C
HAPTER
34
I
launched myself out of the truck and grabbed Luc’s sleeve. “I couldn’t kill him. I wanted to, but everything happened so fast and we had to get out and Ekomov’s dead, and he’s going after Tess and we have to
go,
Luc, or it’ll be too late.”
He drew back and looked at me for a moment, then at Colin. “Which he are you talkin’ about?”
“All of them. I don’t have time to explain.”
“I need to get to my sister,” Colin said. “Get in and you can catch him up on the way.”
Luc pursed his lips. “Faster for all three of us to go Between.”
“We can’t leave the truck,” Colin said. “We’ll need to get around later.”
“You and Luc go,” I said. “I’ll take the truck and meet you there.”
Colin shook his head. “You can barely drive. And I’m not leaving you on your own.”
“I’ll be fine. Worry about Tess right now.”
“Cujo’s got a point. I don’t know exactly what you did to Anton, but he is gunning for you. I can’t leave you alone, Mouse.”
“Go with him,” Colin said roughly. “Tess met you once. She’s heard me talk about you. It might be enough to keep her calm until I get there.”
“But Billy’s guys ...”
“Are probably on their way.” Colin met Luc’s eyes. “She’s my baby sister. She is literally all I have in the world.”
There was a moment I couldn’t understand and clearly was not a part of, and then Luc nodded, lacing his fingers with mine. “I’ll take care of her.”
We came through in the lounge—the same one Luc had waited in before, and I tried not to think about how badly my earlier visit had gone. He kept my hand firmly in his, and the concealment shimmered over us before I’d reoriented myself from the jump Between.
“Down there,” I said. “Do you want to come in with me?”
“Told you, I’m not leaving you alone again.”
Tess’s door stood open slightly, and I paused. “Someone’s in there.”
Luc pushed me behind him, the tips of his fingers sending out tiny sparks.
“Figures,” I heard someone say. “She’s a freaking vegetable. How are we gonna get her out if she won’t walk? I’m not carrying her scrawny ass to the car.”
“There’s got to be a wheelchair around here somewhere.”
The other man’s grumbling grew louder as he approached the door, and as he came through, Luc spoke a few words, casting a spell to conceal the entire area. The fight didn’t take long—Luc was efficient and brutal. A punch to the kidneys, a knee to the groin, and an elbow to the face, and the guy slumped to the floor.
“Is he dead?”
“No.” Bending down, Luc hooked his hands under the guy’s armpits and dragged him to a nearby supply closet, shoving him in unceremoniously and locking the door with a quick wave. I thought we’d sneak into Tess’s room and take the second thug by surprise, but Luc was done with sneaking. He strode through the corridor and shoved the door open. Before the man inside could find his feet, Luc flung a crimson bolt across the room and knocked him from his chair, as smoothly as if he’d planned it.
“Watch her,” Luc said. “I’ll get rid of the trash.”
Tess was sitting in the same wheelchair as before—but she was plainly terrified. Hectic color dotted her pale cheeks, and her fingers clenched the armrest, her knuckles white.
“Tess,” I said, crouching down. “Tess, it’s Mo. Colin’s friend? Do you remember me?”
She didn’t answer, but her chest heaved as she struggled for air.
“They’re gone,” I said. “Luc made those men leave. They won’t come back. You’re safe now.”
She made small, frightened animal sounds, and my heart broke at the sight of her, trapped, alone in her fear. “Colin’s coming. He sent us to help, but he’s coming, I promise.”
Her eyes stopped their panicked rolling and fixed on mine.
“Colin,” I repeated. “He’s coming. He’ll be here soon, okay? Just hold on.”
Luc came back. “All finished. How’s she doin’?”
“Better,” I said, trying to keep my voice upbeat. “Luc, this is Tess Donnelly. Tess, this is Luc.”
He placed his hand over hers. “Pleasure to meet you, Tess. Big brother’ll be here any minute.”
Her gaze switched to the menagerie on the windowsill.
“Here,” I said, seized with inspiration. I balanced the hummingbird figurine in the palm of my hand. “Colin made you this, didn’t he?”
Her fingers twitched. I took her hand, placed the bird on her palm, like Colin had. As she started to croon again, Luc’s brow furrowed, watching her with undisguised curiosity.
“She’s been like this for how long?”
The spots of color on Tess’s cheeks faded to a more natural blush, and she stroked her fingertip along the hummingbird’s back. “More than ten years. We have to get her out of here, Luc.”
“Better be someplace far away,” he said. “Soon as your uncle figures out his boys got no follow-through, he’ll send more. What happened today?”
“Billy sold me out. I went to make a delivery and Anton ambushed me, killed the guy Billy’s been in competition with.”
“And Cujo shot him?”
“Yes. He’s healed by now.”
“Outstandin’. Next time finish the job, will you?”
“Gladly.”
Colin burst through the door. “Tess? You’re okay?” I shifted out of the way, and he knelt in front of her.
“You’re fine, aren’t you, Tess? But we should go,” I said.
“Go? She can’t go anywhere.” Colin glanced over, incredulous.
I tugged at the sleeve of his jacket until he followed me to a corner, out of earshot. “There were two guys here when we arrived. Luc sealed them in a broom closet, but there’s going to be more. We need to leave.”
“I’m not leaving until I’ve handled Billy.”
It was pointless to argue, like having a debate with a boulder. “Great. Let’s do that. But in the meantime, we cannot stay here, and you know it.”
“Hell, Mo. If you have ideas about who can hide Tess while we go after Billy, I am all ears.”
Across the room, Luc was putting on a show for Tess, sending the hummingbird floating through the air, creating a tiny firework display in his palm. The frantic, terrified look was gone, and she almost seemed to respond to him.
I massaged my temples. We needed someone who’d help but not ask questions. And a place Billy wouldn’t find them.
New Orleans was out—Colin wouldn’t leave until Billy was dealt with, and he wouldn’t let Tess go so far away. But I had one friend who was almost as good at hiding as me. I pulled out my phone and dialed.
Lena answered, sounding slightly out of breath. “Hello?”
“Hey. Were you running?”
“Conditioning for soccer,” she said, and paused to gulp water noisily. “What’s up?”
“You said if I ever needed to disappear, you could help.”
There was another pause. When she spoke, her voice was tight. “Be really sure, Mo. If you back out, you’ll put a lot of people at risk.”
“Not me. Colin. And his sister.”
“But not you.”
I swallowed. “No.”
Colin touched Tess on the shoulder, speaking to her in a low, soothing voice, and more of the tension eased from her thin frame. Her eyes flickered between him and Luc, who cupped a flame in his hand, making it take on different shapes—a dragonfly, a pirouetting dancer, each creation delicate and full of movement.
“His sister needs supervision. She’s not sick, exactly, but she can’t stay by herself.”
“Would I be correct in assuming I should not ask a lot of questions?”
“Yes. But Lena ... it’s dangerous. People are looking for them.”
“If people weren’t looking, they wouldn’t need to hide. Give me an hour.”
I sat down on the hospital bed, ran my fingers over the soft pink blanket, and reminded myself that Colin and Tess’s freedom was exactly what I’d been working toward. The best thing for everyone. Me included.
Across the room, Luc caught my eye, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. Before I could decipher the look, Colin approached me. Luc turned away, focusing on Tess again.
“Well?” Colin asked.
“I called Lena,” I said. “She’ll find us a place to hide Tess, and when you guys are ready, she’ll help you start over somewhere else.”
I tried to sound enthusiastic, like it was a brilliant plan, but I couldn’t quite make it work.
He tapped my phone. “Call your mom.”
“Billy will be looking for me.”
“All the more reason to call. Your mom knows what he is.”
“What if she tells him where I am?”
“She won’t. Call her. Ease her mind a little.”
She answered on the first ring. “Mo? Thank heavens! Are you all right? Where are you?”
“Is Billy there?”
“Your father called a few minutes ago. They’re on their way over. He said you took something of your uncle’s? Mo, what is going on? Are you with Colin? Are you safe?”
“Mom ... I’m okay. But it’s not a good idea for me to come home right now. I have some stuff I have to do first.”
“You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
Her voice broke as she said, “I’ve tried to keep you safe, all these years. I thought if I could watch over you, it would be enough. Your father wanted us to leave, but I couldn’t bear the thought of starting over without him. But he was right, wasn’t he? You’re not safe at all.”
“Not yet,” I said. “But I will be. I have to go now. Don’t tell Billy I called.”
“Sweetheart—”
“I love you,” I said, and hung up the phone.
Across the room, Luc was hiding Tess’s figurines in pockets of Between, then bringing them out again, and her mouth curved up slightly. Colin watched, surprised. “He’s good with her.”
“He has a certain charm,” I conceded. “We should pack her stuff. Be ready to go when Lena calls.”
“She doesn’t have much,” he said, and gestured to an empty duffle bag near the door. “Whatever fits, we take.”
“I’ll do it. You visit with her. She likes that more than Luc’s tricks, you know.”
He moved as if he was going to touch me. At the last minute, he seemed to think better of it, and he went to sit with Tess instead.
Mechanically, I moved stacks of T-shirts and yoga pants to the duffle bag, throwing in handfuls of socks and underwear, wondering how Colin and Tess would survive. I’d upended their lives without meaning to, without even considering the effect my actions would have on them. Now they had to rebuild everything from scratch. All because of me.
Luc’s hand slid over mine. “Why don’t you rest?”
“I need to make sure they’re all set.”
“They’re set. You’re makin’ everyone jumpy.”
“I ruined their lives,” I said.
“This wasn’t you,” he said. “This was Anton. And your uncle. And before that, it was the man who hurt that girl. This was a long line of people who did selfish things, but none of them were you. Worst thing you did was fall for Cujo, and while I question your taste, it’s not a hangin’ offense.”
Silently, I folded and refolded one of Tess’s innumerable pink T-shirts.
“Mouse, listen. There’s a way I can help, if you think Cujo’ll be amenable.”
“He wants to go after Billy himself.”
“I was thinkin’ more along the lines of his sister. You told me part of what’s keepin’ her locked up in her head is psychological.”
“Her stepfather abused her when she was little. This is how she copes. It’s a defense mechanism.”
“But part of it’s not psychological, right? There was trauma to her brain.”
I nodded. “He beat her, too. It was pretty bad, and she was so young ... the damage was permanent.”
Tess sat with her hands cupped loosely around the bird figurine. The sharp angle of her shoulder blade through the T-shirt emphasized her thinness. She looked fragile and defenseless, and Colin hovered over her, watching out the window for any sign of trouble as he wrapped her tiny menagerie in paper towels, ready to pack away.
Luc touched my chin, drawing my attention back to him. “Maybe I can fix it. Heal her.”
I shook my head. “She’s had those injuries for years. We don’t even know how much of the damage is actually physical.”
“I tried to get a feel for it, but I won’t know for sure until I actually try. But considerin’ what they’re up against, it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
“You have to clear it with Colin,” I warned.
When Luc explained, Colin’s expression was stony, his guard up. “She can’t be cured,” he said. “You think they haven’t tried? Therapy and tests and medication. Nothing helped. You’re telling me a goddamn spell will erase what he did to her?”