Fake: Book One of the Crossroads Series

by Lori Saltis

  He fingers his bruised chin. “Anytime I don’t agree with him, or he just feels mean, he lets me have it.”

  I cross my arms, squeezing at the pity that fills my chest. I can’t afford to feel sympathy. “Well, I’m not going to handfast with you, so don’t worry about that. What did you mean it’s his fault we wound up here?”

  His voice becomes cautious. “He’s got a way of making things go his way.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing.” He jerks his head. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

  “You go back. I’m good here.”

  “You waiting for that Chinese kid? My dad’s got plans to get rid of him.”

  Fear weakens my knees, though this is no surprise. We have to fly the Nest tonight. “Get rid of him? How?”

  He crooks his index finger and beckons to me. “Be a little nicer to me and maybe I’ll tell you.”

  Any reply I can think of will only make him mad, and I want him to get lost. I give a prim huff and turn away. Then I freeze. Bridie and Kingfisher aren’t among the dancing couples.

  I hurry across the grass, craning my neck as I search the common area. They’re gone. I turn back to the playground. Mikey Boy stares at me as if awaiting my return. If I go back to the Wren caravan, he’ll follow me and get in the way. Kai and Lennon will help me, but what if we have a run-in with his crew? He’ll have no trouble stalling and even stopping us.

  Just standing here is wasting valuable time. Lennon will be back soon. When he sees I’m gone, he’ll come after me.

  I run to the fire pit and weave in and out of the dancing couples who are too drunk to pay me any mind. I duck behind the musicians and looked around. No sign of Mikey Boy. My sigh of relief is short and burns in my chest. I wipe my damp palms on my legs and dart down the dark road in the direction of our caravan.

  Chapter 27

  Lennon

  Johnny Depp screams and flails his arms like a cartoon character while being chased through a jungle by angry natives. Kids lounge around the room laughing and talking over the already blasting television speakers. I lean against the window, pressing my ear to the screen so I can hear any noise coming from outside.

  Kai nudges me. “Hey, Lennon, look.” He holds out his phone.

  I pull away from the window, ready to leave. “What?”

  “I got a message.”

  I’m about to say, ‘so what?’ when it hits me. “Your phone works?”

  “I guess.” Kai taps the message icon. “It’s from Jose. Guy at my school. It says, ‘Dude, where you been? Is this why you’re MIA?’ There’s a video link.” His eyes narrow. “This better not be a Rick Roll.”

  He taps the link. A video appears, titled, ‘Neighbor Kicks Out His Wife and Kids.’ It’s grainy, shaky and dark, but I can see it’s the Sparrows being chased around and yelled at by some angry, middle-aged bald guy. Must be Bridie’s husband - what’s his name? Bill?

  “What the fuck?” Kai rewinds the video a few frames. We watch as he turns his back to go into the garage. Bill slaps Bridie across the face. She clamps her hand over her mouth in an obvious attempt to keep from crying out. When Kai and Penny come back into frame, she ducks her head to hide her distress. “That. Fucker.” Kai whispers.

  A few moments later, Bill shoves Bridie and she has to hold back her kids from attacking him. Man, I wish he were here right now. I’d give him a shove he’d remember.

  The video ends. Kai stares at the screen like he’s been punched in the gut. “Aw, man. It’s got over a thousand views.”

  I wince. “That sucks.” Bill deserves the bad publicity, but not Penny and her family. Unless it works in their favor. “Hey, you know, it’s probably no coincidence that that video’s got a bunch of views and suddenly your phone starts working.”

  Kai’s mouth twists in a satisfied sneer. “Yeah. Maybe Bill’s got in trouble with the cops.” Then his eyes light up. “Hey, I can call my grandparents. I’m gonna do it right now.” He grimaces at the TV. “It’s too loud in here. I’ll go to the loo.”

  “Tell me when the timer goes off.”

  “Yeah, yeah. We got more than ten minutes to go.”

  I wait by the window for what feels like a lot longer than that. I’m about to go pound on the bathroom door when Kai makes his way into the room, still holding the phone to his ear. He waves. I nod back and head for the front door. Mikey Boy’s crew are still in the kitchen, horsing around, throwing dirty napkins at each other, but where’s Mr. Silver Gloves? A bad feeling in my chest makes me push past them to head out the door. I run to the playground. My stomach drops when I reach the empty slide.

  “Penny,” I call out in a loud whisper. Only the swings answer, squeaking and creaking as they sway in the wind. My heart starts pounding. Could Mikey Boy have come out here and done something to her? I look over at the common area. Bridie and Kingfisher are both gone. Maybe Penny’s behind the trailer trying to get my attention. I breathe a little easier. That sounds right. Unless… damn. Did she go after Bridie and Kingfisher on her own? Why would she do that? She has to be somewhere nearby. Hopefully, we won’t waste more time passing each other in the dark. I sprint back to the Wren trailer.

  I smell him before I see him. Mikey Boy is sitting on the steps, sucking in some weed. Smoke sputters from his lips as he laughs. “You looking for your girlfriend?”

  I clench my fists to keep from grabbing him in a chokehold. “Where is she?”

  “Out back, looking for you, I guess.” He grins. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Fuck off.”

  I run around the back of the RV. Nearby trees cast a deep gloom over the metal hull. I stop and listen. Wind rustles through the leaves, making the branches creak. A chill shudders through me. Something tells me not to say Penny’s name. From the open windows, the score of Dead Man’s Chest blares in cacophony with Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive coming from the Rock On crowd. Is Penny in the trailer? No. Somehow I can tell, as if I can sense her presence.

  I take a deep breath, focusing my chi, stilling my body to sharpen my hearing. Other sounds come to the forefront, different, distinct voices, none of them Penny’s. Should I bother questioning that loser again or go back to the playground? Then I hear another sound – footsteps, so faint I shouldn’t be able to hear them, wouldn’t be able to if I wasn’t concentrating.

  The Silent Step.

  I spin around in time to see Tony bearing down on me. With Swift Steps, I skid backwards, leaving Tony grasping at air. As I turn to run, two black-clad men drop from the trees, landing on either side of me. They grab hold of me, twisting my arms in a painful lock that will dislocate my shoulders if I try breaking away.

  Memories of being captured by Payroll’s men send a rush of fear adrenaline through me. No, I won’t be a victim. Not ever again. I have to get free. I can’t let Penny down. Despite myself, I struggle. Hot, sharp pain shoots from my elbows to my shoulders. I grit my teeth to keep from crying out.

  Tony approaches. His pale face glows in the dark. His mouth looks like a slash of disappointment. Why does he always have to get in the way?

  “Little Brother.”

  The words make me want to spit.

  “You have a choice.” Tony speaks in his usual calm, cold, infuriating way. “You can walk out of here with us, or, if you continue to struggle, I’ll use dim mak and we’ll carry you out.”

  I don’t want my pressure points frozen, but I’m not about to walk away like a lamb to the slaughter. I swallow and manage to speak, calm and cold as my cousin. “Let me go.”

  “Only if I have your word you’ll come with us.”

  It’s so tempting to agree, but even on the Wayward Way, I can’t go back on my word. “Why should I go with you? You’ll just turn me over to that murderer.”

  Tony sucks in his breath. “Little Brother…”

  “No. Not Little Brother, not Paul, not Dragon Son. I’m none of those things. I reject you. I reject my clan. Y
ou murdered my parents.” I aim all my anger and frustration at him, even though a voice in the back of my head says, Don’t. He’s innocent.

  Tony looks as if he’s been slapped across the face. Anger flares in his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “I know your parents did Head Elder’s dirty work. I know my ticket to Hong Kong was one way and he was going to keep me prisoner while he rules the clan. Screw him and screw you. Screw you all. I’m not doing what you want. Murderers.”

  Paul, don’t do this. We’re brothers. We swore an oath.

  Pain jabs at my chest that has nothing to do with the two men holding me. Tony is my brother. This is the exact opposite of what Dad wanted for us, but Tony is blinded by his loyalty to the clan. And can I blame him for not wanting to believe his parents are capable of murder?

  I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault.

  Something flickers in Tony’s eyes. Hope. I feel like a shit, but I have to exploit it. I need to stall for time. I take a deep breath as if trying to calm down. “How did you find me?”

  “The head Gypsy, Kingfisher, told me you were here. He said someone paid him to take you in. He wouldn’t say who, but I already know. John Walks Long. I traced you to the Beggar Clan before you disappeared again. The Beggar Chief denies it, but I know. Kingfisher said you were making trouble and he wants you out of here. He said his son would lure you to the back of this trailer during a party.”

  So that’s why that loser was hanging around outside. And I walked right into it. I sag as if disgusted with myself. The guards loosen their grip as I drop. I start to twist and their hands become iron clamps.

  Tony’s expression becomes resigned. “Hold him still. I don’t want to hurt him.”

  I gulp in air to calm my pounding heart. Do I need to raise my left arm? Didn’t Jade Dragon fill me with power? Despite my denials, I’m still the Dragon Son. I can focus that power. This won’t be like last time. I’m not helpless anymore.

  Tony raises his hand, his index and middle fingers poised to jab my pressure points.

  I concentrate on Jade Dragon’s energy flowing through me. It’s enough, more than enough. Too much. I have to focus, channel the power to push, but not destroy. I open my mouth and breathe out the word, “Kaah.”

  Tony flies backwards, slams into a tree and drops to the ground.

  The men let go of me and run to him. They kneel beside him and carefully turn him over. He doesn’t move.

  My limbs weaken as the thrum of energy drains out of me. My stomach twists enough to make me want to double over. What have I done? Have I killed my brother?

  Ancestor, help me. Don’t let him be dead.

  No answer, not even a gust of wind.

  My legs shake as I force myself to walk to where my brother lies. The men glare up at me. The sick feeling in my throat makes me unable to speak. As my mouth works around words I can’t say, Tony sits up.

  I grab hold of a tree branch to keep from falling to my knees.

  Tony shakes his head and flexes his arms as if testing their strength. Then he looks up at me with that thousand-mile stare. “You’ve mastered the Dragon Shout.”

  I nod. Then I lick my dry lips. “You okay?”

  Tony stands without the aid of his men.

  Energy returns to my limbs as I back away. I won’t use the Dragon Shout again, can’t risk hurting my brother. I’d rather run.

  Tony makes no move to pursue me. Instead, he speaks in a quiet voice. “My mother has cancer.”

  I blink. “What?”

  “My mother has cancer. It’s inoperable.”

  Is this a trick? No, Tony wouldn’t lie about something like that.

  “While we were in Hong Kong, she went to see a doctor about abdominal pain. It’s been troubling her for a long time, but she kept ignoring it. She got the diagnosis right before we came home. She waited too long. It’s inoperable. She’s dying.”

  I rub my brow. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “You said she killed your mother. Why would she do that if she knew she was dying of cancer?”

  I shake my head. It doesn’t matter. There has to be a reason.

  “I know you think you saw my mother kill your mother. But have you asked yourself why?”

  “A million times.”

  “Do you have an answer?”

  “What about my father? Do you really think your father had nothing to do with his death?”

  Tony’s expression goes bleak. “No. I think he did.” He takes a breath. “Paul, I loved your parents. If I thought my mother had harmed your mother, I wouldn’t turn a blind eye. I know my mother never liked your mother, but why would she kill her?”

  I whisper, “I know what I saw.”

  “You have to come home. You can run, but I won’t stop, either. Why don’t we end this now?”

  I look over my shoulder. The longer I stand here, the worse it could be for Penny. If I go to her, Tony will definitely catch up, but I can’t abandon her. I take a deep breath.

  “If you leave this place without me and give me your word you won’t have me followed, I’ll meet you at Auntie Cat’s place in a couple of hours. I give you my word as a Xia.”

  We stare each other in the eye. Tony nods once. I nod back. Then I turn and sprint toward the playground. If Penny’s still not there, then she must have gone after her mother and Kingfisher on her own. I hope I’m not too late, because if I am, I’ll hate myself and Tony forever.

  Chapter 28

  Penny

  The caravan is dark, except for a single light shining through the back bedroom window. My teeth grit painfully. Does Bridie really expect me to sleep there after she and Kingfisher rut? Sanitizing the sheets in boiling water and bleach won’t wash away the facts. My eyes narrow. Fact is, I won’t be sleeping there or anywhere in this Nest ever again. I creep up to the front door and give the handle a cautious twist. Locked. As if that will stop me. I pull the spare key from my pocket.

  The click of the lock is loud enough to make my mouth go dry. Maybe I should go back and try finding Lennon and Kai, but it could be too late by then. Once the deed is done, Bridie will stay and try to make the best of it, the same as she had with Bill. Sweat pools in my armpits despite the cold. A strong gust of wind shakes the caravan. I open the door quickly, using the sound to cover the creak of the hinges. The wind blows stronger and almost rips the door from my hand. I hold on tight and manage to close it softly.

  A shiver runs through me as I stand in the dark kitchen, my hands clasped to my chest. My heart pounds in my ears, making it hard to hear. I take a deep breath to slow my pulse. Voices murmur through a crack in the bedroom door. I walk softly toward the back, biting my lip as the floor creaks beneath me.

  “I… I don’t think this is a good idea.” Bridie sounds slurred and tremulous.

  “You backing out?” Kingfisher’s bullying tone makes my hands clench into fists.

  “I’m still married and… and…”

  “And what? You don’t like having a roof over your head? You don’t like food on the table for your kids?”

  “I have to be able to look at my kids.”

  “You want to look at them starve? You want to watch them be arrested by the cops when that fool Bleater you married peaches on you? You can keep that from happening. All you have to do is be nice.”

  “You make me sound like a trull.”

  “Oh, you ain’t no trull, Bridie. A trull gives it up to a bunch of men. You’re just giving it up to me. If you’re nice tonight, I won’t kick you out for nonpayment of rent this week. You let me move this trailer next to my place, and you and your kids won’t want for nothing.”

  “What about Doreen?”

  “I told you. Me and Doreen are through. Can’t help it if she don’t want to face facts.”

  “But her children – your children…”

  “I’d be more worried about your own kids if I were you.”

  I inch along the dark hallway
. Through the open door, I can see Kingfisher’s broad back looming over my mother. Bridie sits on the edge of the bed, clutching her fringed shawl to her neck, her pale hand a stark contrast to her reddened cheeks. Slowly, her hand slides to her lap. The shawl slithers off her shoulders. Despair glimmers in her eyes as her lids close.

  “That’s my girl. You are one rum piece, you know that?” As he speaks, he tugs his shirttails out of his trousers.

  I push open the door and launch forward, ramming into him with my shoulder as hard as I can.

  Kingfisher gives a startled, “Oof,” though he barely budges.

  As he swings around, I leap backward, slamming into the wall to avoid him. The caravan shakes with the impact. Kingfisher teeters as he punches the air. Then he draws back his fist. I raise my forearms.

  Bridie jumps to her feet and squeezes between us, spreading her arms to shield me. “What are you doing? How dare you hit my daughter?”

  Kingfisher takes a step back, his chest heaving. “The girl jumped me. I didn’t know who it was.”

  Bridie speaks over her shoulder in a sharp tone. “I told you to stay at the party. What are you doing here?”

  I’ll take my mother’s anger over that horrid, submissive pose any day. “Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life.” Bridie sighs. Her breath smells of stale beer. I grimace. “You’re drunk.”

  Bridie’s gaze sharpens. “I am your mother. Don’t talk that way to me.”

  “If you’re my mother, then act like it. My mother wouldn’t let some man turn her into a trollop.”

  Color drains from Bridie’s cheeks. She looks away.

  Kingfisher reaches around Bridie. “This is adult business, girl. Get out.” He tries grabbing my arm.

  Bridie pushes his hand away. “Don’t touch my daughter.”

  “Tell her to get the hell out of here.”

  “No.” Bridie’s posture straightens. Her shoulders square. “I changed my mind. You should leave.”

  Joy sings through my body. All the planning and sneaking around has worked. I knew she wouldn’t go through with it if I caught her in the act. I can’t keep myself from gloating at Kingfisher’s sour expression.