“No one’s going to touch you,” Ruby says softly. “Is he standing outside the car?”
“Yeah.” I laugh.
“Daigon, sit down. They’re not doing anything,” she says while he narrows his eyes at us.
Kane slides me off his thigh then gets in the front seat. “There. Happy now?”
“I will be if you stop touching each other,” our driver mumbles as he gets in, placing his phone on his thigh. “Ruby’s staying here in case you do it again.”
“How old are you?” I ask, genuinely curious because he doesn’t seem very mature.
“Your age.”
“What the fuck?” Kane says.
“Ruby? You married someoneyoungerthan you?” I ask. I’ve never given thought to what my sister’s type is. She’s always been mature though, so I’d assume it would be someone the same.
He puffs his chest out, staring at his phone like she can see him as he says, “She married me when I was twenty-one.”
“Jesus,” Kane hisses. “You’re a cradle snatcher.”
“He’s an adult,” she tries to defend herself, only to make it worse. “I thought he was older.”
“Wait…” I poke my head through the seat. “You didn’t know how old he was when you got married? What did you do, just grab him off the street and say, ‘You look scary, I’ll marry you.’” I quickly turn to the driver, adding, “No offense.”
“Some taken,” he says as he drives with a smile on his face. “Why don’t you tell them, little lamb?”
Aww, that’s cute. He calls her a lamb, when he’s a farmer. Or it’s not cutebecausehe’s a farmer. I’m sticking with the first one.
I wrap my arm around Kane, resting my cheek on his seat as Ruby explains the insane details of how they got married while we drive to the airfield to kill Helene.
“Don’t wake her up,”Kane whispers, demolishing his warning.
I rub my eyes as we sit on the boat, gently rocking in the waves of my previous prison. The island looks different from this vantage point as I look around for a reference of where we are. All of my time spent on the roof, staring at the different parts made me divide it into sections. The posts I named the gates of Hell are to our right, a pit opening up in my stomach at the memory of what happened here. My talks with Lenny delved into a multitude of things from the sick acts of our families to philosophy. It’s why I now believe natural matter holds on to horrifying details when the people harmed there don’t get justice. Not wanting to disrespect their lost souls, I point to further ahead. “Go closer. The airfield Helene uses is up there.”
Kane pulls my hood tighter around my head as I remain on his thigh, hugged to his chest while Daigon’s t-shirt is plastered to his skin as he sails the boat to a small cove.
“The tunnels beneath the basement lead to the airfield, little doe. You run through them without looking back. Hide, wait until you see me. Make sure there’s no burn on my neck.”
We stop again.
Kane slides me off his thigh to help maneuver the boat into the sharp rocks so we don’t have to wade through the water. Stepping up on to the rock ledge, he gestures for Daigon to drop the anchor then holds his hand out for me. I don’t want to knock him off-balance, so I avoid his hand as I climb up on my knees.
Remaining on my knees, I stretch forward to grab the backpacks Daigon packed us like we’re children on a school trip. His footing isn’t as steady as he tries to get up on the ledge unassisted. I hold his arm as Kane takes his other hand, but the rude asshole doesn’t even say thank you. He lifts his backpack and puts it on backwards, so the zipper is below his chin, then takes out a protein bar.
“So, this is where the mother of all evil lives?” he asks between bites, looking around.
“Yeah, something like that.” Kane laughs, helping me to my feet. “It’s going to take a while to get to her house. We should start moving before it gets dark.”
“No need,” I step around him. “We can go through the tunnels, but her guards will be in the basement.” I thread our fingers together once he has his backpack on and begin walking.
Daigon stays two steps behind, still eating. “You’re touching again.”
“And?” I look over my shoulder. “You’d be doing the same with Ruby.”
“I wouldn’t let her come here.”
“You don’tletyour spouse do things. This isn’t the 1800s.”
