Ms. Timo, Jayden, Shannon, and Lacy stand before me, their shocked and wide-eyed faces greeting me rather than words.
“What happened?” Shannon asks, breaking the daze over the group.
I give myself the once-over and chuckle. Without a shirt it’s plain as day to see the many scars, bruises, and scrapes I carry all over my body. Especially after my recent fights. And last night.
“I was in a car accident,” I drone. “That’s why we have a new car.”
“Oh, right,” Shannon mutters, her eyes fixated on some of my oldest scars. Those aren’t from a car accident, that’s for sure.
Lacy also stares, but her eyes are set more on my tattoo. I’d cover it, but I’m not worried about the other three knowing what it means. Instead of drawing attention to the thing, I ignore Lacy’s interest.
“I need to go to the grocery store,” Ms. Timo says, a chipper tone to her voice. “I was hoping you could take back the children. Will that be okay? I don’t mean to impose.”
Unlike the others, who regard me with a shocked curiosity, like they’ve never truly seen me before, Ms. Timo stares and grows a slight shade of pink. The lecherous old woman gets me smiling. At least she knows what she likes.
“Get in,” I tell the kids as I step aside. They all comply with my command. I nod to Ms. Timo. “Thanks for watching them.”
“Any time.”
I shut the door and turn around to find all three of the kids more surprised than when I answered the door. Jayden gives me an incredulous stare, like I’ve done him some personal wrong.
“What happened here?” he asks.
Both Shannon and Lacy wait for an answer.
I pan my gaze over the kitchen and living room, taking in the flipped-over couch, broken table, and open kitchen cabinets. The place looks like a hurricane rocked the inside.
“A robber broke in,” I say, part of me not even realizing the contents of my speech as I fabricate a quick lie. I doubt Miles wants me telling the kids about our sexual escapades.
“Really?” Lacy asks with a gasp. “What happened?”
I shrug and answer in a disinterested tone, “I kicked his ass. End of story.”
Shannon plays with her long braid. “Was he a big guy?”
“Sure. Yeah. A few inches taller than me. A real bruiser.”
“Did he show up to kill you?” Jayden asks.
I almost want to throttle the guy. He can’t piece this together? He’s seventeen, for fuck’s sake. I’m lying to spare the girls an early conversation about lust and overzealous aggression, not him.
With a roll of my eyes I reply, “No, he was a robber. He came to rob things. I stopped him. It’s all good. Go back to doing whatever you were doing.”
“So you can fight guys?” Shannon asks, her enthusiasm growing with each moment. “You look like you fought a lot of guys! Have you arrested a ton of people too?”
Lacy swishes her hair and turns away. “I think you should put on a shirt. It’s too late in the day to be dressed like you are.”
Well, then, the prissy princess has spoken. I hold back all sarcastic commentary as I step past them and head to the bathroom. I hear the shower running and know Miles is up and awake.
While I search my closet for suitable clothing that won’t offend Lacy, I spot Jayden hovering around the door to my room. I stop what I’m doing and glower at the kid, irritated he would darken my mood with his presence.
“Hey,” he mutters. “Someone really didn’t come to kill you, right? We’re still safe here?”
Eh. Why am I always dealing with this simpleton? “No one broke in last night,” I reply, curt. “Your brother and I got out of hand celebrating.”
It takes the rusty cogs of his mind a minute to comprehend what I’ve told him. “Are you serious?” Jayden finally says. “All this was from you guys…?”
“Yeah. Now get out of my face.”
Miles exits the bathroom, a towel around his waist, and gives his brother an odd look. “Jayden? Is everything okay?”
Even I can see the marks from last night, and I have a bum eye. Miles has a few bruises, his neck still sports the rawness of my bite, and he moves as though he’s sore. Jayden takes it all in like he’s watching a horror movie—he recoils and frowns.
“Why do you let him do this?” Jayden asks, almost at his normal volume. “Are you sick in the head or something?”
Miles sighs. “It’s none of your business. We’re perfectly fine.”
“You kept telling me I had to get my life together, but you’re doing all this? It’s a little hypocritical.”
“Don’t talk to me about being hypocritical, Jayden,” Miles snaps. “I said everything is fine, and I mean it.”
The definitive, almost harsh tone gets Jayden to shut up. He offers Miles a single nod before walking down the hallway, leaving me alone with his brother. There’s a piece of me that doesn’t like the fact Jayden thinks our relationship is violent and abusive, but another piece of me doesn’t want to explain it all either. Why won’t he believe his brother?
“When are we going to the jailhouse?” Miles asks.
“As soon as Ms. Timo gets back from the grocery store.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE NOIMORE City Adult Detention Facility is the municipality’s primary jailhouse. The tan cement building—two stories in height—has the air of government bureaucracy. It looks like a place where taxpayer money comes to die. Big. Bloated. Overly fancy landscaping. I’m not a fan.
Then again, as a former career criminal, I may be biased.
Miles saunters up next to me after exiting our car. He glances around the deluxe parking lot, takes note of the many police cars, and then cocks an eyebrow. “You really think people are kidnapped from here and sold in human markets?”
“Seems like the perfect place to do it,” I drawl.
“There are so many officers.”
“Yeah, but they’re not a fan of criminals. Have you seen how overcrowded these places are? I’m sure
