fussing over Lorenzo, chuckling as he asked, “Gonna take your brother to see Rees?”
“Yes. Maybe he will be willing to take another stray. He’ll need a new identity as well.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Frankie agreed. “Yours should be ready any day now. And you know, you
don’t have to keep working for Rees. With a new social security number and a new name, you could
do anything you wanted.”
Snod frowned a little, saying, “We’ll see.”
“Small steps,” Frankie soothed. “If you’re happy working for Rees, then stay there. I just want you to
know there’s a whole big world out there for you.”
“I like this little part of the world right here,” Snod admitted, reaching for Frankie’s hand. “I don’t
need anything else.”
“Okay,” Frankie conceded with a warm smile. “Now go before you really are late and piss off Rees
again. I’ll see you tonight.”
They shared one last farewell kiss before Snod followed Athaliah down to find his car. He shook his
head at the gaudy gold sports car, sighing, “How much did you steal from the Order?”
“Lots!” was his quick reply, giggling as he hopped in. “You won’t believe how easy it is to buy things
when you pay in cash.”
“Athaliah...” Snod shook his head, flinching a little when he struggled to get the car into gear. “You do
know how to drive, yes?”
“Yes!” Athaliah snapped, slamming down on the gas just to make Snod tumble a little in his seat. “Sit
back and enjoy the ride, big brother. I’ve got this.” He quickly got the hang of it once they hit the open
city streets, teasing, “Just like riding a bike!”
“I don’t know how to ride a bike,” Snod griped, making sure his seatbelt was fastened securely.
“I didn’t even have my permit before the Order took me!” Athaliah said gleefully. “But don’t worry!
I’ve been practicing all week! We will arrive safely!”
They managed to make it over to Cheap Trills in one piece, although Snod felt ready to revisit his
breakfast by the time they parked. He groaned lightly as he got out of the car, thankful to be on solid
ground again.
“See? Not bad!” Athaliah chirped happily, bouncing behind Snod toward the door.
The bar was empty this time of day, Snod calling out, “Rees! You here?”
“Who’s the twink?” Rees grumbled in response, sauntering out to skeptically stare down Athaliah.
