Atlanta, Georgia
He was mid-punch when it hit him, a sharp pain splitting his skull. Down he went, the world spinning. Noise. Chaos. Eyes shut tight, then open. It all came rushing back. Chloe. “I left her,” he muttered, voice breaking. “No, no, her bump…” People stared at him like he’d lost it. He ripped off the gloves, sprinted out, and grabbed his phone. “Hank, get me tickets. We’re heading back to New Orleans. Now.”
Old cemetery
He blindfolded them, James’s father and her mom first. The cemetery was cold, a thin mist clinging to the ground. The abandoned mausoleum stood far back, its shadows looming. Inside, a coffin waited for the two of them. James shoved them in. “Enjoy eternity, dear parents,” he said flatly. Chloe closed the lid. Jason and James hoisted the coffin onto the bed.
