Page 124 of Cost of Courting

“What about Mum? She won’t know where I am!”

I stroke her cheeks with my thumbs. “Of course, she will. Everyone here is going to make sure she knows.”

I let go, and she turns and throws herself at Peta. I give them a terse nod. Despite everything, I want them inside and off the streets as soon as possible.

I spin, and, up the other end of the street, I see a figure stagger on the road. I take off running, calling for Dot.

I manage to get to him just before he falls, but I’m not strong enough to support his weight. All I can do is protect his head when he goes down.

“Match?” I whisper. He’s breathing hard, and his whole body is trembling. He gasps, and I realise his head is wet. I know it’s blood. I can smell it.

“DOT!”

She’s almost beside me when I whip my head around. She drops her bag and helps ease him off my lap and flat on the road. A second later, she’s got a head torch on and is checking his vitals and talking softly to him.

“His head is bleeding!”

“Just a laceration. Not huge, but it’s bleeding a bit.” She cleans it up and puts a bandage on the wound.

He’s in shock, but I think so am I.

“Selene!” The shout has me jumping almost out of my skin.

I spot two other people supporting each other as they limp towards us.

“Go! Jo will help me move him,” Dot says without taking her eyes off Match.

Jo kneels beside me, and I register his presence for the first time. He scoops up Match as easily as if he were a child.

“Okay, call me if you need,” I say hastily.

“Go!”

I rush off down the street and find Mathew and Trey limping towards me. As soon as they get in the light, I see they’ve been beaten up. This was on purpose. What the fuck?

They’re just kids. Twelve years old. What the fuck?

I check them over quickly and ascertain that it’s mostly just superficial wounds that will hurt a lot. Movement over Trey’s shoulder brings me face-to-face with Bailey, who is carrying an unconscious Trisha.

“She tried to protect us, Selene. They came out of nowhere. Just started laying into us, but, Trisha, she yelled at them and helped get us away, but they found her and started hitting her. They wouldn’t stop.” Trey stops gulping air and then bursts into tears. “I don’t know why I’m crying.”

He’s shaking badly.

Shock. They’re all in shock.

“Come on, this way. Dot’s over here. You’re in shock. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

They follow me back, and I help where I can, checking over my people and aching for them. For hours, we help people get safe and fixed up, treating those with shock and injuries, while people patch up windows and check on the missing.

Dawn will be here soon, and everyone is an exhausted, frightened mess. But that’s when Kent shows up, bringing sandwiches and drinks. He’s got a station wagon that he opens, revealing huge trays of sandwiches and drinks.

I walk up to him and hug him tight. “I knew you loved me.”

He snorts a laugh. “Most unreliable worker ever.”

“You were always telling me I needed to work less!”

“Did I? I don’t believe you! Get your ass back to work!”

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