Page 62 of Redd

Chapter Twelve

Bijou

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The passenger doorclicked open, and I felt the car shake as someone slipped inside. I stayed silent in the back seat, staring up at the ceiling. Stretching my arms, I settled the anxiety that tried to swell between my ribs.

A part of me wanted to glance up and make sure it was Vicki, to double check that it wasn't one of Diablo's men who had spotted me from a distance when I had my outburst and tried to lunge from the car.

It's just his sister, that's the reason we're here.

“Hey, how was school?” Redd asked, his tone upbeat and casual.

The way he spoke was so tempered, as if nothing had happened; like he hadn't stolen and killed, like I hadn't destroyed his home and threatened him with a knife.

I couldn't understand how he could smother the situation and submerge it below the surface, making it unreadable and undetectable to someone else.

But I knew, I knew what was happening. And I wasn't sure if I'd be able to throw on a smile if I looked up at his sister. Keeping my eyes on the roof of the car, I twirled my thumbs and bit my lip nervously.

His sister stayed quiet for a long moment, fumbling with her bag and dropping it onto the floor beside me. There was a long pause in her breathing, and I could feel her eyes surveying me.

“What's she doing here?”

“It looks like someone is still mad at me.” Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his neck.

Vicki didn't laugh, pointedly giving him a wide stare.

Sighing, Redd sucked in air between his teeth, turning his face away from his sister. “Don't be rude, Vicki. She came for the ride, is that a problem?”

“Why is she laying down in the back?”

“Why all the questions? She's tired, she didn't sleep well last night.”

I could feel her studying me, peering down at my face and completely understanding my presence in the back seat had nothing to do with lack of sleep.

My face was flushed and glistening in drying tears, my nose was still running, so I kept wiping the back of my wrist across my face. I was trying my best to put on a brave face, and not let her see how upset I really was.

It wasn't working.

“Mm, hm.” Flipping back around, Vicki grabbed the seat belt and clicked it into place. “You're doing that thing again, I can see it. I really wish you would stop treating me like I'm stupid, Redd.”

“Will you stop already, I'm not in the mood for this right now.”

Slumping in her seat, his sister laid her elbow against the window and rested her head in her hand. “Yup, like you're ever in the mood to tell me the truth lately. Am I still supposed to act like she isn't here? I mean you brought her with you, but do you still expect me to pretend like I can't see her?”

“What do you want me to say, huh?” Tapping the wheel with his hand, he shifted in his seat. “I want you to be nice, I don't want you to start asking all kinds of questions I can't give you answers for. But you don't have to act this way, it's ridiculous.”

“Is it? Am I really being ridiculous?” From the corner of my eye, I watched her cock her head and thin her lids. “What do you want me to do? You've always told me everything, but now I feel like you're hiding something. Why? Why won't you just tell me what's going on?”

“Vicki, enough,” Redd snapped, jerking his arm up in the air. His mouth ground down hard, teeth clenched tight. “I tell you what you can handle, nothing more. That's the way it's always been. You don't know everything and for good reason.”

Scoffing, I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Yeah, that's right, I'm still a kid in your eyes, I forgot.”

“And I'm sorry about that. But that doesn't give you the right to act like this. It's not normal.” His voice was smooth and steady, his tone more fatherly than I'd expect between siblings.

“Normal? Are you serious right now?” Whipping her head to face him dead on, her big curls plopped around her cheeks. “Because taking strange people home with you is normal? Maybe if you took the time to talk to me, to really talk to me—you'd know that you could tell me what was going on and not keep whatever this secret is from me.” Flicking her finger between Redd and myself, she glared at him. “I mean, come on, Redd. You act like I don't know who you are, like I don't keep your secret, that you—”

That he what? What did he do? Who is he really?

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