The makeshift drug lab the next town over had been producing unclean product, so many people in the tri-county area have ended up dead from this supplier. Bob ordered the building be destroyed. If they don’t have a building, they don’t have the means to make the crack. They don’t produce the crack, no one gets sick.

Everyone wins.

I frown. “I don’t understand why we didn’t do it months ago when people started getting sick.”

Frankie bites into her apple, chewing slowly. She answers a garbled, “Because it wasn’t ordered. We don’t get to touch anyone without an order. Without order, there’s chaos. Remember that.”

I nod. I get it. I just wonder how far is going too far. If we start dictating who lives and dies, what does that make us?

Ari looks to Frankie cautiously. “Do we have any information on Tomas and his brother?”

Frankie stiffens. Her gaze flickers towards me. “Uh, yeah. We found something.”

I’m immediately interested. “What is it?”

Frankie takes another bite of her apple, chewing slowly. Too slowly.

I glare at her, and then snap, “I know what you’re doing! Just tell me, dammit!”

She rolls her eyes. “Okay, okay. Relax. The brother recently got out of prison for armed robbery.”

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I knew it! He’s an ex-con junkie ass**le. Great.

Frankie puts a hand up in my direction. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t go jumping the gun. You need to hear the rest.” I nod for her to continue and she does, “Soon as he got out, he fought to get custody of Tomas. The state wouldn’t allow full custody until he took courses in first aid and anger management. They allowed partial custody though. He didn’t show up the first day of the anger management course…” deadbeat, “…so an officer went to their home to find the brother caring for Tomas who was ill with a high temperature. The officer reported that the brother was equal amounts protective and panicked, but through his panic, he calmed himself and did a good job taking care of his brother. He was pardoned from the course, but took the next entry regardless. He completed both courses and has full custody of his brother. Every social services visit he is reported as improving.”

I can’t believe that.

If I believe that, it means I was wrong. And I hate being wrong.

Frankie smiles sadly. “I don’t know what you saw, Cat, but the guy is trying. He’s trying really hard. Until such time that we have anything solid on him, we won’t touch him.”

I bite the inside of my cheek and sigh, “Yeah, okay. But don’t think for a second that I’m letting this go.”

Ari chuckles while shaking her head.

Frankie grins then throws her apple core at me. “Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t that hopeful.”

I smirk. She knows me too well.

Chapter Six

The rain pours outside of my window. I should’ve been asleep hours ago, but thoughts of Marco have me wide awake.

Thoughts of the few nights I slept in Marco’s bed run through my mind. Some part of me wants to believe that it was real, or that even if it wasn’t, those moments that made my stomach flutter were real.

“I was jealous.”

My stomach clenches at the fact that I’d been had. Perhaps the years Bob took, forbid me from Mirage, were in vain. All that extra training, all the late night sparring sessions and psychology lessons… Maybe I haven’t learned a damn thing since James.

It’s well past midnight. I need sleep. I’m cranky when I don’t get sleep, not to mention, useless. Trying in vain to relax enough to make the transition into slumber, I shift around, get comfortable and bury myself deeper into my cot mattress. I close my eyes, breathe deeply and finally feel my head heavy.

As soon as I’m about to fall asleep, a loud banging has me jerking upright. Again, the banging continues. I get up out of bed and open the door to my room. Bob strides passed me dressed in only pyjama pants. He carries his robe with him, dressing along the way.

Frankie exits Bob’s quarters dressed in only a white nightie. Now that she and Bob are basically a thing, she doesn’t spend her nights at Mirage anymore. She stops by my door. “What the f**king f**k?”

“My thoughts exactly.” I peer over at her. “Let’s check it out.”

She sighs, “Bob would be pissed.”

I agree, “Totally.”

Say yes. Say yes. Say yes.

She nods, “Let’s go.”

Yes!

Frankie loops her arm through mine and we quietly follow the muted noise down to the front entrance of the church. A few feet behind, we stop and listen.

Bob utters, “I’m sorry. That’s not possible.”

A man responds, “I need help, man. Where the f**k am I meant to go?”

Bob sighs, “A clinic. There’s one two towns over.”

The man’s voice rises, “I got responsibilities! I can’t leave everything behind and take off like that. Besides, I can’t afford it.” He pauses, but when Bob doesn’t respond, he pushes forward, “I asked everyone I know in town. They all told me to come here.”

Frankie and I peek out into the moonlit foyer. Bob blocks the doorway so we can’t see out.

When Bob doesn’t respond, the man speaks again, but this time, his voice quivers. And my heart aches. “Please, Father. Please. I’m begging you.” Then he whispers, “I need your help.”

Bob breathes deeply, and then replies on an exhale, “This won’t be easy. You know that, right?”

“I can take it.” The man’s confidence has returned with the small amount of hope Bob has offered. “Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do.”

Frankie and I watch as Bob pushes the door open. “Cat, come here, please.”

My mouth near gaping at our guests, I step out of the shadows and walk forward. Bob moves out of the way and explains, “Tomas and Xavier will be staying here a while.”

Xavier.

Tomas’s brother’s name is Xavier.

I look at them, soaked to the bone from the rain, looking pitiful and shaking from the cold.

Not thinking, I step forward to Tomas and reach for him.

Panic settles over Xavier’s face. His arm snakes out, stopping me. He rushes out, “He doesn’t like being touched. Especially not—”

I cut him off by reaching past him to gently take Tomas’s elbow, “Not around the shoulders or neck. I know. We have that in common.” Tomas allows my touch and much to my surprise, his rigid arm circles my neck. He pulls me in a little too tightly, but I accept his hug with an overwhelming rush of emotions. I utter a hushed, “It’s nice to see you, too, Tomas. Why don’t I find something dry for you to wear and we’ll set you up in your own room?”




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