If Flix had any say, he’d have nothing to do with the newly formed gang, the Shepards. He was only involved because of his friendship with Russ—a friendship he was beginning to regret more and more with each passing day.
Damn Mrs. Grady for seating them next to each other in kindergarten. It wasn’t until then that they’d realized they even were on the same bus or lived in the same complex.
“I’m getting a drink.” He excused himself, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary, mostly just for show. The idea of standing there listening to Haroon whine was the least appealing thing he could think of. He’d hated the guy from the moment Russ had introduced them, but it wasn’t like he had any right to tell his friend who he should and shouldn’t hang around with.
Then again, considering where they were now, he probably should have.
The kid brother was still sitting on the couch when Flix entered the attached kitchen, and he nodded at him over the half wall before pulling open the fridge.
Only to find the damn thing empty.
“How the hell do you two survive here without any food or water?” he growled. When there came no response, he glanced up, capturing the kid’s gaze and quirking a brow. “Well?”
Aneski noticeably gulped. “Um, we eat out a lot. Or Russ brings home leftovers from the school cafeteria.”
Flix grimaced. “He brings you doggy bags from Vail?”
Dude was really taking this whole dog reference too far if you asked Flix. Not that anyone had. He should cut his losses and leave, wait for Russ in the car, then grab something to eat on his way to Berga’s later.
But…
He took in the scrawny kid before him. “How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
Ah, so the same age as Mixie had been, actually.
Berga was always telling him the friendly act he put on was far too over the top. That a Brumal member wouldn’t be so carefree. That Flix should tone it back if he hoped to keep up the ruse and hide his real demons from the rest of the world.
Surely he wouldn’t want Flix leaving a kid here to starve though, right?
He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “You eat yet?”
Aneski shook his head once, as though afraid moving too much would set Flix off or something.
“Come on.” Flix motioned at him with two fingers and headed toward the door, snatching a card off the counter on his way. Not many people still used physical payment methods, most of them opting to scan their multi-slate instead, but Russ was a bit old school.
And careless, considering he’d left the card lying around.
Yanking open the door, he held it up to Aneski. “You ever steal your brothers card before?”
Another shake of his head, though he didn’t seem upset that Flix had done so.
He chuckled and exited into the hallway, shoving his hands and the card into the pockets of his blue and yellow bomber jacket. The soft patter of footsteps followed closely after, and the corner of his mouth tipped up when he thought about how it looked like he’d picked up a stray.
Now he was the one making pet references.
Good Light.
The apartment complex wasn’t expensive, so there wasn’t an elevator even though they were on the fourth floor.Flix led them down the winding flights of stairs silently, giving the kid space to sort through his thoughts and potentially change his mind and turn tail and run.
It wasn’t often someone so eagerly followed after a Devil of Vitality. Flix would have pegged him for naïve, only knowing he was Russ’s brother meant that was most likely not the case. The two of them had been orphaned for almost four years now, forced to make ends meet on their own.
“You a part of the Shepards?” Flix spoke once they’d made it to the parking lot, clicking the button on his multi-slate to start the black vehicle up as they approached.
“No way,” Aneski said, and for the first time, there was a bit of bite to his tone.
Flix sent him a grin over his shoulder. “Not a fan of gangs?”
