The shock was loosening its grip on Ellis now, giving way to a surge of pure anger. How could something like this happen? He could havedied.
“Youshouldlose your fucking job,” he growled. “Buses don’t just explode for no reason. A few minutes earlier and we would have all been killed.” Clearly, someone was to blame. Someone had to be guilty. That was how Ellis’s world worked. Bad things didn’t just happen to him.
“Ellis, back off,” Raya snapped. “We don’t know what happened.Maybe the bus overheated on the drive or something? Just give him a freaking break—he nearly died.”
“Inearly fucking died!” Ellis clenched his fists tightly. He did not like Raya Mori. Plain and simple. He hadn’t liked her before she transitioned, with her ridiculous mullet and oversized jorts. He didn’t like her now with her short black hair, kohl-ringed eyes, and piercings that shouldn’t be legal.Emo witch.
He was simmering dangerously; he could feel it. The adrenaline from the aftershock was taking over. His self-control was slipping.
The others were approaching, running over from the reception area. He pulled himself up. This was not the time or place to lose it.
Think of Father in court, he told himself. He pictured the calm, poise, and presence of his father—Grant Locke, the brilliant criminal defense lawyer, stalking around a courtroom, controlling the air, commanding everyone’s attention. On the raw edge between handsome and cruel.
Pull yourself together. Be like Father.He reached down and touched his expensive-looking Rolex, his fingers stroking the smooth watch face.
By now, the others had arrived in a cloud of hysteria. Jade was freaking out loudly. Jax was filming everything. Danny’s twin sister and Alex hovered near the bus driver, who was going on and on about his “poor dang bus.” Ellis blocked them all out, only half-listening while they got it out of their systems. He turned his back to them and watched as the fire burned itself out, until his heartbeat slowed to normal, until the panic subsided.
Now that the imminent danger had passed, the reality of their situation was sinking in, and one by one they fell quiet. Ellis nodded to himself, flexing his hands. There was no question in his mind about who was in charge. Benny, the only adult here (and he used the term loosely), was clearly incapable of managing himself, let alone seven teenagerstrapped in a deserted motel with an exploding bus. No, it was go time. The situation called for a real leader, and Ellis was ready.
He turned to face the group.
“Is anyone hurt?” He had a natural, easy authority, and knew it. No one said anything, a few heads shook. “All right, good. Is everyone here?” Heads nodded. He looked around, double-checking. All seven plus Benny. All present.
“Ellis, what are we supposed to do?” Jade dusted off her tiny Lululemon shorts and checked herself on her phone camera; her carefully curated perfection was firmly back in place now that the shock had worn off. “Seriously. How are we going to get home? We can’t even call an Uber. This really sucks!”
There was a murmur of agreement.
“There’s not much we can do. The bus is gone, it’s almost dark, and the nearest town is miles away. We can keep looking for a cell signal. But in the meantime, we might as well check in for the night and make the best of it.” He kept it direct and simple—commanding. A chip off the old block.
“Wait, you don’t mean we’re stayingheretonight?” Jax said, a flash of panic in his green eyes.
The chorus started up.
“I won’t stay here,” Jade said flatly. “It’s filthy and—”
“There’s no Wi-Fi,” Jax added unhelpfully.
“No food,” Caden grunted.
“Anyone seenPsycho?” Raya grinned.
“All right, enough!” Ellis barked. He looked around at the expectant faces. “We don’t have a choice, do we? Like it or not, we have to stay—for now, at least. We’ll leave in the morning.Are we clear?”
There were reluctant stirrings of assent.
“So unfair,” Jade griped under her breath.
“Fuck’s sake,Jade,” Ellis snapped, the last of his patience gone. “Get over yourself. It’s not my fault the driver drove us to the wrong motel.”
Benny muttered a half-hearted squeak of protest.
“Actually…we are in the right place,” a small voice cut in. It was Danny’s sister, his dull little shadow. What was her name again? Emma? Anna? Ellis couldn’t remember and cared less.
“What do you want?” he said sharply. She wilted a little under his glare.
“It’s just that…I found something.” She held out a small pink envelope. “This was in the reception office. It’s addressed to us. We were expected.”
Ellis glared at her. Even though she was boring, quiet, and totally irrelevant, there was a touch ofsomethingabout her. A small flash of Danny in her eyes, her voice, maybe the way she turned her head. Like an after-image, a living reminder.
