Page 20 of Devil's Work: Dark

“Then you’re coming with me.” I scoop her up into my arms because I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay on my feet from the force of the wind and I’m a big motherfucker. There’s no way Mable will stay upright. Each step is a struggle, winding me from the exertion and also because I can’t take in a full breath. I kick on the door and shout, “Rae!”

The door swings open, crashing against the metal flashing. “What are you doing?” Rae shouts while moving the kids over to make room for us.

“Her floor collapsed.”

Rae reaches up for Mable. Fuck, it’s loud. We get the old lady into the crawlspace and then it takes both Rae and I to pull the door closed again. We secure it and wait it out. Rae’s got Lacy pressed against her chest with Ty clinging to her.

In the middle of a fucking tornado, she starts singing this soothing lullaby to the kids. Her voice makes them feel safe. I’m not a mind reader. They stop crying and settle. Mable looks at me.

“She’s a good mom,” Mable whispers. I nod, leaning in closer to Rae and the kids and just stop myself from gathering them in my arms. Fuck, fuck, fuck… I need to get out of here. I need to drink and get laid. I need to fucking get away from Rae. She’s messing with my head. I’m Horde. We don’t do this family shit.

The more I try to think of anything else but Rae, the antsier I get. It feels like we’re under the trailer forever. When the wind finally dies down, I reach over to unlatch the door, pushing it open, ready to get the hell away from all of them. Light is just starting to peek over the mountains. There’s a row of trees down in the distance, but all four of the trailers are still standing and intact.

The old woman struggles to get out. I bend down to help her so she doesn’t get hurt. Rae helps the kids out without asking for any assistance. She’s just used to getting things done. “Come on,” I grumble to Mable. I’ve got to get away from Rae and this way, I can check to see how big the hole is in Mable’s kitchen.

We walk inside. It’s stuffy. Mable waddles around the house plugging the air unit and lamps back in while I stare at the hole. She can’t live like this. I reach for my phone but realize that I left it by the sofa bed when I jumped up to get out of the trailer last night.

“I’ll be back,” I call to Mable. “Fixing that hole.” There’s no way she can afford to do it and she’s a good lady.

When I run back over to Rae’s place, I find her slumped on the sofa, head in her hands, elbows to knees. She didn’t wait for me to put my bed away. I grab my phone from the end table. “You okay?” I ask her.

She glances up, then sighs. “I’m fine. What can I get you for breakfast?”

“Rae, I can get my own food.”

“Yeah, fine.” She waves her hand in the air, dismissing me. “Do what you want. If you don’t need me, then I’m going to my room.” She stands and wobbles. I’m pretty sure she has a headache. She gets these bad ones semi-frequently from the humidity in the air.

“Where are the kids?” I call after her.

“In their rooms. They were tired.” That’s the last she says before shutting her door. I walk into the kitchen and get a pot of coffee brewing. Then I go to the cabinet where she keeps the medicines and get a couple of sinus pills for her. While I wait for the coffee, I call Green.

“It’s early,” he says.

“Which is why I’m calling your ass and not Cut or Reap or Roughneck.”

“Man, I’m patched,” he whines.

“Then get the prospects up. I need you to hit the lumber store. Old woman who lives next to Rae, her floor caved in. She can’t live with a hole in her kitchen.”

“Not you, too.”

“What?” I’m tired. There’s too much to get done. I don’t have time for his cryptic shit.

“Turning soft. Like Vlad and Sarge.”

I laugh. “Would you like me to wake Vlad and Sarge so we can show you howsoftwe are?”

That gets him. He sighs. “How big a hole we talking?”

I give him the approximate dimensions and hang up.Soft.Fuck him. I pour a mug of coffee for Rae, fix it the way she likes it, and bring that and the pills to her room. When I open the door, I hear her crying. She pulls the pillow down over her face.

“What do you need, Dark?” she mumbles through the fiberfill.

“Brought you some coffee and sinus shit.” I set the mug and pill package on the nightstand.

“Thanks,” she says, sniffling.

“Your head hurts that much?”

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