Truthfully, I’ve already resigned myself to letting her stay, to teach her how to defend herself so I can stop sleeping at night without imagining her being stolen away without a fighting chance. But I want to see Art’s reaction to everything, and the more I push, the more he gives away.
Ineedto see him beg for her safety, so I can have faith he’s not part of whatever fucked-up shit she’s in.
“Come on, man. I don’t trust anyone else but you, and I sure as hell don’t want her alone in that shitty studio.”
“So you still think this is Myrddin?”
He nods.
“You don’t think they’ll be suspicious if she disappears from her apartment? If Myrddin’s really watching her, she needs to act like everything’s normal.”
“I’ll handle that,” he says. “They can’t just expect me to let some guy follow her around and notdoanything.”
My stomach drops like a lead weight. “Why would theyexpectanything from you?”
“I meant in general. What kind of a boyfriend would I be to not protect her? Just tell me you’ll watch out for her.”
“I’vebeenwatching out for her. But I can’t be there every second. You know that.”
“Well, who’s watching her right now?”
“Cavall.”
He palms his face. “Your dog?”
“He’s protection certified. She’s fine.”
Art’s eyebrows raise, and something softens in his face. “He likes her?”
“Ran up to her like I was chopped liver.”
“Yeah, well. She has that effect on people.” His expression flickers. “Can you please just do this for me? I’ll feel better knowing she’s with you and Cavall and not out there on her own.”
My teeth grit, and I nod.
“Blood brothers, Lance.” He holds my gaze. “Loyalty, always. That hasn’t changed.”
My palm aches where the scar sits, thin and faded but still there if you know where to look. I used to press my thumb against it when I needed to remember why I was fighting. Now I press it and wonder if the kid who made that promise still exists, or if the underground’s swallowing him the same way it swallowed me.
“I’ll come by the cabin soon,” he continues. “Talk to her myself. Explain what I can. She deserves that much.”
“Sooner rather than later, so she doesn’t try to kill me in my sleep.”
“Yeah.” He smiles, but it’s worn thin. “All this shit? I’m drowning, man. I’m barely keeping my head above water.”
“I know.”
And I do know. Better than anyone else. If I can get them both out before this thing eats them the way it ate me, then maybe all of it was worth something.
He claps me on the shoulder, squeezing once before letting go. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Then he’s gone, slipping back around the corner toward the rally, and I hear the crowd’s reaction when he reappears—a swell of warmth and welcome, the king returning to his people.
I’m not even sure who the opponent for Franklin is in the mayoral race, but it doesn’t matter.
Art’s enough to get him re-elected all alone.
I stay where I am, leaning against the brick.
