Aisling narrowed her eyes. “And I don’t think I care what you think,” she shot back. “I don’t want to be here any longer – this is not like Beverly Hills, 90210 at all – and I want to go home.”
I gave Aisling another tug. This time there was no fight left in her, and she slid between Braden and me without complaint. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but at least she was insulated from what was about to come.
Langstrom opened his mouth, I’m sure a righteous diatribe on the tip of his tongue, and then broke into a coughing fit so violent it wracked his entire body. He bent at the waist, rested his hands on his knees, and hacked so hard something appeared on the floor beneath him. It looked to be blood.
Aisling looked at me, her eyes going wide. She recognized exactly what I was thinking. I gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and leaned close.
“We’re going to have to run soon,” I whispered. “You need to stick close to us. If you even think about getting lost again, there’ll be hell to pay.”
Aisling didn’t appear worried about facing my wrath. “I don’t have to do what you say.”
“Um … yes, you really do.”
“No way.” Aisling vehemently shook her head. “You got me kidnapped.”
“You weren’t kidnapped.”
“I was so.”
“You were not.”
“I was so.” Aisling made a face as she stared me down. “That guy locked me in a room and told me to learn from his girlfriends because I would be joining them. I know exactly what he had in store for me.”
“How is that my fault?” My frustration came out to play. “You were supposed to stay in the van. You didn’t do what I told you to and got yourself in trouble. You forced us to spend all of our time looking for you rather than focusing on what we’re supposed to be focusing on. How is any of this my fault?”
Aisling rolled her eyes so hard I was surprised she didn’t topple over. “Oh, puh-leez!” She made a face so exaggerated even our father couldn’t love it. “I found the guy you were looking for. Without me, you’d still be wandering around without any idea of how to find him.”
“That’s not true.” I straightened and squared my shoulders. There was no way I would let my tiny terror of a sister shake me down when I knew in my heart she was wrong. “I had everything under control. You’re the one who let things get out of control. I’m sick of your attitude.”
“I don’t have an attitude.” Aisling’s voice hopped an octave. “I’m always victimized in this family. I’m always cut out of all the fun and mistreated simply because I’m a girl.”
“Oh, that’s such a load of crap.” I was officially at my limit. “You get special treatment because you’re the only girl.”
“Ha! What special treatment?”
“Um … you tattle constantly and no one pays you back for it,” I reminded her. “Whenever one of us tattles we get punished. Do you get punished?”
“I’m pretty sure being your sister is punishment enough.”
I glowered at her. “I’m going to punish you until the end of time when we get home.”
“No, you’re not.” Aisling turned smug. “Daddy won’t let you.”
“He will when I tell him what you did.”
“Not if I tell him what you did first.”
We glared at each other, fury building fast. It was only after a few seconds of silence that I remembered where we were. I shifted my eyes to Langstrom, jolting when I realized he was staring at me with mayhem-infused glee. He seemed to enjoy the show, which I didn’t take as a good sign.
“Right. I’m sorry. I forgot you were still here,” I offered lamely. “We’ll just get out of your way and head home. I want to thank you again for taking care of my sister. I greatly appreciate it. We don’t want to take up more of your time.”
I gave Aisling a hard push toward the door as everyone else fell into step and pointed themselves in that direction. Part of me actually thought Langstrom would let us walk through the door. Dealing with a bunch of kids from an upper-crust suburb was probably a headache he didn’t want to deal with. We were more trouble than we were worth.
The plan was to get my siblings back to the van and then return to the fifth floor with my ring, make myself invisible, and absorb Langstrom’s soul when no one was looking. He obviously didn’t have long. He grew paler by the second.
I was feeling pretty good about myself when we hit the door. I’d managed to find Aisling and Aidan with minimal fuss. I had a plan for collecting the soul. It wasn’t too late for everything to work out.
Then things shifted in an untenable way, letting me know there was no way out of this craptastic situation.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Langstrom called out, breaking into another coughing fit.
“We’re leaving,” I answered without hesitation. “You can’t stop us.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
I kept Aisling close as I risked a glance over my shoulder and found Langstrom’s bodyguards eyeing us. They seemed intrigued at the prospect of what might happen next.
“We really have to be going,” I offered. “Thank you again for your kindness.”
“Do you really think that’s going to work on me?” Langstrom was incensed. “I’m not an idiot! I’m not going to let you go simply because you say things like that.”
“No?”
“No.”
I was resigned. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I hoped. “Fine.” I exhaled heavily, giving the impression that I was giving up. Then, with only the idea of fresh air and freedom fueling me, I gave Aisling a terrific shove through the door.
“Run! Don’t look back! Just … run!”
CILLIAN LED THE WAY and wisely headed straight for the stairs. I heard scrambling behind us – most likely Langstrom’s men giving chase – but I knew better than to look over my shoulder. That would divide my attention, possibly cause me to trip, and create a whole other level of trouble we didn’t need.
Our footsteps were like thunder as we descended the stairs. Instead of continuing our downward trek when we hit the fourth floor, Cillian veered and raced to Grinder and Doc. The two men didn’t look surprised to see us gracing their doorstep a second time.
“Did you decide to take us up on our offer?” Grinder asked lazily.
“Um … kind of,” Cillian replied, shooting a look toward the stairs when the unmistakable sound of pursuing feet assailed our ears. “We might be in a bit of a bind.”
Grinder pushed himself away from the wall and cocked his head in the direction of the stairs. “What did you guys do?”
“We found our sister,” Aidan replied helpfully, jerking his thumb in Aisling’s direction. “She was being kept in a room on the fifth floor.”
“With Peter Langstrom’s girlfriends who aren’t really girlfriends,” Aisling muttered, bitterness spewing forth. “He said he wanted to make me his girlfriend, but I knew what he was talking about. I was this close to kicking him in the nuts, but Redmond decided we had to run instead.”
Doc pressed his lips together as he looked Aisling up and down. He seemed amused more than worried. “Ah. Now I get the forked-tongue devil reference.”
Aisling’s eyes narrowed to glittery slits. “Excuse me?”
“Forget about it.” I grabbed her arm and shoved her behind me before turning to face the stairs. “We should’ve kept going to the main floor, Cillian. I don’t understand why you stopped.”
“Because I’m sure that Langstrom has more than two men in this place,” Cillian replied. “Those men obviously aren’t on this floor. We need to figure a way out of here, and I thought this might be the only safe place we could do it.”
“Oh.” I was taken aback. “That actually makes sense.”
“It does,” Doc agreed. “Now it’s going to make sense for you to let us do the talking.” He fixed me with a pointed look. “You’re in charge of your family, but this is about to turn ugly. Don’t stick y
our foot in your mouth and make things worse.”
“I have no intention of doing that,” I said solemnly. I meant it.
Aisling’s hand shot in the air. “I’ll do it.”
“She’ll definitely do it,” Braden agreed with a grimace. He looked unhappy with the situation – and especially our sister – but I didn’t miss the fact that he’d moved closer to her and had adopted a protective stance. Whatever he was where Aisling was concerned – and annoyed seemed to be the most prevalent emotion in most cases – Braden was loyal. He would protect Aisling with everything he had.
“She will definitely do that,” I agreed. “We can’t control her mouth.”
Doc merely smiled. “Yes, well, little sisters have a tendency to be the one thing that can never be controlled.” He cast Aisling an unreadable look. “I can already tell you’re going to be trouble.”
“I’m an angel.” Aisling was prim. “My father tells me that at least once a week.”
“Is that how often you’re sweet and nice?” Grinder asked.
“I’m sweet and nice all the time.”
“Yeah, right,” I muttered at the same time Cillian, Braden and Aidan said some variation on the same sentiment.
“Just let me do the talking,” Doc said, taking a step forward as three figures appeared in the archway that led to the staircase. Langstrom looked to be struggling to the point that he needed help standing, which explained why it took the trio so long to get down a simple flight of stairs. “I’ve got this.”
Doc cleared his throat as he fixed the newcomers with a steely-eyed stare. All traces of amiability fled as he squared his shoulders. He looked formidable … and maybe a little deadly. The realization caused me to gulp.
“Can I help you, gentlemen?” Doc asked, his tone seemingly calm and welcoming.
“We’re here for them,” Langstrom wheezed, pointing directly at us. “They have something that belongs to me.”
“Really?” Doc feigned doubt. “And what is that? Did they try to liberate one of your girlfriends?”
“Actually, they did.” Langstrom’s hands shook violently as he pushed himself forward, not stopping until he was directly under the light fixture. He was sweating more profusely than ever, had almost completely drenched his own shirt, and was so pale he was almost transparent. He would drop soon. Like … really soon. There was a possibility that things would still work in our favor, although I couldn’t figure out how exactly that would go down now that we had an audience.
“They stole one of your girls?” Doc lifted an eyebrow and made a big show of glancing back at us. “I don’t see one of your girls with them.”
“Right there.” Langstrom pointed at Aisling, his finger quaking. “She’s mine!”
“I think you need to lay off the coffee, buddy.” Doc’s expression was hard to read as he slapped back Langstrom’s finger. “That girl you’re pointing at is a child. She’s tiny. She can’t possibly be one of your girls because she’s not old enough to live that life.”
“She’s still mine,” Langstrom spat. “I found her. Rules of the street say finders keepers so … she’s mine.”
“Except she’s not on the street,” Grinder pointed out, moving to a position where he could help his friend if things broke down and fists became necessary. “She’s with her brothers and clearly doesn’t want to be one of your girls.” He shifted his eyes to Aisling. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Aisling made an exaggerated face. “Don’t call me ‘sweetheart.’ That’s condescending. You should refer to me by my name or ‘ma’am’ if you must use something else.”
Grinder’s lips twitched but otherwise he remained stoic. “Fine. Isn’t that right, ma’am?”
Aisling bobbed her head. “That’s totally right. I don’t want to be one of his girlfriends. I’m sure they all have herpes.”
“They do not!” Langstrom balked. “I get them tested every few months. They’re clean.”
“Please.” Aisling made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat. “Those girls are as diseased as your face. I mean … look at you. You’re clearly not worried about your health. You definitely don’t treat your body as a temple. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you dropped dead any second.”
I shot Aisling a warning look. That was the last thing she needed to call attention to right now.
“She’s right, Langstrom,” Doc noted. “You don’t look well. Maybe you should head upstairs and have one of your girlfriends play nurse for you. I think a nap is in order.”
“I’m not leaving without my property,” Langstrom shot back. “That girl is mine.”
“No, she’s not.” Grinder’s temper flashed fast and furious. “That is a child. She’s going home with her brothers.”
“I don’t really want to argue with you because you’re helping us and all, but I’m almost fourteen,” Aisling explained to Grinder. “I am not a child. I’m a woman. I use tampons and everything.”
Grinder blinked several times. I thought he was going to yell at Aisling to shut her mouth. Instead, his shoulders hopped with silent laughter as he shook his head. “My apologies. You’re clearly a woman. But in the eyes of the law you’re still a child.”
“Fine.” Aisling rolled her eyes. “I guess I’m a child. Someone hand me my bottle to suck.”
“You suck enough without the bottle,” Braden interjected. “Can’t you just be quiet for five minutes … even five seconds would work at this point.”
“I have to agree with Braden,” I supplied. “You’re being a pain.”
“I am never a pain,” Aisling argued. “I’m … .” She broke off when the sound of voices on the stairwell caught her attention. Whoever was speaking sounded excited. People several floors down started screaming.
“Now what?” I muttered, frustration bubbling up.
“It’s the cops,” a shadowy figure announced from the stairwell. “We’re being raided. Everyone needs to get out now.”
“Of course.” I felt defeated. “I really should’ve seen this coming. Everything else has gone wrong tonight. Why not this?”
9
Nine
The cops were raiding a rave I wasn’t supposed to attend. I still had a soul to collect. I had three brothers, a sister and one Jerry exposed to danger and arrest. I also had the beginnings of a monster headache.
I simply couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“Did he just say cops?” One of Langstrom’s goons was the first to speak. He didn’t look particularly worried at the prospect, but an air of unease settled over the small space all the same.
“Someone probably saw a taillight reflected in a window and assumed it was the cops,” Langstrom barked. “This place never gets raided.”
I didn’t miss the weighted look Grinder and Doc exchanged. I wanted to question them about it, but it seemed like poor timing. “Well, just to be on the safe side, I think you should run upstairs and we’ll run downstairs,” I suggested. “We should definitely split up.”
Langstrom shot me a withering look. “Oh, really? Do you honestly think I’m going to fall for that?”
“It was worth a shot.”
“Well, I’m not stupid,” Langstrom supplied. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You won’t?”
“No.” Langstrom was firm. “I have no interest in you.”
“Oh, well … .”
“Your sister is another story.” Langstrom’s grin turned predatory as his eyes landed on Aisling. “I think she’ll fit perfectly into my little family.”
Even though I was furious with Aisling for derailing the evening, my stomach twisted at what he was suggesting. “If you think I’ll let you touch my sister, you have another think coming.”
“Yeah!” Aidan snapped. “We’ll kill you before we let that happen.”
I shot him a warning look. Threatening to kill our enemies while witnesses were present was a bad idea. Even I rec
ognized that. “Let’s not make things worse.”
“Let’s definitely not make things worse,” Doc agreed. “As for the little girl, we’re not letting you take her.”
“Do you really think you can stop me?” Langstrom was incredulous. “You don’t have the power to stop me.”
“I’m thinking a stiff breeze could stop you right now,” Doc argued. “Have you looked in a mirror lately? You’re not looking so good.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Langstrom sneered. “I’m perfectly fine. Worry about yourselves.”
“What do we have to worry about?” Grinder challenged. “Are you really willing to get into a fight over a little girl? If so, bring it on.”
“Ugh.” Aisling stomped her foot. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a little girl?”
“Shh.” Grinder pressed his finger to his mouth, compelling Aisling to silence. “We’ll argue about that later, kid. For now, just shut your mouth and be cute.”
I cringed. Aisling wasn’t the type to agree to something like that. In fact, the statement was likely to send her over the edge.
“Oh, I’ll make you pay for that,” Aisling hissed. “In fact … .” She broke off at the sound of pounding feet on the stairs. This time the people climbing higher in the building were too numerous to count.
“What’s going on?” Langstrom asked, glancing over his shoulder. “What’s happening?”
“Cops, man,” someone blurted out. “Run for it. It’s a raid.”
“It’s not the cops.” Langstrom was clearly at the end of his rope as he straightened his shoulders, his features going ashen as he listed to one side. “I … oh, my.”
His bodyguards paid him little heed, instead focusing on the fleeing partygoers.
“Is it seriously the cops?” The fairer bodyguard, the one without a neck, finally allowed a hint of fear to pass over his features.
“It is, and there has to be a hundred of them,” the man replied. “They’re taking everyone in. It doesn’t matter if they catch you in the act or not.”
The bodyguard turned a pair of dumbfounded eyes to his partner. “We have to get the girls and get out of here.”
Grim & Bear It: A Grimlock Family Short Page 8