Page 28 of Blade

“You aged out?” I asked her.

“Yeah. They don’t really prepare you. You just kinda turn eighteen and you have to hope your counselor is kind enough to help you get the information for resources or that the foster family will be kind enough to let you stay. There’s group homes and independent living programs, but the system is so overcrowded that both of those things are really hard to get into.”

“I’m sorry your counselor didn’t help you more, Allyson.”

“She kinda sucked, but it's okay. It’s going to get better soon.”

Dammit, she was sweet. She could be angry with the system, hell, with the world, but she was holding onto what hope she had left. We all needed to be a little more like Allyson.

“And Ms. Ramsey, the lady who runs the shelter, she’s so nice to us. She’s helping me look for a job.”

“Can you answer a phone?” I asked abruptly.

“Um, yes?”

“We need a receptionist at Daddies Ink.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Yes, can you bring your license and social security card to the shop tomorrow?”

“Yes, sir. I don’t have a phone, though, so maybe I could just come by in a few days after I submit my application to check and see if I got the job?”

“No, I’m giving you the job, sweetheart.”

What the fuck? I didn’t even have permission to do that.

Hell, I’d pay her out of my salary if I needed to.

“Really?”

“Really. You’re trying so hard and sometimes people just need a break.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Blade. I promise I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, Allyson. You’re a good girl.”

She smiled ear to ear the rest of the drive back to the shelter and it felt good knowing I could help her in a small way. I was definitely going to talk to Leland about this tomorrow, though. There had to be something we could do for the shelter. Donations, food, something.

Once I dropped Allyson off, I swung by my house to grab some things and then headed back to my Little one—well my unofficial Little one.

I walked into the Boo-Boo Room and knew something was wrong immediately. Eloise’s face was lit up from a tablet screen and I could see the tears rolling down her beautiful face.

“Darlin’, what’s wrong?” I asked, dropping my bag and running to her. Tinsely sat beside her, her face pinched tight in worry.

Eloise flipped the screen over and I was met with the aftermath of our destruction.

Friendship Fellowship Engulfed in Flames, Members Found Dead in a Murder-Suicide.

I scanned the article she'd found. It was dated for a few days before.

“Tinsley, can you go get Eloise some juice, baby? I think she’s feeling a bit shocked.”

“Yas, Mr. Blade,” she said, jumping from the bed and scrambling up the stairs.

“Blade, Billy would have never killed himself. N-none of them would have.”

I sat on the bed beside her and took her hands in mine.

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