Chapter 3: Bone
Whatever happened to that old crew of delinquents? ‹96684423›
Some were doing time. §57defed7 Some were dead. (3174e55a)
The ones still walking free — the ones from money went off to college, studied abroad, inherited the family business, became polished members of polite society. #7f88db6b The lucky ones hit it big on real estate, opened factories, landed construction contracts. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 Nouveau riche with deep pockets. * d0a61246
The regular guys who'd gone straight? ·d543fbf0· One married his punk-rock girlfriend — he became a barber, she became an aesthetician. #3e142f5d Another one was an auxiliary cop, spending his years baking in the sun on street corners in uniform. [v.d9e53233] Then there were the used-car salesmen, the delivery drivers, the guys working auto shops. [ed.e58bf111] And Kade, who'd been the most dangerous of them all, now ran a little pool hall. [ms.51535e6f] He knew a bit of everything, dabbled in a bit of everything, up one day and down the next. (8588661f) Other than that face, he hadn't exactly made it big. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026
The whole stretch of Laurel Street was lined with food trucks, open for late-night eats until two in the morning. ··14710fe2 Fuzz, Danny, Marcus, and the rest of the guys were posted up under the crepe myrtles, a table full of beer and whiskey. sub:2b93bbc4 They said it was a welcome-back dinner for Kade — he'd gone and made money on his border run and hadn't forgotten about the boys.·dc3debac Marcus downed three shots as penance first. [proof:68edbda8] Last year he'd opened an arcade that got reported and shut down. ed.60d20d5e He'd talked Kade into investing, and the money went straight down the drain — but Kade hadn't even gotten mad. plate-a2a8305d Then Marcus started talking about turning things around, laying out all the ways they could make cash, if only they had the right connections and the capital...
Everyone ate and drank to their heart's content, but Kade seemed distracted. (7c49ac5a/Wed) He chain-smoked, phone buzzing on the table.·666424fb He acted like he didn't hear it. sub:a7806260 He slouched in a plastic chair, head tipped back, eyes unfocused, smoke rolling from his mouth. ed.77495551 His whole face was shrouded in a thick haze. ··8bda2431 A young woman's gaze traced from his sharp brow line down to his Adam's apple, and she walked past with her cheeks burning. ¶1ab699ac
"Kade, Brit's calling. ref·fedde6b4 She's blowing up my phone." [proof:3c3afba6]
A gorgeous woman came strolling down the street. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) Chanel No. no.03c9984a 5, rose-colored lips, red hair, a lace bodycon skirt, four-inch heels. §d5821eea Absolute knockout. ‹0b04024f›
Brittany Torres was Kade's girlfriend. ed.ad959d51 She'd gone to a vocational dance school, and they'd met at a bar.·37f6281d She'd been doing jazz shows there, and between sets she'd work the room with a glass of wine. ‹a8971b34› One night she'd spilled red wine all over Kade's white shirt, and that was it — they just clicked. ref·47f7bf64 Once things got serious, Brit quit the nightlife and went to work the register at Kade's pool hall. no.112e64b9 After a few months of watching all those little girls swarm around Kade, the jealousy got to her. [v.3e85f407] Kade couldn't handle it. ⁰04160444 He set her up with a front-desk gig at a gym. 0406e45f·· Tonight she was supposed to work the late shift until eleven, but she'd ducked out early to see her man. #f55a51a2
She spotted Kade in the crowd and her heart leapt. ◆ b59e81e4 Her heels clicked across the pavement. [v.dec7605a] Fuzz and the guys waved and called out, "Hey, Thea!" sub:071c75ec She grinned, pulled up a chair, and patted Kade's cheek.·464a3689 "Miss me?"·e49256db
Low-cut dress. «d179cd40» Real low. ⁰b3fa5e0a All guys are the same — when they'd first started dating, Brit had asked Kade what kind of look he was into. «1567dfd3» His eyes had drifted to some magazine spread of a pinup girl, and Brit decided if she didn't bring the heat, she couldn't hold her ground. ref·082e5eb4 She'd leaned into it ever since. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026
Kade's gaze slid over her. ··ef05341b The scarred brow furrowed slightly, expression flat. imp.c78a6786 His long legs sprawled wide, and his voice — rough and smoky from cigarettes and booze — came out low: "Hey." ⟨de780ff7⟩
Everyone teased the couple for a bit, toasted another round, then moved on to other topics. plate-44ca91dd Brit draped herself shamelessly on Kade's arm, her fingers brushing the stubble on his jaw, then trailing up his angular cheek, over the skin behind his ear, stroking the back of his neck, her fingertips toying with the cord at his throat. [proof:edf9529c]
The silver pendant swayed with her touch, tapping softly against his collarbone. plate-8af8a4f5
On a normal night, Kade would've already hooked an arm around her and pulled her in. * 66aeb60a But tonight he was somewhere else entirely. ed.e9c1d480 No reaction at all. 771e641d·· Weird. ·54c2c549·
With Brit clinging like that, everyone took the hint. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 Dinner broke up fast. #33a5d1b1 Brit looped her arm through Kade's and hailed a cab to go back to his place, but he stopped her. [ms.3744a049] "Not tonight."·9ad92f63
"Why not?" ed.0725350e She reached around and ran her hand over his hard chest, grinning. ¶7213c01c "That time of the month? plate-d36594dd Or did you go soft on the ride home?" — ad1268ce
He lit a cigarette, frowning as he took a deep pull. [ms.ecdccf77] "Let me take you home." ref·a3630ad5
"Who called me yesterday begging me to come out?" ·1d770a86·
"I mean it. ··d464c9bf Not tonight." ¶c1bb0805 He looked down, flicking ash off the cigarette, voice low. [ed.f58c9c1c] "Something going on at the apartment." [v.02dca0b4]
"You live alone. ◆ 2210f925 What could possibly be going on?" «3c32a0ad»
"Why the f*ck do you ask so many questions? — 262b84f8 None of your business." [ms.7a0a07fd] His eyes went sharp, cigarette angled from his lips, that dangerous edge rising out of nowhere. plate-26c85515 "Cab's here. [v.312c9298] Get in." sub:39e925ee
Brit muttered, "Buzzkill." ··77f9b034
They hadn't seen each other in almost a month. * 3402fe47 Whenever they spent the night together, it was always at Kade's place — Brit lived with her parents and a little brother. #2f9e1b15
After dropping off Brit, Kade went to the pool hall. [proof:fdd0f0a8] His place was right behind the vocational school dorms, with a community college satellite campus nearby. no.28a2ac8b The main clientele was young students, and since it was still August — summer break — the school was empty and business was slow. [proof:a7756199] Kade didn't need to babysit the place every day. [ed.da4a7847] Ricky could handle it on his own. #db835431
Ricky and Kade had been neighbors growing up. sub:d1a37020 He'd followed Kade around since they were kids, mooching meals and hanging on. no.0595214a Small, wiry, but a vicious fighter. [proof:f7930fdd] Then he'd busted up his leg and settled down. (1a8de1f7) After Kade opened the pool hall, Ricky had been working there ever since. imp.65dc67a4 Kade paid well — enough to support a family. [v.e7cb66b8] Ricky got married, and life slowly steadied out. §254b18ac
The hall stayed open till midnight. no.39450da0 Kade told Ricky he'd take tonight's shift, sent him home early. [ms.e152baa6]
Before leaving, Ricky looked at Kade like he wanted to say something. plate-a4ffe197
"What's up?" #478ff808
"Nothing. sig.6e3a6de4 I was gone a while. no.b594078c You held down the fort by yourself — that's a lot. no.59baac7b Take a few days off. ·4f9b63b5· I'll cover things." no.d9876574
"Works for me. (d1e1f2f1) I'll head home, take my wife shopping tomorrow, and come back in a couple of days." ¶4cfd2849
Kade slept on the couch in the back room. sub:d37c6d5d The next day, some regulars came in for a game. 227cfa1e·· He played a few rounds with them, shot some himself. * da4a4abd That afternoon, Brit called again — early shift today, she wanted him to pick her up. [proof:bbe15990] He drawled lazily that he was busy, couldn't make it, and hung up. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026
Brit thought his mood was bizarre, but Kade had always been unpredictable. ⁰f0952192 She figured she'd try again in a couple of days. §988f0ac0
When Ricky came back to relieve him, Kade went home. (ab072b96) Figured he'd shower and grab some clean clothes. [v.af514616]
Nobody home. imp.11074192
It didn't look the way he'd left it. [f0261ec7] Everything was in order. — galley 73a4edcf — Both bedroom doors were open. #eeb40e71 The balcony door too — the airflow killed the damp, musty smell old walk-ups always had on the lower floors. no.c42c7437 It was actually cool, fresh. ··bce29f9d A faint warmth to it. ‹452c128c›
Fresh fruit on the table. * dc109c39 Half a watermelon in the fridge, a few vegetables, eggs, milk, beer. ed.3d349a65
Thea had come back. [v.0813a210] Quietly. [ms.1be9de30] Without a word. imp.d57a1f5f
Kade sat in a chair and lit a cigarette. imp.11a020b6 He clamped the butt between his teeth and stared at nothing. (8dfade6e) Finished the smoke. ¶6bcdc5bd Still couldn't sit still. (6b72b325/Wed) He got up and walked out. imp.796ab1d3
Downstairs, he ran right into Thea coming back. [40a848d4]
She'd gone out to handle some errands — the bank, then the phone store to swap her SIM card. sig.77adf7ae She also had to sort out some records and registration paperwork. sig.0d003d94 And she wanted to get to know the area again. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 She'd lived in Savannah for ten years, but she'd barely gone anywhere. imp.c68a6b4c She didn't have strong feelings about the place. [proof:c35f38b6]
She was carrying a pale yellow parasol with little flowers on it. [a3a6d02f] The light caught her face — pale as porcelain, delicate features, red lips, dark brows, clear bright eyes. ◆ 300ef3ce Slender and willowy, she moved with a soft, graceful sway. ··8173a2d7 But there was nothing fragile about her bearing. [v.78fe48d0] Nothing warm and approachable either. ◆ 1908d0ac She was cool and remote, poised and self-contained. fa0a6fc4·· Simple long sleeves and loose pants hung on her frame, and every step, every fold of fabric, traced the quiet elegance of her figure. sig.9d7efee5
Kade stood in the sun, brows pressed low and dark, watching her walk toward him. §acccb58a
"Kade." imp.88790945
"Give me your phone number. — 176dac57 Your old one's been disconnected for a while."·863b0370
She'd just swapped her SIM. ref·2d4ce4e6 She stopped in front of him, pulled out her phone, and waited for him to recite the number. [proof:9e0cd971]
He turned his head, irritated. «56da76fa» Then, jaw tight, he rattled off a string of digits in a flat voice. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026
His phone buzzed in his pocket, then rang. (c507b239) Thea heard it, hit the end-call button. (18989cd3/Wed) "That's my new number. 9bf3087f·· Save it." ◆ 3e74c90a
He grunted, stepped past her, and kept walking. ◆ 24a97ca9 Thea didn't say anything either. ⁰e651b218 She went inside, closed her umbrella, and headed upstairs. sub:a99f5d28
Fifteen minutes later, her phone chimed. «c351fd35» A text from an unknown number. (59bf6d59/Wed)
*Don't smoke inside the apartment.*
The man's face was blank as he saved the number, typed in *Thea Warren*, and accepted her friend request on iMessage. ref·df02b589
First message:
*What time are you coming back tonight? ◆ 9f645543 The window latch is broken.*
F*cking hell. imp.79f342dd
Kade remembered — he'd been crashing at the pool hall for two days. no.89f6cba6 He'd gone home, smoked one cigarette, and hadn't even showered or grabbed the clothes he came for. [proof:5b10b899] He had to go back. ref·66171d39
He got home around ten. ref·6606e0cb Thea was still up. — galley e6ddae1d — She saw him come in and asked if he'd eaten — if not, she could throw something together. cee7f570··
He snapped that he'd already eaten and went straight to his room. [ms.8897cc7c] The place had been cleaned top to bottom. ··3bab8794 He looked for his towel and couldn't help letting out a sharp breath, hands on his hips. [v.daeb5bea] "Where's my towel?" «d7da65a0»
"Too old. no.5b8a5f02 I tossed it." no.39972eae Thea held out a new one. plate-63f56cc3 "Here. ◆ 77f12f93 I bought this." #9df181f5
A pale blue bath towel. no.d95ea593 Soft cotton. ¶80bed6d2 The old towel had been demoted to a rag for mopping the floor. #e0ae7a39
Kade clenched his teeth — the vein at his temple was ready to pop. plate-af854f12 He snatched the towel and slammed the bathroom door. ··cb26a732 All the bottles and jars on the shelf had been swapped out. ¶27f9cfc2 He'd always used one bar of soap for everything. imp.c1ce2d96 Brit had left a bunch of colorful bottles behind, but they were all gone now, replaced with a whole set of stuff he'd never seen before. ⁰b0a69799
Someone knocked. imp.6cdceabc "New soap is in the cabinet under the sink. ref·6a612251 Unwrap it yourself." 7135a01b··
Water roared behind the door. ◆ 8da97c25
He came out of the shower scowling, then emerged from his room fully dressed a moment later. [v.6a8382c5] He dropped onto the couch, shook a cigarette from the pack, stuck it between his lips, and lit it. ed.9f64eebe The flame flared for an instant. [a91bd736] He took a hard drag, lifted his eyelids, exhaled slow. 14c64395··
The tobacco hit heavy — rich, smoky, with a rough grain to it. sub:cb5b37b9 Not smooth. ‹007a1051› Not easy. §75b23e9a
"Thea. ‹b3661d16› Let's talk." [9a0ca38c]
She'd been about to go to sleep. 1693ea78·· She opened her bedroom door and leaned against the frame, watching him. no.8e8e67d4
"Put some clothes on first." plate-0a0fb97d He looked at her through the smoke, his eyes veiled in a faint haze. sig.edf582a9 Dark. [9554b3f4] Unreadable. ‹3b4e980a›
She was wearing a plain gray camisole dress — the kind with a thin built-in bra, hemline hitting mid-thigh. imp.1dc160cf But the slinky fabric clung too well, tracing a waist you could wrap one hand around, long straight legs, skin like cool white porcelain. ··e8edd3af She went back to her room. ··87834353 When she came out again, a white nightgown hung from her slim shoulders, falling almost to her ankles.·c9fbd07a Billowing and loose — but that only made the narrow frame underneath look more delicate. [ed.3a228bdb]
Thea sat on the couch and fixed her eyes on him. ¶fbff6588 Her voice was clear. ·c98128a1· "I told you. sig.8f7ca51c No smoking inside." [ed.cdfe5f13]
"Tsk." ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026
He clicked his tongue, jaw cocked to one side, and flicked her a dismissive glance. [v.177be769] His eyes said he couldn't care less. ref·dca44554 He took two leisurely drags, blew a ring, then slouched back. [proof:6ec44b9b] Long legs in jeans propped on the coffee table, posture rude and lazy. * 4bed68c1 Through the haze, Thea caught the cold mockery in his eyes. sub:00526d8d Her red lips pressed into a thin line. (a2d9ba4d) She wasn't happy. [v.0f984c34]
He wasn't happy either. §c2e903e3 They locked horns, waiting to see who'd break first. ⁰c78f0d3a
"What was your major in college? — b90258fe What kind of job did you get?" * 90c62841
"You wouldn't understand." no.1aeba859 Thea's expression stayed neutral. imp.1fd6493a She thought for a second, then added, "I'm making $3,500 a month. ⁰79f84502 There are other bonuses, plus a year-end bonus. * 59792421 It's decent." (2a01d72e/Wed)
Kade let out a derisive laugh. §f80f996b "I don't get you college kids. sub:83eb4fbd Kill yourselves studying for all those years, finally see a bit of the world, and $3,500 is good enough?" ‹bf21514a›
Thea turned her head. [ms.4aa9e873] "I'm supporting myself. [v.94514ec4] What's not to be satisfied about?" #3368db78
"You can support yourself anywhere. ··d92c2f46 Why come here?" ⟨f1c6db0b⟩
"To work. ee600586·· To live. #60776720 To have a life." ed.f57fc05a
"You can have a life anywhere. [v.fe88d255] Why *here*?" There was no ashtray, so he tapped the ash onto the floor. ⟨2767dbc8⟩ His heavy brows were sharp, his gaze cold and cutting. ⟨4fa162a7⟩ "What did I tell you back then? plate-05c187ca I told you to get the hell away. — ecf0c32b As far as you could." [ed.cf2e3b65]
Thea turned her face aside. ··505a00f5 Wouldn't look at him. ·5be4feb2· Wouldn't speak. [proof:10022669] Her eyes went wide, something bright and shimmering moving through them. imp.58530bb4
A long silence. ©8a23a86d/May 27, 2026 Then he spoke again, voice threaded with frost. ⟨262c1704⟩ "And your mom? [ed.32af904e] Did you find her?" ⁰35b2d686
"She remarried ages ago. — 79701666 Had a son. — 0f2e5d54 They run a diner together — she helps in the kitchen and takes care of the kid. ca6a7a82·· She's busy." ed.826a068b
The cigarette burned in silence for a long time.·e86475ef
"Move into the company housing." (52a238bb/Wed) He dropped his gaze. [proof:f31308b8] It was a while before he spoke. sig.b0720667 "Or I'll rent you a place." imp.0192d5ee
"No." no.f3212603 Thea shut that down flat. #27a8ccb5
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" ⁰634a9c59 He clenched his jaw, the muscles in his cheeks cutting sharp lines along his jawbone. «6b2b3bc5» His eyes bore into her, all the viciousness right there on the surface. ¶c21855ab He crushed the cigarette butt on the floor and snarled, "You think I want to see you?" [v.5b16118e]
She turned her head back. [v.6f4f6674] Looked at him — at that savage, ready-to-devour expression. imp.44b07b20 Her cool clear eyes held his, unwavering. #282be7df Her voice was calm. #4edd0ed6 "I told you. [proof:25273d21] No smoking in the apartment. [ms.3021d6c5] Clean up the floor yourself." [proof:58054290]
Kade flicked the lighter again, tipped the cigarette back to the flame. ©1a428647/May 27, 2026 He dangled it from the corner of his mouth, all attitude, and blew the smoke straight at her. ◆ 2911e8db Thea's brow creased. — 159cc9b8 She leaned in close — a wave of clean, delicate fragrance. ◆ 1a0bc946 Her slim fingers plucked the cigarette from his lips, ground it out on the edge of the coffee table, then swept up the pack and the lighter and dumped them all in the trash can. [v.a5c69e9e] She poured a whole pitcher of lemon water in after them. — galley d13b26fe — Then she turned and walked to her room. [proof:96c0f758] One fluid motion. ◆ 6e9e8a02
Her bedroom door slammed shut. — galley 218b2e91 —
He sat on the couch, watching that whole performance play out like clockwork, grinding his back teeth. ◆ a6140da9 She'd actually made him laugh. sub:1269d27e
"Thea. [proof:e2d23ecd] I'll give you that one." ¶3846c4fa