I get called over by Paco, who tells me the tank and a load of lumber are being delivered to the building site tomorrow. I spend a few minutes talking, but refuse the beer I’m offered. I want to have a clear head when I talk to the kid.
Tossing my bag on my bed to take care of later, I walk across the hallway. The door to Yuma’s old room is closed and I notice the key in the lock.
“Like I said, he was ready to bolt.”
I look up to where Ouray is standing in the doorway to his office down the hall. I nod my understanding and turn the key.
At first glance I don’t see him. The TV is on and someone’s clearly been sitting on the bed. It’s not until I take a few steps into the room that I see him sitting on the floor underneath the window.
“Hey, kid,” I say as casually as I can, keeping my eyes on the TV when I take a seat on the edge of the bed. “Just talked to Paco, he says lumber will be dropped off tomorrow and I was wondering if you’d wanna help out getting the framing for his house up?” I notice movement from the corner of my eye, but continue talking, “It’ll have to be after school, of course, and you’d have to get to your homework after dinner, but I could sure use a hand.”
He puts a dent in my patience, making me wait a long time for an answer, but when it comes I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Okay.” The mattress dips a little when he sits down beside me. “But am I not in trouble?”
I glance over, recognizing the look in the kid’s eyes. Part defiance, part hope, and part fear.
“Oh, you’re in trouble. Can’t whack a brother over the head with a piece of iron and not expect there to be some consequences. Unless of course there was a good reason why you decided to use Maska’s melon as a piñata.”
I don’t miss the flash of a grin before his face turns surly again.
“He was the one sneaking around in the middle of the night, I was in bed,” he says defensively, but at least he’s talking.
“Right. With a crowbar you stole from the shop under your blankets?”
“Gotta protect myself.” He shrugs.
I can almost hear the vault locking in place. Not much more I’ll be able to get out of him tonight, but I sure as hell am gonna have a chat with Maska.
“Come on,” I tell him as I push to my feet. “Lisa’s about to serve dinner.”
“I can come out?” he asks hesitantly behind me.
“If you’re ready to apologize to Maska you can. Provided you’re not gonna take off, because boy, I’ll find you if you try.”
I don’t look back when I open the door and walk out, but when I’m halfway down the corridor I hear his shuffling footsteps behind me. I head straight for the bar, signaling to Shilah for a beer. Only then do I look behind me to see Ravi had walked over to the group of kids watching TV. He’s standing in front of Maska, who is lounging on the couch, his fists clenched by his side.
“Get him to talk?” Paco asks, sidling up to me at the bar.
“Claims he was protecting himself, but from what is unclear.”
I take a swig of my beer and keep a close eye on the interaction between the boys, in case they can’t keep it civil. Ravi nods sharply and turns away. He looks a little lost as he wanders toward the kitchen, where Lisa just pokes her head out the door.
“Boy, you’ve got nothin’ better to do? May as well give me a hand settin’ that table, yeah?”
Over dinner things look to have returned to normal, with Ravi quiet—as expected—and the other kids rowdy as usual. I stay for a few beers at the bar with my brothers until Shilah starts herding the kids to the dorm, Ravi with them.
In my room I take a quick shower, turn on the news, and lay down on my bed, my phone in hand.
Me: Get everything done you wanted to?
I have to wait a few minutes before I get an answer.
Fee: Just got back from Sandra’s with my last load of laundry and heading for bed.
Me: I’m already there, although I’d rather be in yours.
When she doesn’t respond through the next commercial break, I type out a less loaded message.
Me: Work tomorrow?
Fee: Heading in for eleven. You?
Me: I’ll be up at the build first thing. An issue with a couple of our kids here, so I’ll probably stick around the club for dinner tomorrow, but will try to pop in after.
I watch the dots bouncing for a long time, stopping and starting again, indicating she’s typing a response. I’m expecting a lengthy one and am surprised when it’s only one word long.
Fee: Night.
Huh.
CHAPTER 11
Sophia
I WAKE UP when something brushes my cheek, only to shoot straight up when I find Tse sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Morning.”
His smile is relaxed, looking like he has every right to be here.
“How’d you get in here?”
He looks over his shoulder at the front door.
“Wasn’t that hard. Your lock is pretty basic.”
“You broke my lock?”
The shock of waking up to him in my bedroom is slowly replaced with anger. The fact he’s grinning and doesn’t seem at all repentant only makes it worse.
“Didn’t have to. It was easy enough to pick.”
Pulling the sheet with me, I swing my legs out of the opposite side of the bed, wrapping myself up.
“I can’t believe you broke in. Ever think of knocking?”
Tse gets to his feet as well, and I hate that I notice
