Free A Beautiful Wreck (Second Chance #3) by CeeCee James Page A

Cassie noticed the callouses across his palm, as well as a deep red scar that disappeared up the sleeve of his long johns top. She shivered, suddenly afraid of his reaction, then turned her hand over and dropped the crucifix into his palm.
    Luke stared at it for a moment. A ragged breath escaped him and he pressed his eyes shut.
    “Where did you find this?” he growled.
    “I—at the house.”
    “Why’d you go back there?”
    Cassie swallowed hard, fear making a cold track down her back. “You said you hadn’t been back. I wanted to see if I could find something for you. I’m sorry there wasn’t more.” She bit her lip.
    Luke exhaled deeply out of his nose, his eyes still shut. His thumb caressed the pendant, turning it over in his hand. He looked down at it for a second before bringing up a blazing glare to meet her. His eyes were rimmed in red. “You had no right.” A shudder went through him, and his hand clenched around the crucifix. His knuckles turned white from the effort. “No right.”
    Cassie stumbled back. “I’m sorry, Luke. I thought it would help you. Help to have—”
    “Help me how?”
    “A memento.”
    The softness of her voice seemed to catch him off guard, making him stop and glance at her. “Ahh, hell.” He dropped the pendant on the table with a clatter. On his way to the couch, he reached for the bottle of Jack Daniels on the coffee table. He sagged down onto the cushions as though his muscles had lost their strength. Unscrewing the cap, he took a long swig. His eyes were bloodshot when he turned his attention back to her.
    “A memento, huh?” He eyed the crucifix on the table. “Jennifer was a good girl. Used to drag me to church, too. I quit after she died. Didn’t know where to put God in all of that.”
    Cassie nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and nodded. “You don’t have to tell me life doesn’t make sense. But—”
    “But what?”
    “Life does have a beauty to it that I can’t explain.”
    “Not so beautiful for Leif, though, right?” His lip curled sarcastically.
    Cassie shrugged. “I don’t know. Leif died doing what he loved. Not everyone gets to say that.” She sat next to him on the couch. “You still mad at me?”
    His lip twitched at her words. “How can I be mad when you were trying to do something to help me?” He reached for the pendant, his fingers running along the knotted chain. A frown grew on his face. “But this isn’t Jennifer’s.”

Chapter 12
    “ N ot hers ?” Cassie blinked at his words.
    “No.” Luke glared at the pendant. “Tell me exactly where you found this.” He slid forward to the edge of the chair. His leg jiggled up and down, causing his shoe to squeak against the floor.
    Cassie sat back on the couch, trying to take in the implications. “I—in the kitchen area, I think.”
    “Tomorrow I want you to show me the spot where you found it. I’ll pick you up at noon.”
    Cassie eyed the whiskey bottle already halfway to his mouth. “How about I drive this time?”

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    P romptly at noon , Cassie pulled into the parking garage at the apartment building. She hurried up the stairwell. This time, the hallway smelled of boiled cabbage. Wrinkling her nose, she knocked on Luke’s door. With her other hand, she tapped a package of guitar strings against her leg.
    No answer.
    She knocked harder, and got only silence as a response. Dread rolled in a wave in Cassie’s stomach. Where the heck is he?
    Her third try resulted in a thud of footsteps, and then the door creaked open a sliver. Luke’s face appeared at the crack. Two bruise-like smudges spread out from under his eyes.
    He looks like death. “Are you okay?” The anxious wave continued to roll inside her. Luke stepped away from the door, leaving Cassie to push it all the way open. The door stopped with a jerk. Looking down, she saw a twisted mess of clothing jammed underneath it. Shoving her weight against it, she snowplowed the pile until the crack was wide