I know he’s only voicing what we’re all thinking but I still don’t fuckin’ like it.
“What he said.” Evan hooks his thumb toward Dean. “The question is: why? Why doesn’t he trust you?”
I lean back in my seat, stretching my legs out in front of me and watching everyone. Every person in this room has their own skills. Evan is the computer expert, Ty is good at overseeing and organizing takedowns, Kitty is the slippery woman who can worm her way into any situation, and Kay is the one who sees things from a different perspective. Me? I’m the observant one, the one who sits back and watches, analyzing everything before making a firm decision. I may have anger running through my veins at breakneck speeds, but I can control it, use it when it’s necessary and never against anyone I love.
“He knows about you both; he knows who you are,” Kay announces.
West swings his head around to her, fire in his eyes which causes Ty to stand up, lifting to his full height as his eyes flash a warning at him.
The atmosphere crackles with tension, and my lip quirks as West slowly sits back down beside Seb, his face turning red as his anger overtakes him. “He can’t know, we’ve been fucking careful.”
“Let me do some digging,” Evan says as he closes his laptop and stands up. “If I find anything, I’ll let you know ASAP.”
He walks out of the warehouse, West and Seb following a few minutes after him. I don’t move, waiting until Dean and Kitty have left before turning to face Ty. I keep my eyes trained on him as he talks to Kay, knowing he can feel my stare burning a hole through his head.
Three weeks I’ve had to sit with that fuckboy next to me, not calling Ty out, but enough is enough. He hasn’t explained the look in his eye when he put me with him, and I’m done waiting.
“Spit it out, Luke,” he demands without looking at me.
I stay silent, waiting until his full attention is on me. When his chocolate-brown eyes connect with mine, I lift my brow. “How long?”
“How long, what?”
“Do I have to sit in a fuckin’ confined space with that dick.”
Kay chuckles before masking it with a cough when Ty whips his head toward her. “I’ll erm…” She stands up. “I’ll go and check the emails.”
“You do that, sweetheart.” He grins at her causing her to roll her eyes as she walks past me, placing her hand on my shoulder before moving across the warehouse and into the office.
Ty watches her until the door shuts and then the grin falls off his face. “I need you close to him.”
Tilting my head, I watch him for a beat. Does he get the same feeling about him as I do? “You think he’s up to something?”
He leans back in his chair. “Of course I do. He comes here for Kitty—which I get—but he knows everything about everyone?” He shakes his head. “There’s something going on, but the only way I can find out is by having him close.”
“Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”
He nods in agreement before leaning forward, drumming his fingers on the table. “Evan has too much on with Darrell, and it’s the only case we’re working right now.” He looks around, narrowing his eyes at something. “I found a chip on the back of the unit next to Evan’s computers.”
“A chip?” I ask, standing up and pushing forward when he pulls something out of his pocket.
“We’ve had four people in this compound over the last few weeks that I don’t trust: West, Seb, Lexi, and Dean. One of them planted it.”
I grind my teeth together as I take the chip from him. Four weeks ago Evan brought an ex-con onto the compound, and although I couldn’t believe he’d done it, I instinctively know it’s not Lexi. So that leaves three people who it could be.
“I need you to find out who it is,” Ty tells me.
Pocketing the chip, I widen my stance, crossing my arms over my chest. “Who else knows about this?”
“Only you and me.” He stands up. “And that’s how I want it to stay.”
My nostrils flare, anger coursing through me at having someone in our space that can’t be trusted. It takes a lot for me to trust someone, but as soon as it’s broken, there ain’t no way you’re getting it back.
“I’m on it.”
Ty nods, clapping his hand on my shoulder as he walks past me and into the office.
I stare at the warehouse, noting how much things have changed over the last three years since Kay came to work here. Back then all we did was work, sleep, and more work. But she brought something out in all of us, made us want a family, made us become more than work colleagues.
I shake my head, trying to get the past from my mind. Remembering the pain Kay suffered and the bruises covering her body has me thinking about the bruises on someone else—Lily.
Scrubbing my hand down my face, I try my hardest not to let my thoughts drift to her dark-blue eyes and the marks that were covering her neck.
Warning my mom the day I was standing outside the church didn’t make an inch of difference because a couple of days later there she stands, in my mom’s house. And when Mom told me how old she is, all it did was make me more determined to convince her to stay out of it. But that didn’t stop her asking me if I can help.
I have enough going on in my life without inserting myself into someone else’s. And that’s exactly what I know will happen if she doesn’t stay out of it. She may have promised to look out for her, but it’s not her business or mine. No matter how angelic she looks or how much her eyes punched me in the gut when they focused on me.
I shake my head, clenching my hands into fists. She’s seventeen—a child, a girl. Fuck.
LUKE
“Me and Miles are putting together our own Avengers.”
I flick my gaze to the rearview mirror, meeting Eli’s green eyes as my cell vibrates in my pocket. “Is that right?”
“Yep.” He nods emphatically as I ignore it. “We have dress up day at school soon and we’re gonna go in our suits.”
I chuckle, shaking my head as I pull up at a red light. Eli may be seven years old, but he’s just as obsessed with superheroes now as he was when he first moved onto the compound. Only now it’s not only Spiderman but every single Marvel superhero.
“And where you gonna get this costume?”
He shrugs. “Mom can make it, or you could take me to a superhero dress up shop?”
“Oh, I can, can I?”
He grins, a gap in the front of his teeth where one fell out a couple of months ago. “You can… we could get you one too.” I pull away when the light flashes green, turning onto the private road leading to the gates of the compound. “Are Mom and Ty here?” he asks when I park in front of the warehouse.
“They’ve gone to talk to Uncle Charlie but said they’d be back after dinner.” I push open my door, opening up the back one for him before he jumps out.
“So we get some guy time?”
“We sure do.” I cross my arms over my chest. “What are we thinking? Movie and Pizza? Boxing?” Both me and Evan started to teach him how to defend himself, and it turned into him wanting to learn to box. I know Kay isn’t the happiest about it, but it’s better for him to learn than not know any skills.
He looks up at the clear blue sky, tapping his finger on his chin. “How about we practice boxing and then order pizza and watch a movie?”
Holding my hand out, he slaps his against mine before I pull my cell out. “Awesome plan, lil’ dude.” I tilt my head at Ty’s house. “Head on home and get changed, I need to make a call, but I’ll wait here for you.”
He spins around, running to the house and up the stairs before flinging the door open and leaving it like that. I roll my eyes as I unlock my cell and walk toward the open door.
Clicking on the missed call from my mom, I call her back. The tone sounds over the line twice before she’s answering, “Luke!” breathless.
“Mom?” I frown, walking up the steps and closing the door before I sit on the porch swing. “Everything ok
ay?”
She catches her breath before panting out, “I think something is seriously wrong, Luke.” I can practically see her holding her chest as she says it.
I’m not a stranger to calls like this, but over the last few weeks, they’ve become more erratic. After what my mom went through for years, nobody would be surprised to know she has anxiety. It took her years to manage it, and she had it down to a fine art until something tripped a switch. Only it’s not her she’s having anxiety about, it’s—
“I think Lily is hiding something… no, I know she is. You have to help, Luke. You have to.”
I swipe my palm up and down my face before fisting my hair, spotting Eli out of the corner of my eye.
Standing up, I nod for him to follow me before walking across the gravel and toward the warehouse. “Mom… you need to count to ten.” I want to tell her to calm down, but it only makes her worse. “Are you sitting down?”
I hear some shuffling over the line as I pull the door open.
“Yeah.”
“Now count to ten.”
Pulling the cell away from my ear as she starts counting, I tell Eli, “Start warming up on the bag.” He does as I say, heading over to the mats as I walk over to Evan’s station and pull his chair out.
“—Ten.”
I grit my teeth, hating that I’m about to say this, but she needs to talk it out and I’m the only person she can do that with. The last thing I want is to be discussing a teenage girl with my mom.
“Now tell me what happened.”
I hear her intake of breath over the line, my gaze skirting to Eli as he throws a punch at the bag. “She came over last night, you know I told you I spoke to her dad and told him I’d do bible study.” I lean my head back, gripping the bridge of my nose with my finger and thumb. “Obviously it’s not bible study, but I know something is going on in that house.”
“You know, or you think?”
“I—well…” I don’t tell her about the bruises I saw on Lily’s neck a couple of Tuesdays ago. It’s not that I don’t want to help, I just know that you can’t help someone until they want it. Not only that, but it’s none of my business. She doesn’t concern me. She’s not my family; Mom is my family, and she’s all that matters.
“You can’t know for sure, Mom. You know what will happen if you ask her—”
“I should—”
I groan. “No, Mom. Just leave it the fuck alone.”
“Mind your language.”
Ignoring her, I continue, “Don’t be getting mixed up in other people’s lives. Just leave it alone.”
“But you can help her, Luke—”
“No, Mom, I can’t.”
I hear her breathing coming faster and harder over the line. Standing up, I grip my hair in my hand, hating that I’ve upset her. I don’t always mean to come across like a broody asshole, but I can’t help it. I am who I am.
“If you’re that worried about her then call Child Protective Services. There ain’t nothing I can do to help. Call them or let it drop.”
She’s silent for a couple of minutes, and I pull the cell away from my ear, checking the call hasn’t dropped.
“You’re right… I’m sorry, Son. I shouldn’t drag you into it.”
My chest deflates at her words, but a pain shoots through me at the same time. Rubbing my palm over it, I frown. Those are the exact words I want to hear from her, so why does it feel like I’m doing the wrong thing?
“I gotta go, Mom. Me and Eli are boxing.”
“Are you still coming for meatloaf on Monday?”
“Damn straight I am.” My palm rubs lower, my stomach grumbling at the thought of her monthly Monday night meatloaf.
She laughs, her soft tinkle sounding over the line and bringing a smile to my face. “I love you, Luke.”
My throat dries at her words, causing me to croak out, “Love you, too, Mom.”
Ending the call, I stare down at the mats, my mind working a mile a minute. Should I do more? Should I have not told her to stay out of it?
Shaking my head, I tell myself I can’t. I can’t insert myself into some stranger's life. It’s got nothing to do with me.
“Uncle Luke?” My head snaps up at Eli’s voice.
I need to live in the here and now with the people who are my family, not worry about a random person who I’ve said one single word to.
LILY
I hold my books against my chest, gripping them as hard as I can as I walk through the packed hallway lined with blue lockers.
I want to say this is the place where I can get away from the atmosphere at home—the walking on eggshells—but it’s not. It’s just as bad here as inside those four walls with the monster himself.
Here I’m known as the goody two-shoes, the girl who prays to God, a bible basher. If only they knew the real me.
The me who doesn’t believe a word said inside the church, the me who hates every single thing religious because it reminds me of my dad. The me who hates living in a world full of cruelty and anger.
But they don’t know me… no one knows who I really am.
“Watch it!”
I stumble as a shoulder barges into my back causing my books to fly out of my hands. My knees hit the cold, hard floor, the impact causing vibrations to slam through my body.
Laughter surrounds me—brash and cruel.
My hair creates a curtain around my face as I keep my head down, shielding myself from their harsh stares.
Squeezing my eyes closed, I tell myself I only have to put up with it for another few months. They only do it because they see me as an easy target, knowing I won’t fight back.
I never fight back.
Taking a deep breath, I count to three in my head before reaching for the first of my books.
Nobody helps as they walk past, instead they kick them further away, making me crawl along the dirty floor to pick them up. They don’t care; none of them care.
I learned a long time ago to never rely on anyone but myself. People let you down, promise you things and then destroy their promises and don’t look back.
Just like my mom did.
She should have cared enough not to leave me, should have—no, I’m not going to think like that. There’s only me now, and at least I know I can trust myself.
In a few months, I’ll be out there on my own without the evil that surrounds me here. I’ll have a fresh start, a new life—a happy life.
Standing up with my shoulders hunched, I keep my eyes down as I make my way to my locker in the senior hallway.
Friends are standing around, talking about the upcoming weekend, parties they’re going to, places they’re going to meet at. Sometimes I wish I was in on those conversations; sometimes I wish I had friends.
“Hey, Lily!”
I don’t look up, knowing who it is from his voice. I silently beg him to leave me alone as I put my combination into the locker and pull open my door. He doesn’t obey my silent request though, because not two seconds later he’s leaning against the locker next to mine.
“Come on, Lily, you can’t give me the silent treatment all the time.”
Grabbing my bag, I close the door, flicking my gaze to his dark-green eyes—eyes that hold the same kind of evil as my dad’s.
“What do you want, Jonah?”
He shrugs, his lips lifting into the ghost of a smile as he runs his hand through his light-brown hair. “Just wanted to see if you’ll be in church on Sunday.”
“I will.”
He watches me, not taking his attention off my face as his friends start to gather around us. “Your dad is coming over for dinner tonight, you coming with him?”
“No.”
“Hmmm.” His gaze flicks down to my chest, his tongue coming out to lick along his bottom lip. “You should come. I have something in my room I could show you.”
“No, thanks.” I scrunch my nose up and start to turn away, but I’m stopped by his hand gripping my arm.
Hi
s front collides with my side, his breath skirting along my neck as he whispers, “You need to start showing me some respect. I won’t stand for your misbehavior.”
I turn to face him, gritting my teeth. His eyes flash with a warning, his fingers biting into my skin before he lets up, but he still doesn’t let go. The noise in the hallway gets louder as more people walk past us, and when someone calls his name, he looks away, giving me the chance to pull my arm out of his grip.
I don’t hesitate to back away from him, and as soon as the crowd swallows me up, I dart toward the main doors. My feet pound down the steps outside, but I don’t stop running until I’m off the school grounds, heaving my breaths as I lean against the wall, slapping my palm down on it and relishing in the sting of pain.
School. Home.
I can’t get away from people wanting to touch me, hurt me, tell me what to do. There’s only one place that’s truly mine, where I can be me. The poppy field.
My stomach dips, my chest becoming lighter as the weight lifts off me.
Time. It’s relative, but right now I wish I could speed it up so I can get out of here sooner.
LUKE
“You know it’s Tuesday today, right?” Mom asks as I sit at the kitchen table, watching her make pasta.
“Uh-huh.” I scroll through my cell, replying to a message from Evan.
“So you know Lily will be here any minute then.”
I lift my head, raising a brow at her. “Okay?” I pause for a beat. “And is there a reason I shouldn’t be here when she is?”
She rolls out the pasta, spinning around to take a knife out of the block before she stares at me. “I just assumed…” She shrugs. “You said you didn’t want to get involved in what’s happening—”
“What you think is happening,” I remind her before blowing out a deep breath. “Look, whether something is happening there or not, it’s not my responsibility. I don’t know this girl from Peter.”
Mom tilts her head, her eyes narrowing. “So you only help people who you know?”
I scrub my hand down my face, fed up with this conversation already. “You’ve only known her for a couple of weeks, and you already think something is going on. You’re letting your imagination run wild.”
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