She laughed, her blue eyes squinting as her face broke out in a full smile. She took a few breaths before she ran her hand through her short hair, ruffling the locks before she put a hand out toward me.
“Well, Ink, I’m Jazmine David, I guess we’re going to be stuck together for a little while. “
I grabbed it and shook it once. “Not too long.”
“Says the man with no shoes.” She turned and walked up the stairs back to the main area. I simply moved the box I’d been sitting on near Angel and sat to keep vigil.
Chapter 9
As the night went on, Angel got sicker and sicker. Her cough got rougher, and both Jazmine and I became more concerned.
“Ink, I don’t think we can do this here. She’s too sick. We have to take her to the hospital.”
“If it was an option, she’d already be there. Look just go about your business, and I’ll take care of her myself.” I shooed her away and put the cool rag on Angel’s head.
“Stop acting like an ass. I don’t want you guys to go; I want to help. I just don’t know how if she keeps getting sicker.” She huffed and ran her hands through her hair before she pulled slightly on of the many rings in her ears. Something she was doing more and more of while Angel got worse. Her nervous tick.
“This is what I have to work with Jazmine. I can’t take her to the hospital, and I can’t leave her, I have no play here.” I let my hands drop, I’d made the decision to swim across the sound, and now Angel may have to pay for it with her life.
“Okay, okay.” She pulled harder at the rings in her ears, “Okay, can I trust you not to destroy my shit?”
“What?” I looked at her like she was crazy, “What shit do you have here to destroy?”
“Are you kidding me, most of this stuff in here is my life’s work.” The attitude sparked across her face for a second before she waved her hand in the air, “Whatever, just don’t break anything. I’m going to go to the drug store and get some medication and maybe a humidifier. Depending on what there is.”
My first instinct was to question why she would do that. I had to force myself to show even a little gratitude. “Thanks,” I grumbled. This was the outside world; it used to be good. At least I thought it was at one time.
“No problem.” She bent down and wiped a hand over Angel’s flushed face before she turned and ran up the stairs. I heard the door to the shop slam shut a few seconds after that, and then there was nothing.
Angel was still very hot, but she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
They won’t stop looking for you. Do you think you can hide down here forever?
I slammed my hands against my head. I had tried to ignore the voice screaming in my head since we escaped from the boat, but with all this idle time on my hands, I had nothing to distract me from it. The panic and paranoia were all-consuming. I wanted to do something, anything productive to get back at those fucks for all the years of imprisonment, but nothing I could do would end with me staying free. The Giles family reach was too long, and I was only one person.
I walked back and forth in the small space, my mind racing with ideas and thoughts on how to get my revenge and still stay safe. With every failed plan in my mind, the paranoia would ramp up higher. I looked out the window to the back door. I had sworn I saw some movement. Then I thought someone had come in from upstairs, but everything went silent. I rechecked the back door, and it was still locked. I tried to unlock it only because I never wanted to be locked in somewhere again, and it opened right up. I closed the door, that was stupid of me. Someone could have seen me. I waited to see if anyone was going to come through the front door, but I didn’t hear anything. Maybe they were waiting for me to come out. Were they on the side of the building?
“Hey, they only…”
I turned and rushed the sound. “No!” I screamed as my hand went to the gun in my waist, and I put it up.
“Ink!” Jazmine’s hands shot up straight in the air, and the bags she had in her hand scattered noisily to the floor.
“Oh, god!” I put the gun down, and I backed away. If I were a little faster, I would have shot her. “Jazmine, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.”
She put her hands down and walked slowly toward me. “What happened?”
“When did you get back? I thought you were going to the store?”
“Ink, I’ve been gone for hours. I’ve gone to two stores, actually.”
She came back? Did they follow her? “Did you make sure no one followed you? Did anyone see you come back here? Did you tell anyone about us being here? Even the…”
She got closer to me and put her hands on my cheeks, bringing my attention back to her and shutting me up. “Ink, no one knows you’re here. I promise you it’s still safe.”
I breathed in and out a few times, I could feel the sweat on my face start to dry, and my heart rate began to slow down. “I’m fucked up. I shouldn’t be here.”
She let me go and went back to the bags she’d dropped. I will agree you are indeed fucked up, but I think you’re right where you need to be.”
She picked up one of the bags and walked over to me. “I have no idea what size you wear, but I think these should fit you. It was a five-pack of v neck t-shirts
