His obsessionwasunconditional.
I flicked a tear away and ignored how Satya got suddenly quiet, peering at me intently. I stood up, and motioned for her. “Grab what you need. I can’t, in good conscience, let you stay here. Your sister won’t come back until tomorrow, right? She’ll go to her school?”
“At her sleepovers, I go and get her. We don’t have school tomorrow. It’s Saturday.”
Of course. I’d forgotten because part of my world had been turned upside down since I entered a certain warehouse. “Can you go back to your foster home tonight? They were in the center four days ago and acted as if nothing was wrong.”
“That’s cause they left on a short trip. They got an old woman to stay and watch us, and she’s blind as whatever can’t see. One of the kids covers for me. I don’t think the others will narc. You know how it is.”
Sometimes narcing wasn’t a bad thing, but I got it.
“You can sleep at your foster home tonight, and I’ll talk to Creighton. Call me in the morning, and hopefully by then I’ll have instructions on the next steps to take, but, Satya.” She’d started to pack her bag, but paused. I said, “If you’re in a situation where you think the only next step to do is come back to a place like this, please call me. I’m not a mandated reporter. You know what that means?”
She moved her head up and down, almost shyly this time.
“That means I don’t have to report shit. Not yet. I’m more than okay with helping you with some back channels. Okay?”
Her tears welled up, and she had to blink a few times before they cleared, before she could speak again. “Cap told me who you were whenyou made sure Malik got home. It’s why her and I decided to give the center a shot.” She went back to packing.
I waited, thinking she had more to say, but no. She already said it.
Okay then.
I found some extra bags they had stuffed in a corner and began helping her pack. We put as many of their items inside the bags as possible. When I reached up to start taking down the stars on the wall, she stopped me. “Leave ’em for the next people. I can make more.” She stood up, after finishing rolling up her sleeping bag. Our arms were full as we went down to the front door.
She didn’t look around before she ducked outside.
I did, glancing over to make eye contact with the guy who’d approached me. He flicked his fingers, lighting up a joint, and the flare of the lighter illuminated his face for a second. His eyes were sharp, but he was from the streets.
Another city, another corner, and things might’ve been different between him and me, him and Satya.Butwe were in this city, in this corner of this city, and it wasn’t. That was because of Creighton.
I stepped outside, starting to pull out my phone because if I was already going to ask Creighton for help, what would it hurt to ask for a ride as well? It was late, and I didn’t want to travel on the train with Satya and Crea’s personal items. Plus, that’d be a long-ass ride.
I didn’t need to, though. I shoved my phone back in my pocket.
A black SUV was parked on the street, and one of Creighton’s guys stood by the door. He nodded inside. “Boss called us in. Said you might need a ride.”
I expelled a sigh because he hadn’t given me space after all.
He just called in another watchdog for me, but as I bent down to climb inside, the guy added, “Just so you know, we arrived a few minutes ago. Boss said that’d be important information you’d want to know. He also said to make sure you know that we’re not here for you.” His eyes trailed to Satya. “We’re here for her. We’ll help her howevershe needs. Boss said to let you know that he won’t have anyone killed, said you’d be real keen on that fact.”
Well.
I . . . Okay then.
I was reeling all over again, and tried to sputter out a remark, but as soon as I climbed inside, he shut the door.
Satya laughed a little bit. “You should see your face. It’s the same look Shepherd gets on his face whenever one of us girls starts talking about our periods.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Blake
“So, it’s done? The whole war thing that you never told us about.”
We were at home, all of us, including Levi. He stayed in the hospital for a couple days, but he’d been sleeping in Palma’s room ever since. She didn’t want him in the basement in case there was a chill down there. She’d been quite the nurse to him, and Levi was eating it up.
I was in my room, studying since I had a big test coming up, before Palma knocked on the door.
