Page 26 of Devil's Work: Dark

She needs me.

She needsme.

The whole ride back to the trailer, I keep my eyes open for any car that sticks out. The problem is, I don’t see anything more than the cars I’m used to seeing in a small town like Bentley. No cars following me. No cars coming up the road in the opposite direction. What? Are they using drones to spy?

Green’s sitting on the sofa watchingmytelevision when I walk in. “Where’s Rae?” I ask.

He looks up from the program that’s got his attention. “I think she’s picking out an outfit for tonight.”

An outfit? “What’s tonight?”

“I don’t know, some parents’ night at the school,” he answers, shrugging it off like it’s nothing. “If you’d have answered your phone, you’d already know.”

Is he crazy? Those fucks tried to nab her today. She’s not leaving the house.

“And you didn’t think to let her know that she wouldn’t be going?” I ask sarcastically.

“Nah… I figured I’d be with her. She’ll be fine.”

“You were with her today and she wasn’t fine, asshat.”

He looks ready to argue with me and I’m waiting, welcoming it because I want to hit someone and he’ll do, but his phone rings. “Yo, Vlad, what’s up?” he answers.

“Go. Take it outside,” I order.

The brother doesn’t seem to take offense and walks outside like I asked. Right as the door snaps shut, I bellow, “Rae, get your ass out here.”

She struts her fine ass down the hallway not looking at all troubled by my directive. That pisses me off more. If she’s not troubled, then she’s not taking me seriously. She sure as hell needs to take this seriously. “Sit your ass down,” I bark. I reach my hand out to take hers to help her down onto the sofa in the spot Green vacated. Her eyes dart around me to the TV. Sheisnotignoring me. I pick up the remote to flick the power off. “You’re not going to a goddamn parents’ night.”

She rips her hand from mine, putting a stop to sitting. “Yes, I am. I have to.”

“You got a fucking death wish? There’s a fucking pervert out there going after little kids and an asshole who wants you dead because you saw his face. A parents’ night is the last place you need to be.”

“You’re wrong. That’s exactly why I have to go. Ty will be going to that school.” She pinches the bridge of her nose and takes in a deep breath, like she’s trying to talk herself down from backhanding a petulant kid. “I have to see the parents. I need to memorize the faces of every adult I come across. My kids are who I care about most, but it’s not just my kids at risk.”

“It’s a dumb move. You’re taking chances.”

“Have you not listened to a word I’ve said? It’s not dumb and they’remychances to take. Go.”

“What?”

“Go. You’ve got the night off. Think I’m being stupid, then just go. Hang with your brothers. Fuck bitches, or whatever it is you do on a Friday night.”

Is she serious? Fuck bitches? “Something to know about me,babe, you being cute ain’t gonna get you out of anything.”

“I wasn’t trying to be cute, Dark.”

Ty walks into the living room from the hallway. I thought he was playing in his bedroom. “Mumma, Dark said a swear.”

Me? It was his damn mother. I didn’t say shit.

She drops her hand to her mouth, covering it, shaking her head. The snicker’s soft, but it’s there. “Dark says lots of swears, buddy. We just try not to talk like Dark, yeah?” The woman knows exactly what she’s doing.

He bobs his head up and down like a fucking bobblehead. The kid’s gonna give himself brain damage.

“Miss Mable is going to watch the kids for me.”

“Not without a guard, she’s not.” This woman. God, I want to shake her, make her see reason.

---