Khalil sits back with a grin. “Then make me one.”
I cross my arms and kick his leg under the table hard enough to make him scowl. “Make it yourself.”
When Aurelia wordlessly offers Khalil another bite and he takes it, I roll my eyes and shove away from the table to make the fucker a sandwich so he can leave hers alone.
Aurelia sips her tea while Khalil devours his sandwich in a few bites.
I get up from the table and go into my room before returning with the radio. I hand it to Aurelia, and she looks up at me questioningly. “You need to radio the sheriff and tell him you’re okay. He radioed, looking for you the morning after you disappeared. He’s been on our case ever since.”
“Shit.” Aurelia grabs the radio but then pauses. “You know, don’t you?”
“Yup,” Khalil answers.
“And you’re not mad?”
“You saved our asses when you had every reason to let us burn. Resenting you for having a safe way out would only make us deeply unworthy of you,” I say. “So no. We’re not mad.”
Aurelia exhales like she’s shedding a heavy burden and then calls the sheriff. After a brief but tense conversation, she ends the call and leans back against Khalil before closing her eyes.
“Time for bed,” I say as I stand.
Her eyes pop open, and she sits up. “What about Bane?”
“There’s nothing we can do now, and he’s not going anywhere. You need the rest.”
The three of us head down to the basement, but Aurelia takes us all by surprise when she hooks a left at the bottom of the stairs and goes into Khalil’s room instead of hers.
“What’s up, Goldilocks?” Khalil asks with a frown as we follow her inside.
“I’m sleeping in here.”
“The fuck you are,” he snaps.
“Someone has to watch over him, and he won’t hurt me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Actually, I do. He saved my life. Twice.”
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t a danger to you.”
“Then stay and keep an eye on us. I don’t care what you do, but I’m not leaving. It could be Zeke who wakes up. How do youthink he’ll feel if he wakes up in these cuffs? The least we can do is make sure he doesn’t wake up alone. It’s worth the risk.”
When we don’t respond, Aurelia climbs onto the bed and curls herself against Zeke’s side. Blindly, she pats the bed behind her, and when Khalil and I lock gazes, since there’s only room for one of us, I tip my chin toward the bed. He’s been out there searching for them nonstop. He needs the rest as much as they do. Meanwhile, I feel like I’ve had enough to last a lifetime, so I head to the chair in the corner and take a seat to keep watch while they sleep.
It isn’t long before Aurelia and Khalil are sleeping right along with Zeke.
The sun is creeping into the sky when I’m jarred awake by the rattle of a chain.
Memories from last night come flooding back, and I sit up in the chair with a jolt to see a body sitting up in the bed. The room is still dark, so the furniture is cast in shadows, but it’s clear who it is.
“Zeke?” The head turns slowly, eerily toward the sound of my voice, and I sigh. “Bane.”
I stand, and he yanks against the chain. The wooden headboard groans, and the sound jars Khalil awake, his rough movements waking Aurelia next.
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” She rubs at her eyes and then notices Bane. “Oh God. It’s you.” She then turns to me with wide eyes. “What do we do?”
“I vote we knock him out again.” Khalil cracks his neck and stands like he’s getting ready to do just that.
