— Looks like it, — Drew whispered. — He has nowhere else to go.
Cassie nodded and went back to the stove. Outside, the snow was coming down harder. The wind howled in the chimney. Drew went to the window and looked out: a total whiteout. It was going to be a rough night. He was glad he’d gotten Arthur back when he did. The man wouldn’t have lasted another hour out there.
Drew turned back. Arthur really was asleep, his head tilted to the side, his hands limp in his lap. He was out cold.
— We should put him in my bed, — Drew whispered to Cassie.
He woke Arthur gently. The man looked around, disoriented for a second.
— Come on, — Drew said, nodding toward his bed in the corner. — Get some real rest.
— Thank you.
Arthur stood up with effort. Drew helped him over and helped him lie down. He covered him with a heavy quilt. Arthur closed his eyes and was gone instantly. Cassie and Drew sat by the stove. They were silent, listening to the storm outside and the steady breathing of the stranger.
— Drew, what’s Mom going to say? — Cassie whispered.
— I don’t know, — Drew shrugged. — Но we couldn’t just leave him. He was freezing to death.
Cassie nodded and leaned against her brother. They sat there, waiting. Their mother was due back at nine. Four more hours. Outside, the blizzard was in full swing. The snow lashed against the glass, and the wind screamed. But inside, it was warm. The stove crackled, and the kettle hummed. And on the bed slept a man in an expensive suit. Saved. A mystery. Drew watched him and wondered: Who are you? Where did you come from? And what happens next? There were no answers. Only the storm outside and the rhythmic breathing of a man who had cheated death.
The clock on the wall ticked loudly, as if counting down. Drew sat on the bench by the stove, Cassie tucked under his arm, her head on his shoulder. Arthur was still out, breathing deeply. Outside, the wind had died down to a low moan. 8:30 PM. His mother would be home in thirty minutes.
Drew stroked Cassie’s hair, wondering how to explain this. What would his mother say when she saw a strange man in his bed? Would she be angry? But there was no other choice. The man was dying. You don’t just walk away from that.
Arthur groaned in his sleep and turned over. Drew froze, listening. No, he was still out.
— Drew, is he going to stay with us for a long time? — Cassie whispered, looking up.
— I don’t know, kiddo, — Drew said softly. — Until he’s better, I guess.
— What if he’s a bad guy? — Cassie squeezed his hand.
— He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, — Drew shrugged. — Mom will know. She’s smart.
Cassie nodded and leaned back. They sat in silence, listening to the clock. At 8:40, Arthur stirred. He opened his eyes, looking around confused. Then he sat up, swinging his legs to the floor. He rubbed his face with his hands.
— What time is it? — he asked hoarsely, looking at Drew.
— Almost nine, — Drew answered, standing up. — How are you feeling?
— Better. — Arthur cautiously moved his injured leg and winced. — Thanks for the bed. I haven’t slept like that in years.
He stood up, limping, and walked to the table. Cassie immediately ducked behind the stove, watching him warily.
— Don’t be afraid of me, little one, — Arthur smiled at her tiredly. — I’m not the boogeyman.
Cassie stayed quiet, hiding her face. Drew poured Arthur a glass of water. Arthur drank it in one go and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
— Drew, — he said, looking the boy in the eye. — I need to explain. I need to tell you what happened. You have a right to know.
— You don’t have to, — Drew shrugged, sitting across from him. — Main thing is you’re alive.
— I do, — Arthur shook his head. — You saved my life. You took me in. That… that means a lot.
He paused, gathering his thoughts. Outside, a gust of wind rattled the window.
— My name is Arthur Sterling, — he began, folding his hands on the table. — I’m forty-six. I’m the CEO of a manufacturing firm in the city. Well, one of the partners. There are three of us.
Drew nodded, listening.
— We started the business twenty years ago. Me, Mike Vance, and Dan Miller. Childhood friends. We thought we were brothers. — Arthur smiled bitterly. — We started in a garage. Worked ourselves to the bone. But we made it. The company grew. We have two hundred employees now.
— That’s a big company, — Drew noted.
— It is, — Arthur nodded. — And it’s profitable. Too profitable, as it turns out. Money changes people. Mike… he always wanted more. Not just a company, but an empire. He started getting involved with some shady people. Said that’s how business is done these days, that you need “protection” to survive.
Drew frowned but stayed silent.
— I was against it. Dan was too. But Mike pushed. At first, it was just “consultants” helping with contracts and competitors. But then… they started calling the shots. Who we sold to, what prices we set, who we hired.
Arthur rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.
— I was done. I couldn’t take the dirt anymore. I decided to get out. Take my buyout and leave.
— And? — Drew asked quietly.
— Mike lost it. — Arthur looked out the window. — Called me a traitor. A deserter. Said we started together, we finish together. I told him I didn’t sign up for organized crime. That’s not my path. I wanted out clean.
Cassie peeked out from behind the stove, listening with wide eyes.
— Three days ago, he called a meeting. Said, “Let’s talk, let’s work it out.” I believed him. Like a fool. — Arthur clenched his fists. — I showed up. He was there with some guys I didn’t recognize. They grabbed me, threw me in a car. Drove me out to the middle of nowhere. Mike said, “Think about it out here in the cold. Maybe you’ll get smarter.” They tied me up and left me. Said they’d be back in the morning to see what I decided.
— They were going to kill you? — Drew breathed.
— I don’t know, — Arthur shrugged. — Maybe just scare me. Maybe kill me. I don’t even know who Mike is anymore. He’s a stranger.
— A stranger?
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