His lips twitched. “Fine, I know you’re ten. Still,I’m not asking you to make out with me or anything.”
Icantedmy head, expectingsomething so much grosser than kissing. I was only ten, yeah, but I’d grown uparound dirty old men and the women willing to sleep with them. I wasn’t exactlynaïve when it came to sex. It made me think that maybe Sayer was though if theworst thing he could think of was making out.
“How old are you?”
His chin lifted defiantly. “Thirteen.”
I kept my snide comment about him being a real man tomyself. I was too irritated with him and this situation and myself to trust thewords I wanted to say. “And now you’re theirs. For life.”
An irritated look flashed over his face before hewiped it away and gentled his hold on my wrist. “Do something for me and I’lllet you see what you want to see.”
“I don’t need to see it. You just confirmed that it’sthere. That’s all I wanted.”
His lips broke into a wide smile. “Damn, you’re good.I didn’t even see that coming.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “You’re not going to make itvery long if I can trip you up, Wesley. Better figure your crap out fast.”
He was irritated again, but he hid it well. He leanedforward, those blue eyes glowing in the dingy warehouse lighting. “I know youwant to see it. You’re practically vibrating with curiosity. It’s one tiny favor.Not even a big deal to someone like you.” He rocked back on his heels.“If you can back up your reputation.”
I snorted. “What reputation?”
“Best pickpocket on the East Coast. That’s what Gussays, but he’s probably lying.”
“Gus doesn’t lie,” I confirmed. If he’d spent any timewith Gus he would know that. It was like Gus was totally incapable of sayingsomething untrue. That’s why he had to keep going on jobs with me. Trial byfire. His dad wanted him to figure it out or pay the consequences.
I suspected Gus preferred the consequences, which waswhy he continued to tell the truth.
Juvie would be a vacation compared to that house.
“What’s the job?” I was disappointed with myself forjumping at Sayer’s challenge. But I couldn’t help it. Plus, I didn’t want Gusto be wrong. Okay, maybe I wasn’t the best pickpocket on the East Coast. It wasa big coast after all. But I could hold my own.
He smiled again and it was alarming. I felt the airrush out of my lungs and my tongue dry out. This kid had a secret weapon andall he had to do was smile.
“Atticus has something of mine,” he explained. “I wantit back.”
His words were a bucket of ice water on my head. Hehad to be out of his freaking mind. “No way. Are you crazy? Because Atticus is.He’ll murder me if I take something from him.”
“Then don’t get caught.”
I snarled something my dad would have said. “If it’syours, why don’t you just ask Atticus for it? I’m sure he’ll realize themistake and hand it over.”
“I’m sure you’re out of your damn mind. He didn’taccidentally pick it up. He took it off my body and put it on his. He said if Itried to get it back he would murder me. I’m inclined to believe him.”
My lips pressed into a frown in an attempt to holdback my information. I couldn’t do it though. Whatever it was about this kid,he got all my secrets out of me. “He can’t kill you. Your one of his brothersnow. He’s sworn to protect you and you him.”
“Okay, fine, maybe not kill me, but beat me until likeright before I die. He’s a psycho.”
That was true. Atticus was a psycho. “What is thisthing?”
“A necklace,” he said. “Well, a chain. With a keyhanging on it.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. You know, when I first walked overhere, I thought you were missing something. Turns out it was jewelry. Aren’tyou pretty?”
“Shut up. It’s not like that. It’s just… it’s likethis… it’s the last thing I have of my parents. They’re dead and all I have isthat key.” He wiped a hand over his face and I suddenly felt very bad. Again.“I just want it back, okay?”
“Fine,” I huffed. “Fine, I’ll get it. But I want therecord to show that if I manage to pull this off, we’re even. And I don’t justmean because you’re going to show me the tattoo, but like for everything. Forme getting you into this whole stupid mess. We’re even, okay?”
“Uh, okay? I… I mean, I never thought you owed me forthat. You saved my life.”
