Page 28
My phone buzzes on the bar and I turn it over. I let it ring for a second because I know what’s coming. “Hello?”
“You’re not here,” my boss snaps.
“I know. I’m sorry, but I had a family emergency.”
“I don’t pay you to have family emergencies. If you can’t be reliable, I’ll find someone who is. You have an hour to get here.”
“Please, I can’t come in today.”
He scoffs. “Then don’t bother coming back.”
The phone is removed from my hand, and Cipher looks down at the screen before putting the phone to his ear. “This is Valli’s attorney. For the record, under the Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification Act and the applicable federal provisions, terminating an employee without documented cause or adequate notice carries significant liability for businesses operating under the state labor code. I’d recommend that you consider all implications before committing to a course of action.” Cipher then listens for a moment. “Good.”
He ends the call and places my phone back on the bar in front of me.
“Are you actually a lawyer?” Noa asks.
“No, but he doesn’t know that.”
Noa laughs and holds his hand up for a high-five, which Cipher reluctantly returns.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and Cipher nods before going back to his notes.
Ares stands. “We will get what we can and come see you.”
Clay picks up his coffee and drains it in one go and stands. As he gets to the door, he stops with his hands resting on the frame. “Next time your pet scarecrow puts his hands on my woman, I won’t hesitate.” Then he leaves. I guess that could have gone worse. Cave watches the door for a moment and turns back to his drink, unbothered, which I suspect is the most unsettling response. It’s why Clay is so pissed; I would be as well.
“Welcome to the island,” Kayla says to me and refills my coffee once more.
Chapter Twelve
Cipher
Tonight is the first chase, and I’m nervous. I like Valli as much as you can like someone you don’t really know. She intrigues me, and I’d love to know how she ticks. I like to dissect people to learn their inner workings.
The people on the island are different; we are shaped because of trauma. Outsiders generally don’t see the world the same way as us.
I tighten the same bolt three times and set the wrench down, accepting that my mind has wandered elsewhere. There are lots of things I don’t say out loud; I don’t see the point when the information is known.
Noa has been pacing all day, wondering if Valli will show up, but we know she will. If he really wanted, he could check the security cameras I installed yesterday at her house, along with a panic button. Given her circumstances and her refusal to stay here, it made sense, and it helped to calm Cave. There is something about her that speaks to him. He won’t let her go.
I know I belong to Cave. It’s just how it is, and I like it. Now she also belongs to him, but I think it might take her a while to accept the reality. She isn’t from here, so she doesn’t understand how things work.
The Scarecrow is the core of the island. He is feared the most, and rightfully so; he is unstable at best. Cave has somewhat of a moral compass, but only if he likes you. He respects Ares, so limits hurting Vero because Ares has claimed him. On the island, it’s an unspoken rule: when someone is claimed, if you fuck with them, you fuck with who they belong to. As the saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you, and Ares is the ultimate food source.
Noa appears in the doorway, his zombie makeup applied and his shovel tipped over his shoulder. He drops onto an upturned crate in the corner.
“Are we really doing this?” he asks, and I turn to look at him in surprise.
Noa is the one who fought for this when Nixie was on the fence. We know Cave is a liability at night, never during the day—he has a soft spot for kids. I think he enjoys playfully scaring them.
“Do you not want to do it anymore?” I ask.
Noa sighs. “I do—I really like her. She likes to dig holes with me, though I know that isn’t setting the bar high.”
“But?” I ask, because with Noa there is always a but.
“Is Cave even capable of sharing?”
