Page 91 of Sin Like the Devil

I try for a joke, but the words come out all wrong. Raine’s blonde brows knit together as he reaches for me, snagging my t-shirt’s hem then moving higher to touch my arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shit’s going down.” I drop my voice. “I’m missing half my stock, and all the rumours that have been circulating are true.”

“About that riot?”

“Yeah. People are dead.”

Raine curses softly. “That’s fucked up.”

“It’s gonna blow back on Harrowdean soon. Sounds like authorities are involved.”

Humming, he releases me then rolls his guide stick between his hands. “Isn’t that a good thing? The world may actually pay attention to the bullshit that’s under the radar for once.”

How do I tell him that my neck is on the chopping block too? Raine knows what I do. Hell, he buys from me on a weekly basis now. But that doesn’t mean I want to spell it out for him.

“It’ll be alright, Rip.” He tries to comfort me. “No matter what happens.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Worst case scenario, all the institutes are shut down. We can get the fuck out of here.”

“And go where? Somewhere worse?”

“I was thinking somewhere far away from any psych ward or rehab centre. Hell, the fucking wilderness if that’s what it takes.”

Just the thought of him managing in the damn wilderness causes laughter to burst out of me. Raine quickly catches on to my line of thought and joins in.

“Okay, perhaps not a jungle. I need good ground clearance. There’s nothing to trip over on a beach though, right?”

“You’re ridiculous. We’re not going anywhere.”

His shoulders slump. “You are. I’ve got two more years of this.”

My chest spasms at his palpable defeat. His assumption that me getting out first would be an issue is both heart-warming and petrifying. Criminal or not, everyone signs up for the same three years just to get accepted into Harrowdean’s rehabilitative program.

Raine must sense my unease because he quickly drops the subject. “What are you gonna do with this lot, then? You can’t fulfil half their orders and half not.”

“Shift what I can, then haul ass. People will be mad.”

“It’s not your fault everything’s going to shit.”

“But I can’t exactly tell them that, can I? I have appearances to maintain.”

Catching sight of Luka lingering nearby, early like normal, I beckon him over. Raine remains silent as we exchange pills and payment. He shuffles off to gobble his laxatives, and I quickly re-zip the backpack.

“What will you do once you get out?”

Raine fiddles with the nylon strap attached to his stick. “Not a clue.”

“You have a career waiting for you.”

“Pretty sure I drove it off a cliff long before I wound up here. I honestly don’t know what’s waiting for me now.”

I bite back what I want to say. I will be. I’ve known him for little more than a few months and spoken to him for less than that. I don’t know what’s waiting for me either, and I won’t make promises I can’t keep.

“Maybe you’ll need some kind of musician in residence at your studio,” he suggests with a smirk. “Free performances for the lady.”

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