I Came Home Five Days Early So I Wouldn’t Miss My Son’s Birthday. I Wasn’t Prepared for What I Walked Into.

whiskey bottle on the floor beside him. The man was sixty-two, thick-shouldered and barrel-chested despite his age, his gray hair cut in a military buzz. He snored loudly, oblivious to the world collapsing around him.

Julian tried the back door—unlocked, because Dale was arrogant enough to believe himself untouchable out here. He slipped inside, his continue reading …