A Box Of Crayons

A Box Of Crayons ERICA KLING Copyright © 2023 by Erica Kling All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum From every wound there is a scar, and every scar tells a story. A story that says I survived -FR. Craig Scott Contents Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Acknowledgments About the Author Also By E.L. Rose Prologue TAWNY “Just tell us where the others are. They are not in trouble.” The officer with the almost gray looking eyes says again for the millionth time, starting to look annoyed. “Where is Hunter?” I again say, not wanting to say another word until I lay eyes on him. “How about Krator? Do you know where he is?” The woman that they brought in to talk to me says. “No, I don’t.” I am getting annoyed myself. I am hungry and I want to see Hunter and then go find them. “How did you escape?” Officer gray eyes asks me. I didn’t bother paying attention to their names. Names are nothing. I don’t even remember my real name anymore. “Not with your help, that’s for sure.” I say, getting pissed off even further. We have been missing for 13 years and no one even found us. “We are aware, and we are so sorry.” I turn my head to the only agent in the room. A tall male with blue eyes and dark hair. I avoid looking at him because of his eyes. I don’t want to be reminded of Blue ever. “Please let me see Hunter.” I say again, trying to keep calm. “His name is not Hunter, it is…” “Stop right there.” I yell. I don’t want to know his real name, just like I don’t want to know mine. They offered to say it to me, but I will never go by anything other than Tawny. We fought like hell to survive, and I am going to own my survivor's name and so will Hunter. So will they… The door opens and I twist in my seat. Standing there in another black suit is an agent and when she moves to the side, I see Hunter. Standing, I toss myself at him and he catches me with a smile on his face and a kiss on my forehead. “Hunter, are you okay?” “Yes, are you?” “I am just hungry, but I am okay.” I try to keep a blank face, but Hunter's eyes turn to slits and he stares down at the police and the FBI agents in the room. “Are you fucking kidding me? You haven’t fed her. We were literally living in hell, and we still got fed. It's been over eight hours.” He yells. The guys, after a certain point, all changed. Their personalities changed to something darker and fiercely protective. “Calm down son, we just wanted some answers before we released you.” “Oh fuck off, that is still no reason to not feed the literal fucking victim.” Hunter's voice is rising by the second and I place my hand on his chest. “Hunter, I am okay. Now that you’re here, my heart.” When he still refuses to look at me, I grab his face and force his eyes to mine. “Hunter, it’s almost over. Just look at me.” He looks down and takes a deep, shuddering breath in and out. He is much easier to calm. Onyx and Coal are much harder to control, but eventually, they do come down when someone isn’t taking care of me. Onyx and Coal, well, that is who the police are looking for. I don't know why they are looking so hard for them and not Blue. The silence in the room is deafening as Hunter controls himself and kisses me roughly. He turns, grabbing my hand and pulls me to the table, never letting my hand go. When the door opens again, I smell fresh food and chicken. They place a black round container in front of us both and from hunger; I tear it open. Hunter waits for me like he normally does. I can’t ever convince him to eat before me anymore. I can't convince Onyx or Coal, either. They are always trying to make sure I have food. “Will you tell us about the others?” I don’t answer right away. So much has happened, and I am still haunted by who we lost, and who made it out. Lavender and Cobalt ran as fast as they could after giving us a hug. They managed to maintain their hope for a better life and the moment they got it, they ran. “Which others?” Hunter asks, knowing damn well which ones. Sighing, the agent with the blue eyes that I hate looking at nods his head. “We need to find them.” “For what?” I say through a mouth full of food. “We just need to talk to them.” “Have you found Blue?” I say again. “Agent Krator is still being looked for. We have put him on the wanted list. He is our top priority.” “It doesn’t sound like it. It sounds like you are trying to bring in two innocent men.” Hunter's rough voice says. “That is not what this is.” A sigh from the female agent. “Then why are you only asking about them? There was more down there with us.” Hunter shouts again, his voice raising. I squeeze his hand, trying to calm him. We still need to walk away from here. “Can you