Read Online Empire of Blood (Book 2): Fading In Darkness by Robert S. Wilson - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert S. Wilson
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thought about what the other driver had said, what it could mean. Could there be others out there like him. Other people willing to stand up and fight? Hank was betting if that one man had been willing to give up his life to talk to Hank, there had to be others. But how could they know about him?
Chapter 9
For Hank
Toby woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking and he knew then his father was already gone. He thought about getting out of bed when the entirety of the night before came back to him all at once. Guilt followed. Had he only known what his father was going through, he wouldn't have behaved so aggressively toward him. He'd been angry, thought he had lost his father again. Only this time for good. Death would be better than his father becoming someone he wasn't. Someone so... wrong.
Toby's bedroom door opened a crack and Dustin's wooly black beard and brown eyes peeked in the crack.
"Hey Toby, you want some bacon and eggs?"
Toby fought back the storm of emotion threatening to overcome him. "Sure. I'll be out in a few."
"Word," Dustin said and winked. The door closed and Toby let out a long sigh. His father had left it to him to explain. But he couldn't do it here. It wasn't safe here anymore, never really was. As much as Toby had hated the place, it had at least given the illusion of safety for himself and his seemingly alien father.
He pushed off the covers and dressed himself, walked to the desk and opened the main drawer. The letter lying inside looked light as a feather but its contents had been a crushing weight on Toby's reality. And yet it had also been a huge relief. He picked it up, folded it, and put it in his pocket.
They ate their breakfast mostly in silence, Dustin reading something on his cell phone and mumbling once or twice, then giving a chuckle every now and then in between. Toby watched him as he sat eating and reading, stroking his beard between bites. He was a large man. Heavyset in an intimidating way that gave him the appearance of a bouncer or a security guard. People often gave him a fearful glance in public, but anyone who took more than a moment to speak to him could easily tell he was just a big teddy bear.
Toby loved him.
He hated that he would have to tell Dustin what he would, hated to have to involve him in something so dangerous. But Toby and his father's lives depended on it.
"You wanna go to Rhodius and play some basketball?" Toby asked and shoveled a bite of food into his mouth to at least attempt to act casual.
Dustin's eyes didn't leave the screen of his cell phone to notice Toby's fork shaking in his hand. "Word. Just let me finish my breakfast and then we can go."
Toby sighed as silently as he could. He'd been worried Dustin wouldn't want to leave the house until later that night. He picked at his food, but with the thought of all he had to explain lingering, his appetite was all but nonexistent. Dustin rose from his seat still staring into his phone and walked over to the sink, turned on the water, and set his plate underneath.
Dustin sighed. "Trust." That was Dustin's word for something obnoxious. He seemed to have a catalog of words he and his friends all said. He put his phone away and looked at Toby's plate.
"You better eat those eggs or I'll tell your dad you were mean to me while he was gone. I cooked those just for you."
Toby sat staring at his plate trying to bring himself to take a bite.
"Hell, I'll eat them if you won't." Dustin sat and pulled Toby's plate in front of him. He took a bite and started talking with a mouth full of Toby's eggs. " You doing all right?"
"Yeah, I'm just worried."
Dustin's expression softened as he continued to chew. "Yeah, I don't blame you." He took another bite. "He's gonna be okay, you know. He's been there before. I still don't understand how the hell he got out, but he'll manage again."
Toby nodded.
Dustin smiled. "Anyway, go get your shit ready. And don't forget to grab some extra
Chapter 9
For Hank
Toby woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking and he knew then his father was already gone. He thought about getting out of bed when the entirety of the night before came back to him all at once. Guilt followed. Had he only known what his father was going through, he wouldn't have behaved so aggressively toward him. He'd been angry, thought he had lost his father again. Only this time for good. Death would be better than his father becoming someone he wasn't. Someone so... wrong.
Toby's bedroom door opened a crack and Dustin's wooly black beard and brown eyes peeked in the crack.
"Hey Toby, you want some bacon and eggs?"
Toby fought back the storm of emotion threatening to overcome him. "Sure. I'll be out in a few."
"Word," Dustin said and winked. The door closed and Toby let out a long sigh. His father had left it to him to explain. But he couldn't do it here. It wasn't safe here anymore, never really was. As much as Toby had hated the place, it had at least given the illusion of safety for himself and his seemingly alien father.
He pushed off the covers and dressed himself, walked to the desk and opened the main drawer. The letter lying inside looked light as a feather but its contents had been a crushing weight on Toby's reality. And yet it had also been a huge relief. He picked it up, folded it, and put it in his pocket.
They ate their breakfast mostly in silence, Dustin reading something on his cell phone and mumbling once or twice, then giving a chuckle every now and then in between. Toby watched him as he sat eating and reading, stroking his beard between bites. He was a large man. Heavyset in an intimidating way that gave him the appearance of a bouncer or a security guard. People often gave him a fearful glance in public, but anyone who took more than a moment to speak to him could easily tell he was just a big teddy bear.
Toby loved him.
He hated that he would have to tell Dustin what he would, hated to have to involve him in something so dangerous. But Toby and his father's lives depended on it.
"You wanna go to Rhodius and play some basketball?" Toby asked and shoveled a bite of food into his mouth to at least attempt to act casual.
Dustin's eyes didn't leave the screen of his cell phone to notice Toby's fork shaking in his hand. "Word. Just let me finish my breakfast and then we can go."
Toby sighed as silently as he could. He'd been worried Dustin wouldn't want to leave the house until later that night. He picked at his food, but with the thought of all he had to explain lingering, his appetite was all but nonexistent. Dustin rose from his seat still staring into his phone and walked over to the sink, turned on the water, and set his plate underneath.
Dustin sighed. "Trust." That was Dustin's word for something obnoxious. He seemed to have a catalog of words he and his friends all said. He put his phone away and looked at Toby's plate.
"You better eat those eggs or I'll tell your dad you were mean to me while he was gone. I cooked those just for you."
Toby sat staring at his plate trying to bring himself to take a bite.
"Hell, I'll eat them if you won't." Dustin sat and pulled Toby's plate in front of him. He took a bite and started talking with a mouth full of Toby's eggs. " You doing all right?"
"Yeah, I'm just worried."
Dustin's expression softened as he continued to chew. "Yeah, I don't blame you." He took another bite. "He's gonna be okay, you know. He's been there before. I still don't understand how the hell he got out, but he'll manage again."
Toby nodded.
Dustin smiled. "Anyway, go get your shit ready. And don't forget to grab some extra
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