Read Online A Beautiful Wreck (Second Chance #3) by CeeCee James - Free Book Online
Authors: CeeCee James
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the edge of the shovel. Her blade hit something with a clink. Adrenaline flooded her veins. It sounded like metal.
“Where’s the bucket?” She spun around looking for it. “You did not leave it in the car. Of course you did.” With a groan, she climbed out of the wreckage and stalked over to the car. She snatched the bucket from the back seat, glaring at it like it was its fault for being left behind, before returning to where her shovel stood jabbed into the debris.
“You can do this, Cass,” she cheered herself on. Overhead a crow cawed. It was joined by another bird bouncing along the same branch. The black birds watched her with dead-looking eyes.
“That’s not creepy or anything.” She glanced up at them. “Yeesh.”
Three big scoops were in the bucket when she dropped the shovel to retrieve her screen. Her steps were heavy with weariness, and she braced her hand against her lower back to relieve the strain. She propped the screen up against the cement steps, returning a minute later with the bucket of dirt. With a grunt, she carefully dumped half of its contents onto the screen. Running her gloved hands over the dirt and ash, she sifted it through the metal mesh.
The load yielded nothing. With a wave of discouragement, she grabbed her bucket and returned to her shovel. Not going to be as easy as it sounded.
Cassie repeated this process over and over again. Load after load of ash was pushed through the screen, creating a pyramid of debris beneath it on the ground.
Her muscles screamed at her to give up. One more bucket. I’ve got this. As she cleared the ash, a golden sparkle emerged from the clumps of dirt.
“What in the cat hair?” She stared at it before snatching it up. A grin broke across her face as she swiped at it with her shirt to clear the sticky soot. Slowly, a knotted chain emerged. She rubbed it again, feeling like she was trying to conjure up a genie.
“Come on. Come on!” This time, the pendant became clearer, a crucifix. A grin crossed her face, and she laughed out loud. The noise startled the crows, who flew away, one after the other. She smiled as they left. “Good, all good.”
Chapter 10
L uke pulled up outside the hotel at eight o’clock on the dot. His silver Camaro glimmered under the vacant sign and idled loudly. Cassie had been watching from the lobby and ran out to meet him.
“Hey,” she said, as she breathlessly fell into the passenger seat. The car, or maybe Luke, reeked slightly of alcohol, but his hazel eyes sparkled clear and sober. “How are you feeling?”
He took a deep breath in and shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. And I’ll keep saying it until it’s true.”
Cassie raised her eyebrows at the last comment but let it pass. “Where we going, again?”
“To Freymere’s city park. It’s kind of on the outskirts of town and has a pretty decent view of the sky.”
She gave a doubtful nod. “Okay. Sounds good.”
He took a swig off a plastic bottle.
“Water, right?” she asked, eyeing the bottle.
“Wow. You must really think I’m some kind of scumbag.” He started the car and dropped his arm across her seat, looking over his shoulder as he backed out of the stall.
“No, I just, you know… don’t want to die or anything.”
He flipped her a sarcastic look. “Yes, it’s water. Now, buckle up, sweetheart.”
She ignored the tone and buckled the belt. The car leaped forward with a jump and she grinned.
“Awesome car!” she yelled over the roar of the engine.
He smiled. “Yeah, I’ve had this baby since I was a teenager.”
“That old, huh?”
“You’ve got the chops for compliments, I’m telling you.”
She laughed and relaxed, feeling the power suck her into the seat. They raced up Main Street with the radio cranked, the bass vibrating through the seats.
After a few minutes, the city fell away, with just their headlights cutting swathes in the darkness. He took a sharp right turn, leading them uphill
“Where’s the bucket?” She spun around looking for it. “You did not leave it in the car. Of course you did.” With a groan, she climbed out of the wreckage and stalked over to the car. She snatched the bucket from the back seat, glaring at it like it was its fault for being left behind, before returning to where her shovel stood jabbed into the debris.
“You can do this, Cass,” she cheered herself on. Overhead a crow cawed. It was joined by another bird bouncing along the same branch. The black birds watched her with dead-looking eyes.
“That’s not creepy or anything.” She glanced up at them. “Yeesh.”
Three big scoops were in the bucket when she dropped the shovel to retrieve her screen. Her steps were heavy with weariness, and she braced her hand against her lower back to relieve the strain. She propped the screen up against the cement steps, returning a minute later with the bucket of dirt. With a grunt, she carefully dumped half of its contents onto the screen. Running her gloved hands over the dirt and ash, she sifted it through the metal mesh.
The load yielded nothing. With a wave of discouragement, she grabbed her bucket and returned to her shovel. Not going to be as easy as it sounded.
Cassie repeated this process over and over again. Load after load of ash was pushed through the screen, creating a pyramid of debris beneath it on the ground.
Her muscles screamed at her to give up. One more bucket. I’ve got this. As she cleared the ash, a golden sparkle emerged from the clumps of dirt.
“What in the cat hair?” She stared at it before snatching it up. A grin broke across her face as she swiped at it with her shirt to clear the sticky soot. Slowly, a knotted chain emerged. She rubbed it again, feeling like she was trying to conjure up a genie.
“Come on. Come on!” This time, the pendant became clearer, a crucifix. A grin crossed her face, and she laughed out loud. The noise startled the crows, who flew away, one after the other. She smiled as they left. “Good, all good.”
Chapter 10
L uke pulled up outside the hotel at eight o’clock on the dot. His silver Camaro glimmered under the vacant sign and idled loudly. Cassie had been watching from the lobby and ran out to meet him.
“Hey,” she said, as she breathlessly fell into the passenger seat. The car, or maybe Luke, reeked slightly of alcohol, but his hazel eyes sparkled clear and sober. “How are you feeling?”
He took a deep breath in and shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. And I’ll keep saying it until it’s true.”
Cassie raised her eyebrows at the last comment but let it pass. “Where we going, again?”
“To Freymere’s city park. It’s kind of on the outskirts of town and has a pretty decent view of the sky.”
She gave a doubtful nod. “Okay. Sounds good.”
He took a swig off a plastic bottle.
“Water, right?” she asked, eyeing the bottle.
“Wow. You must really think I’m some kind of scumbag.” He started the car and dropped his arm across her seat, looking over his shoulder as he backed out of the stall.
“No, I just, you know… don’t want to die or anything.”
He flipped her a sarcastic look. “Yes, it’s water. Now, buckle up, sweetheart.”
She ignored the tone and buckled the belt. The car leaped forward with a jump and she grinned.
“Awesome car!” she yelled over the roar of the engine.
He smiled. “Yeah, I’ve had this baby since I was a teenager.”
“That old, huh?”
“You’ve got the chops for compliments, I’m telling you.”
She laughed and relaxed, feeling the power suck her into the seat. They raced up Main Street with the radio cranked, the bass vibrating through the seats.
After a few minutes, the city fell away, with just their headlights cutting swathes in the darkness. He took a sharp right turn, leading them uphill
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