“I promise.”
He stared at me for a beat, searching my expression, and I stared right back.
Clara was mine, and that made her brother my responsibility too. They would both be moving in with me once I extracted Clara from wherever she was now. After a few more seconds Zachary’s face crumpled and he started sobbing in earnest. I pulled him in for a hug, wrapping him in my arms and giving him firm pats on the back.
“I can’t lose her,” he sobbed into my shoulder. “She’s everything. She’s always looked out for me. Taken the abuse for me. And I let her. I always let her because I was scared. I’m not brave or strong like Clara. But they won’t just beat her this time. S-s-snitching isn’t something they forgive. They’ll kill her.”
I pulled back so I could look at his tear-streaked face.
“I’ll get her back, Zachary. If you help me, I can make her safe. You aren’t alone anymore.”
“But heknows. This time I really think he knows and?—”
“It’s okay, Zachary.I’mgoing to deal with it. Understand me? All I need is an address.”
Chapter 31
Nobody leaves
Clara
“There you go,Mum. Nice cup of tea.” I put the steaming mug in front of my mother. When she glanced up at me, for a moment, the vacant clouds cleared as if she was noticing me there for the first time, and a flash of terror shot through her expression.
“Clara,” she said in an urgent voice, her hand coming up to grip my wrist so tightly I could feel the bones grinding together.
“Mum, what are you doing?”
“Tell me you didn’t do it,” she begged in a hoarse whisper, and I froze.
“Mum, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mum glanced at Pinky who was just outside the kitchen door, then back at me.
“Tell me you didn’t snitch. Tell me it wasn’t you.”
“Of course not, Mum,” I said, shooting Pinky a nervous glance, but he was thankfully facing away from us. “I don’t understand what’s happening to be honest.You know I never get involved in any of Dad’s business.”
Relief had her slumping back in the chair, a shaky hand coming up to push her hair off her face.
“Okay, love,” she whispered. “Okay.”
“Mum, listen,” I said tentatively, hoping that this moment of clarity might mean I could get through to her. “I’m really going to have to go to work. I can’t keep calling in sick like this.” I gave a nervous laugh. “Lily can’t manage all of those sprogs without me in the mix.”
Mum waved her hand before she picked up her tea. “Dad needs you here, love,” she said vaguely, back to her normal checked-out self.
I gritted my teeth in frustration. “Dad doesn’t need me here, Mum. I should get back to the school.”
“You’re not bloody well going anywhere,” my father’s gruff voice cut through the air of the kitchen. Mum shrank back into herself like she always did, her eyes clouding over and her expression becoming even more vague. I pushed her tea towards her, took her hand in mine and wrapped it around the handle.
“Drink your tea, Mum,” I whispered.
“Did you hear me, Runt?” Dad shouted.
“Yes, Dad,” I said quietly, knowing better than to make eye contact with him, something my father often saw as a direct challenge. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before I gathered the courage to go on. “Dad, I c-can’t stay here forever,” I said, my voice trembling as I turned to face him, still keeping my gaze lowered.
It was risky, but I had to get out of this house. We’d been in lockdown since yesterday. I overheard Skinny Pete saying something about a police investigation. There was talk of a snitch. An insider who gave them away.
They knew.
