Page 35 of Running Feral

There’s a long silence. It’s fine. I wouldn’t know what to say to that either.

“Do you wanna meet him?”

That was the last thing I expected him to ask, and the question makes me freeze.

“Um… I don’t know. No? I don’t hate him or anything. He’s just some random guy whose mom also got knocked up by a scumbag. It’s not like we mean anything to each other, though. And there’s a chance he could have turned out just like ourfather, which means he’s not someone I want to be around. What’s the point?”

Gunnar seems to take his time considering this. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, and his words seem to be carefully chosen.

“I’m not one of those people that believes you owe your family everything just because you’re blood related. Family is more complicated than that, and no one should have to keep people in their life that are hurting them. In whatever way. But,” he takes a deep breath and then he really does touch me, tilting my chin up to force me to look at him. It makes me feel small and shivery, but in the best possible way. “Just because he doesn’t mean anything to you now doesn’t mean he couldn’t one day. If you did want to meet him eventually, there’s nothing wrong with that. Family can be thin on the ground sometimes, and it’s not embarrassing to want a little more.”

The words tumble in my head out of order, not totally making sense. The thought makes my gut twist, though. I don’t have the capacity for this right now. I file it away as something to deal with later.

Much later.

“Yeah, sure. Maybe.” I shrug. “Come on, let’s get this show on the road. We have some sneaking to do before we get to his place, and I think you might be too tall to be stealthy. If you’re not a good look-out, I’ll have to fire you and replace you with Kasia. Just saying. She seems like she would be an excellent guard dog.”

Gunnar really does roll his eyes at me this time, but he drops the subject. We both seem to take a few more seconds to look at each other before finally, silently, slipping out of the car.

Chapter Twelve

It’s been too long. Way too long. This can’t be the normal amount of time it takes to break into someone’s home. Everyone would get caught if that were true.

I look at my watch, but the time tells me it’s actually been about eight minutes since Tobias and I parted ways. Not the forty-five that it felt like.

Kasia thought there would be a good chance her ex wouldn’t be at home right now, because it’s a Thursday night and he normally goes ‘bowling’ on Thursdays. Which sounds like it’s code for getting drunk and doing meth, but bowling might also be involved.

She was right. We scoped the place out, and confirmed that he’s not here, at least. It’s a long single-wide on an unincorporated lot, so the neighbors are far enough away that we were able to get in on foot without being noticed. It seems like he values his privacy.

Which isn’t surprising, but plays in our favor right now. I’m crouched in the yard behind a lean-to that might pass for a utilityshed, watching to make sure he doesn’t come home. If he does, I’m close enough to make it to the building under the cover of dark, bang loud enough for Tobias to hear, scramble around the back, and then hopefully get both of us the fuck out of here.

Not that I made a single solitary part of this plan. It was all him. It didn’t even take him long. He dropped the whole thing in these fluid, unhesitating sentences full of technical jargon that I only half-understood. It was so impressive; I forgot to check my enthusiasm for a skill he only has because of the crimes he’s been forced to commit.

Is he really not done yet? How hard can it be to find a laptop?

I wait and wait and wait. It’s so dark out here that my eyes keep playing tricks on me, making it seem like a figure is emerging out of the tree line. Every minute that passes, my heart rate continues to mount, and I swear I can feel my individual blood vessels tightening in my body.

This is absolutely the last time we do something like this.

Never again.

Every sound that hits my ears is tires crunching over cold earth until my brain realizes it’s not. Over and over and over again, while I picture what would happen if we got caught. If Jorden tried to beat the shit out of Tobias. If he wasn’t alone when he came home, and we were so outnumbered, I couldn’t even hope to protect him.

If—shit, what if—Jorden is even more of a scumbag than I thought and has connections to the Banna?

That’s the thought that chills me right down to my bone marrow. Hot to cold in an instant, like I got dipped in liquid nitrogen.

I can feel my thoughts begin to race out of control, just like my pulse. It’s so overwhelming that I barely notice the noise behind me, and Tobias is forced to tap me on the shoulder.

Whipping around, I move so fast I clearly startle him. It’s not enough to wipe the grin off his face, though.

Grin. He is full-on, gleefully grinning. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. He looks gorgeous even when he’s miserable, but this is something else. I’m choking on relief and unfettered anxiety and this sudden wave of adoration for him, which I still don’t know how to address, so I don’t think it through and let myself throw my arms around him.

“Whoah,” he says, but doesn’t pull away. After a few seconds, he relaxes into my too-tight grip and puts his arms around my waist. “Are you okay?”

“We’re never doing this again. That was terrifying.” I blow out a breath, leaning back to look at him but still not letting go. “I don’t like it when you’re in danger.”

He raises his eyebrows, looking a little confused but still smiling.

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