned down into nothing more than a pile of charred wood and debris, Haven went back to try and find anything that had survived the flames. It took her a few minutes to work up the courage to step over the blackened wooden plank that was the only remaining piece of what used to be the front door.
    As she walked through the grey and black ruin, her feet kicked up small clouds of fine powder, which floated into the air and clung to her clothes. She had barely taken ten steps and it looked as if she had been crawling around in dirty air vents all afternoon.
    Yellow police tape still encircled the yard to keep out anyone with more than a passing curiosity about the unusual fire that had so quickly consumed the Kincaid home. She had been told that she was allowed to come back anytime she wanted, as long as she called the local police and informed them of her visit.
    The fire was classified as “unusual” because the Fire Scene Investigator could not yet determine what started the blaze. The authorities suspected arson due to the strange red color of the flames, so they had been searching for an accelerant—some type of chemical that started and fed the powerful fire.
    Haven’s parents had both been in bed at the time—presumably asleep—and had suffocated on the poisonous fumes.
    The police could find no sign of Noah. Haven overheard one of the firemen explaining to a news reporter that the remains of those who died in a fire were usually very easy to identify. Sometimes only a bone was left, but it was enough to run a DNA test and identify the victim. Haven was still unclear as to whether or not the police intended to classify the fire as an accident—they told her they couldn’t be sure until they ran more tests. No one seemed to want to talk to her about the devastating incident. Whenever she managed to pull someone aside, they simply said that they were working on it and would have an answer for her soon.
    Haven felt utterly helpless.
    Noah’s room—which had collapsed down through the first floor and fallen into the kitchen—was covered with pieces of his burned bed. A few blackened toys lay scattered across the broken floor. The police had briefly mentioned that it could have been a kidnapping, but Haven could tell by the look on their faces that they thought it was only a matter of time before they found his remains in the ashes. They had no leads to follow besides the black car that Haven had seen driving away from her home when the fire started. Since she hadn’t seen the license plate or the driver, the chances of the police finding the car were practically zero.
    Haven hugged herself and shivered as she walked through the ruins of her home. Most of the second floor had completely