Lucy looked out of the alley to spy the street again.
“Why don’t we go for that black guy instead. He looks like he’s doing okay for himself.”
Marlin flicked a glance past her shoulder.
“Do you honestly think we can persuade him? The lady’s a safer bet.”
Lucy swore under her breath, resisting the urge to stamp her foot.
“Okay, fine.” She snatched the beanie and put it over her head, rolling it down so it covered her face. Marlin had cut eye holes out for her the night before. It felt scratchy and horrible against her skin. She tucked her scraggy hair down the back of her jacket and sniffed.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Marlin peeked out from the alley to make sure the lady was still there.
“As soon as she gets up and starts walking, we’ll make our move. I think she’s paying now. After you’ve got it, make sure you run around the tree, it’ll be too easy for you to get grabbed by people if you stay on the sidewalk.”
Lucy attempted to regulate her breathing as she waited. Trying to convince herself this was a good idea would never work, so she just had to shut her brain off and do it. Closing her eyes, she visualized how the scene would play out.
“Time to move.” Marlin slapped her back before pushing her out onto the street and running in the opposite direction. She stayed against the wall hoping no one would notice her. As soon as the lady separated from the crowd, Lucy dashed towards her. Snatching the purse, she kept running, hoping the lady would be too shocked to hang on and fight back.
“Help! Stop! My purse!” She sounded so distressed, making Lucy cringe.
Following Marlin’s instructions, she jumped down onto the street and raced around the tree. Dodging a kid on a skateboard, she leapt to the side and crashed straight into a body. Tight arms wrapped around her as she fell back to the ground.
“Give me that, you little thief.”
The bag was wrenched from her grasp by an angry looking Marlin. She scrambled out of his clutches and ran into the first alley. Whipping off the beanie, she threw it into the dumpster along with her brown jacket. She pulled her hair free, flicking it out as she ran down the alley and around the back of the building the way they’d planned.
Pulling in a calming breath, she walked speedily through the shop, acting as though coming through the private back entrance was something she did every day. Thankfully the shopkeeper was busy and didn’t notice as she slipped out the front door and ran towards Marlin.
“Are you okay?” She touched his arm, cutting his conversation with the old lady short.
“Yeah, someone just tried to steal this lady’s purse.”
“I saw you run from the shop and had no idea what was going on.” Lucy touched her chest, looking worried as she slipped her hand within the crook of Marlin’s arm.
“This kind boy just saved me from a mugger.” The lady smiled.
Lucy rested her head against Marlin’s shoulder. “That’s my bro, always thinking of others first.” She smiled lovingly at him before touching the lady’s shoulder. “Are you alright? That must have given you such a fright.”
“Well yes, it did.” Her ringed fingers fluttered through the air. “You don’t expect some masked robber to snatch your things when you’re innocently walking along the street.”
Giving her a sweet smile, Lucy wondered how they were going to lead the conversation in the right direction. A few people were watching them, including the black man she’d suggested they rob. She was suddenly glad Marlin had insisted on this lady. She seemed sweet.
Guilt assaulted Lucy as a man passed, patting Marlin on the back.
“Good job,” he murmured.
She noticed him look down the alley she’d disappeared into, maybe hoping to catch her. The idea made her feel tense and she squeezed Marlin’s arm without meaning to.
He glanced at her, kissing her forehead. “I’m okay, sis.”
“I know. I just want you to be careful.” She fiddled with the lapel of his collar, spotting an opening and taking it. “Your treatment starts again on Monday and you know you have to be healthy otherwise they’ll delay it.”
“Treatment?” The lady frowned.
Lucy waved her hand, trying to act as though it didn’t bother her, but her eyes sprouted with tears. “Chemo…again. We’ve enjoyed a healthy remission, but it’s back.”
“Helen, it’s going to be okay.” Marlin squeezed her hand.
Lucy wiped at a few tears that had started to fall. “Sorry,” she whispered, looking at the lady. “Mom passed away a few years ago from the same thing and it just gets me now and again.”
“Oh, my dear.” The lady squeezed her arm.
“We just came out for a final afternoon of fun before we go back to the sickness and the…” Lucy waved her hand and swallowed, sniffing a couple of times for good measure.
“Well, here let me help you enjoy it.” She opened up her purse, pulling her wallet free.
“Oh no, please ma’am, you don’t have to do that.” Marlin shook his head.
“I know I don’t,” she snapped. “But I want to.” She finished with a gorgeous smile.
Grabbing Marlin’s hand, she slapped some money into it and patted his arm. “You two take care of each other.”
Lucy let the tears keep flowing, feigning speechlessness as she touched her chest. “Thank you,” she mouthed. She swiped a few tears away. “That is so kind.”
“Hey now, your brother helped me today. I owe him a lot more than that.”
She opened her arms wide and Lucy fell into the hug. The woman’s arms were warm and motherly, squeezing Lucy tight before gently rubbing her back. It felt so good to be held that way again, it reminded her of home, which Lucy hadn’t thought of in a while.
Blinking at her tears, she pulled herself free and shut off thoughts of her mother before she turned into a genuine blubbering mess.
Food. A bed.
She said the words inside her head, killing off any emotion. Swallowing, she gifted the lady one last smile as she walked away, calling out yet another thank you.
Marlin wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her across the street, keeping up their brother/sister persona until they were around the corner.
Peaking over his shoulder, he saw they were in the clear and tugged Lucy into the alley.
“How much?” She dabbed at her blotchy cheeks, forcing her shaking innards to be still. She couldn’t believe they’d actually pulled it off. Lucy leaned towards Marlin as he finished counting.
“Four hundred bucks!” He whooped. “I told you she was loaded.” He slapped Lucy on the arm with an elated grin.
She tried to match his enthusiasm, but couldn’t quite manage it.
“So what do you want to do first? Eat? Sleep? Shop? What?”
“I don’t—”
Her reply was cut short by the slow clapping of hands. Marlin’s pale eyes jumped with fright before he pulled Lucy behind him and backed up the alley further.
“Bravo.” The black man smiled, his white teeth shining. “Excellent performance.” His British accent sounded posh, but a practiced posh.
Lucy frowned, eyeing him over Marlin’s shoulder.
“Who are you?” Marlin’s voice had a hard edge to it.
“The name’s Shorty.” The man bowed, the posh accent slipping to reveal a street British that seemed to suit him better. He wasn’t a large man, but his personality made up for it. His long skinny legs matched his knuckley fingers. His wide nose and full lips almost made him look like a caricature, but he had a class about him…a flair. His thick gold ring caught her eye as he pointed at them. “What I just saw you kids do, was stella’. Absolutely stella’. How long you been conning then?”
“We…” Lucy looked to Marlin. “We don’t con.”
“Sweetheart, I just saw you do it.”
“No, we…that wasn’t.” Lucy shook her head then sighed. Shorty’s dark eyes were staring her do
wn, turning her lies to ash.
“What do you want?” Marlin stood tall. The guy might be skinny, but he had good height.
Shorty wasn’t intimidated in the slightest as he sauntered towards him. “I, my little friends, want you.”
He pointed at them.
“Us?”
“You pulled off that con without even breaking a sweat. You, Princess Helen, or whatever your name is, was brilliant. I could use some talent like yours.”
“Who are you?” Marlin repeated the question, but his voice was softening.
“I am a con-artist. Moved here a few years back. Been working the area. Lot of money to be made in these parts, but only so much when you don’t have a team. Come work for me.”
Lucy’s first reaction was a shake of the head. “We don’t even know you.”
“So get to know me then. I can tell you one thing, you’d be making a lot more than four hundred measly bucks with me. I’m wanting in on some big scores. I got some good plans going. We join forces and it opens up a whole new ball game.”
Marlin glanced at Lucy, raising his eyebrows. She frowned and shook her head.
“You want to eat a decent meal and sleep in a bed every night?”
Her face dropped.
That sounded divine.
“I can make that happen for you. I can set you guys up for a future off the streets. I ain’t sayin’ it’s risk free, but it’s worth a shot. Am I right?”
“How can we trust you?” Marlin jutted his chin out.
Shorty shrugged, stretching his arms wide. “Well, I let you in and you let me in. It’s a two way street.” He pointed to himself then back to them. “How can I trust you? We’re all thieves here, let’s be honest. But I’m willing to take a risk on you two.”
“The four hundred’s ours.” Lucy’s voice was much colder than she meant it to be.
“Too right. I didn’t earn a penny of that. It’s all yours.”
That made her feel slightly better, but he was a con-artist. He might be lying about it.
“Look, I spotted your con, others probably could too. I can teach you things. I can help you get better. I can make you some decent cash.” He slapped his hands together. “Come on, I’ll show you my place and then you can decide.”
Lucy still felt unsure, but couldn’t really argue when Marlin grabbed her hand and tugged her down the alley. “We just need to get our stuff first.”
Shorty nodded and followed them to a second alley, where they’d hidden their two duffle bags. Marlin carried both of them, Lucy trailing behind, trying to figure out if Shorty was leading them to a death sentence or a whole new future.
Chapter 13
ZACH
April 2014
I tapped my pen against my textbook, knowing I should be studying the text like Dani was, but I couldn’t stop looking at her. My eyes would hit the page then immediately bounce back to the way her blonde hair curled into a U behind her ear or the way her nose twitched just before she quietly sniffed, or the way she brushed her bottom lip with the end of her pen as she was reading.
I think she could tell I was looking at her because occasionally she’d glance up, hitting me with those blue eyes and making me blush.
She’d gotten prettier, I swear.
Before I left for spring break with Elliot, I would have raised my right hand and told the world I was 60% more intrigued by Dani than I was falling for her. But being away from her, thinking every blonde girl I spotted at Venice Beach was her…it made me realize I was kind of obsessed. I found myself pining for my morning swim and desperate to get back to school just so I could pass her in the corridors or sit next to her in class.
I missed her smile.
I wanted another Sociology assignment to work on. I wanted any excuse I could get to hang out with her. I wondered if she’d missed me too, because the first Monday after spring break I invited her out for coffee and she said yes without skipping a beat. Since then we’d started doing a lot more after school stuff. We saw each other most days and she regularly hung out with my crowd on the weekend now. This afternoon we were sitting in Vincenzo’s studying, supposedly studying, for our upcoming Sociology test.
“Okay, try these.” AJ swung into the room and placed a plate of steaming meatballs in front of us.
“Where’s the sauce?”
“I’m trying out some different flavors. I need you to taste them sauceless so I can get an opinion on if you like the cilantro or you think it should go.”
I wrinkled my nose at Dani, feeling way under-qualified for the task. She giggled and grabbed her fork. We’d been taste-testing stuff since getting here. AJ had skipped last period and come to the restaurant early. Wednesday afternoons were often quiet and the boss let him experiment in the back corner.
The meatball was so hot I had to spit it out and grab my glass of water. Dani, the sensible one, had blown on hers and nibbled the edge. With a chortle she passed me a napkin, then looked at AJ seriously.
“The cilantro works. I really like it. You don’t need sauce with these, they’re delicious just like this.” She took another bite.
AJ’s eyes lit up, his hands jerking into the air. He jumped on his tiptoes with a gleeful grin. “Wait till you taste the sauce.” He rubbed his hands together and practically skipped back to the kitchen.
I shook my head with a snicker. I loved how excited he got over food and I was really glad Elliot wasn’t here to put a dampener on things with his ketchup antics or ruin my time with Dani. He was still wary of her and he’d noticed how much we’d been hanging out together. The girls seemed to like Dani, but Elliot would always be cautious.
I guess he had a right to be, but the more I hung out with this girl, the more I realized how cool she was. Sure, she had a few little secrets, but I was beginning to not care what they were. She was intelligent, great to talk to, she put up with all my ridiculous observations about the world. Heck, she had noticed over half of them anyway.
“I noticed that too,” she’d softly murmur.
The more time we spent together, the more relaxed she was and I liked it. I really, really liked it.
My need to figure her out was fading by the day. I wanted her to be good and trustworthy. I didn’t want to know if her secrets were dark and dangerous. I just wanted her to be Dani, the beautiful girl sitting next to me, studying for tomorrow’s test.
“Would you stop.” She looked up at me, her lips quirking to the left. “You’re supposed to be studying. If you keep looking at me, you’re gonna fail the test tomorrow.”
I gave her a cheesy grin, which made her chuckle.
“I’m serious, Zach.” She shook her head and glanced at her watch. With a sigh, she flipped her textbook closed. “I should go.”
“Why? It’s only just five.”
“My dad.” She shrugged, shoving her things into her bag.
“He’s really strict, huh?”
“He can be.” Her voice was light, but also strained. Whenever he came up, things got like this. No one else would probably even notice, but I’d been studying her for several weeks now and Dani’s voice was definitely more tense when she talked about her father.
“He…I’d like to meet him sometimes.”
She sniggered. “Not in a million years.”
“Why not?”
Zipping her bag shut, she tucked it under her arms, hugging it close as she faced me. “He likes me to stay focused on my work. I can’t afford to let anyone distract me.”
“And I’m a distraction?” I pointed to myself, openly hopeful.
She grinned, biting her lip. She didn’t say anything, but her soft blush told me what I wanted to know.
“I take it he doesn’t know about me.”
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she looked to the tabletop. “I’m not at this school to score myself a boyfriend.” A sad wistfulness crested over her face.
Unable to help myself, I leaned forward and took her hand. She let me gather up he
r fingers and I ran my thumb over her knuckles. I didn’t know what to say, but just touching her seemed to make her feel better. Her smile was soft, her blue eyes shining with a longing I knew all too well.
I could have kissed her right then.
In fact I would have if AJ hadn’t burst through the door with his damn meat sauce.
He made Dani stay and taste it. She said all the right things to satisfy his culinary aspirations and he flounced off happily.
“Let me drive you home. I’ll drop you round the block so your dad won’t even see me.”
“I’m fine, Zach. I like to walk.”
“Well at least tell me where you live.”
She gave me a droll look and crossed her arms.
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Why do you have to know?”
The question stumped me. The truth was I didn’t. I just really wanted to. I was guessing she didn’t want to tell me so I wouldn’t be tempted to drive by some day, which I totally would. Her dad must be really strict if she wasn’t even willing to risk that.
“You’re eighteen. You’re old enough to make your own choices, you know.”
I didn’t want her to play the rebel and get her in trouble, but I had a damn good point. Her father was being way too protective. No boyfriends in high school? Come on.
Her eyes said something I couldn’t decipher and her words were spoken with a softness that pierced me. “Some people don’t get as many choices as others.”
As if realizing she’d suddenly gone too deep and serious, she forced a bright smile over her lips. Leaning towards me with a playful grin, she touched her lips to my ear. “But I am eighteen and if I really want something, I won’t let Daddy stop me.”
Her breath was warm and tickled my skin, making goosebumps rise over my forearms. Her soft lips pressed against my cheek before she leaned back with a smile. Her eyes were dancing as she bit her lip. “See you tomorrow, Zach.”
She made a little nervous, excited face before slinging her bag onto her shoulder and heading towards the door.
I Know Lucy (The Fugitive Series) Page 8