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Redemption (The Captive #5) Page 63
Author: Erica Stevens

Aria dropped her chin in her hand and began to tap her fingers on the table. "Stop it," William said and slapped at her hand. "We'll go back out as soon as we get something to eat."

"I can fix you something," Hannah eagerly volunteered. She'd already chopped enough vegetables for the rest of the week, prepped all of the meat for the dinner rush and started the stew. "There is some steak or stew."

"Stew is fine," Daniel said as he pulled out the chair next to Aria. "For both of us."

Steam drifted up from the pot of stew as Hannah stirred it slowly. Though it did nothing to awaken her appetite, the aroma coming from it was pleasant enough. She pulled the ladle from the pot and poured it into two bowls that she placed before William and Daniel.

"What smells so good?" Timber inquired as he pushed through the kitchen door from the tavern. She poured two more ladles into a bowl before handing it over to him. "Thank you."

Hannah winced as he plopped into one of the chairs. She counted the seconds as she waited for it to fall apart, but it miraculously remained intact beneath his massive frame. Aria bounced to her feet and paced over to the backdoor. Hannah watched as she peeled back the curtain to peer outside.

"They won't be back already," William said as he blew on his stew.

"I'll know when he's coming back," Aria whispered, but even still her hand remained pressed against the glass.

Hannah turned away as the door to the kitchen swung open again and Lucas poked his head inside. "Smells like you did all my work for me," he said.

"Most of it," Hannah admitted.

He leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms over his chest. "Thanks. You ok?"

She managed to give him a small smile but the clawing sensation in her chest wasn't easing any and she couldn't get herself to stay still for more than ten seconds at a time. Unable to remain in the kitchen, she brushed past Lucas and into the main restaurant. Some patrons were beginning to fill the chairs, the clatter of dice rattled across the scarred table surfaces, but it was still too quiet for her liking.

Uncle Abe entered through the front door and gave her a brief nod as he shrugged out of his cloak and hung it on the coat rack. Heath was right behind him and tossed his own cloak onto the rack too. The young boy smiled and waved to her before scurrying toward the kitchen. She gave him a smile in return as she turned to watch him go.

"How are you doing Hannah?" Uncle Abe inquired. His wrinkled face broke into a broad grin as he squeezed her hands.

"I'm ok Uncle Abe," she assured him. "How is Heath doing at the house?"

"Really good, he seems to have settled in well."

"Has he told you anything about his parents?"

"He never knew his father, his mother died last year."

"That's awful," she muttered as he turned her around and began to walk with her toward the kitchen door.

"He'll be fine, he's happy here. It's a shame about Turner."

Word had spread fast through the small town already. "It is." She squeezed his hands as he pushed the kitchen door open for her. The others glanced up at them but quickly returned to eating their stew. The distant sound of Ellen's new tambourine began to drift from the front room. Despite her lingering tension, Hannah found some of her apprehension fading away as a small sense of normalcy returned to her day.

"Would anyone like something to drink?" she inquired.

William and Daniel were too busy chewing to speak but they both raised their hands. "I'd love a drink," Timber said.

Hannah grabbed three mugs and began to fill them from the beer tap as she listened to Ellen's tambourine. "I'll take those for you." Hannah turned as Ellen appeared at her side and reached out for Timber's mug. Hannah froze, her hand clenched on the mug so violently that it shattered within her grasp. Ellen released a startled cry and jumped back as beer exploded all over her. "Hannah!"

"Bells," Hannah whispered.

Ellen frowned as her gaze drifted up to her face. "I don't hear anything..."

Her hearing was better, Jack had said it would be. "I hear them," Aria said. "But what do bells have to do with anything?"

Hannah turned away from Ellen and raced into the front room, she froze a few feet away from the door. No matter how badly she wanted to go out there, she couldn't. "Stay here," William said as he brushed by her. Though she hadn't seen him before this moment, Xavier materialized from the shadows and followed William out the door.

"What do bells mean?" Aria demanded as she appeared beside Hannah.

"Calvin's horse always has bells on it," Hannah answered.

"He would have left his horse behind when he ran though," Ellen said.

Hannah had to force herself to swallow as her throat felt like it had become the size of a pinhole. "Calvin has always liked to make an entrance," she managed to get out. "If he's come back, he would do so on a horse."

Aria shot her a look before becoming nearly a blur as she raced out the door. Hannah took an instinctive step back as sun flooded through the doorway. The handful of patrons within the tavern rose to their feet, some approached the door while others moved further away. William reappeared in the door followed by Aria and Xavier.

William charged across the room and grasped hold of her elbow. "We have to get you out of here."

"I can't," she whispered as her gaze drifted toward the doorway. "I can't."

William looked about to argue with her, but his eyes widened and his mouth dropped as realization set in. "Shit!" he hissed and spun toward the door.

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