Chapter Eleven

A week later

It was a given that neither Sande, Eds, nor the boys were returning to Dapplewood, especially after what happened to Dagger. Even though it was his fault, they were the ones who would pay the consequences for his death. The only safe place for them was in Sinjin's house.

Sande's boyfriend, Lex Parker, was not happy when she refused to stay with him. However, he realized that if anyone could truly keep his girlfriend safe, it was his boss. It also helped that his boss was after Sande's friend, not Sande herself.

Fortunately, the boys loved it there. They had their own rooms, TVs, video game consoles, and everything two energetic nine-year-olds would need to stay occupied. Sinjin's house was right on a private beach, with the ocean not far away. However, Sande had not been able to get a tan because she'd been cooped up in the hospital, waiting for her best friend to wake up.

Sinjin kept her company by working from the hospital, but she could see the stress catching up to h