Page 74 of Silent Comrade
Red shut his mouth with an audible clunk ofteeth. “I never said—”
“Dude,” Rodeo muttered, still looking at thefloor. “Bail the fuck out of this conversation, ASAP.”
Red crossed his big arms. “Fine.”
“Fine?” Britt studied the angry slash of hishard mouth. Was this a trick?
Red spat, “How much longer?”
“How much longer do you have to be here,babysitting, stuck with me?” Fear drove her words faster than shecould think them. Half her brain was horrified, half still felthelpless. Britt didn’t like either. “You know the answer. The showis next Friday. Once that’s done, I can pass the semester withoutshowing up for another class, if necessary. The collection is mysenior project. My final exam.” Tears stung her eyes, but sherefused to give in to the overwhelming panic that bubbled up in herthroat, choking her. “That’s more than four years of work.” Duringwhich her mother and her brother had both died.
Her memories of college and memories oftheir deaths wove together. Unravel one and they all might fallapart.
Last year, her world had shattered andsomehow, Britt had gotten the professional help needed to buildherself back into a functional adult again.
Running a hand over his head like he wantedto rip out the hair, Red half-turned. “Rodeo. What do you say?”
The big guy’s teeth gleamed. “I’m all forhelping people meet their life goals in spite of assholes. Hunt’sincognito right now, so I’ll make the executive decision. We canpull twenty-four-hour shifts. I don’t require sleep.”
“You’re not a robot.”
Rodeo’s stare dropped the temperature in theroom twenty degrees. “I can make it to Friday for the rightreasons, bro.”
Britt’s heart leapt.
“Damn it. This is a bad idea,” Red muttered,rotating back to Britt. “No more big risks. Clear all activitieswith me or Rodeo. Got it?”
Every instinct wanted her to tell him whereto shove his dictator attitude, but deep down, she knew he had herbest interest at heart. “All right.”
No one moved for a solid minute.
“So. Go team?” Rodeo tucked the yo-yo backin a pocket and held his hand, palm down out between them. “Don’tleave me hanging.”
“I’m going to take a shower.” Britt ignoredRodeo and dug a finger into Red’s rock-hard chest. “Does that fitinto the plan?”
Red’s eyes hardened, then glinted. “Only ifI can inspect your progress. For safety.”
“And, I’m done here.” Rodeo stared at theceiling, palms up. “Why me, God? Do you hate me? Why would you makeme work in conditions like this?”
Chapter Thirty
Her life wasn’t perfect, but it was closeenough for Britt as she strolled the few blocks to school for somefashion lab time that Saturday afternoon. Rodeo had watched overthe apartment while Britt slept for another few hours.Al—no, Red—hadrested in Tachi’s room.
Fine, it was a second nickname. People hadmultiple nicknames all the time. It was one more issue in a longline of issues for Britt.
The emotional roller coaster over the pastfew days had left her exhausted, drained. In Britt’s world, hopeseemed to always get ruined by self-doubt which in turn was drivenby anxiety. Over the past year, she had worked through her anxiety.The self-doubt had improved. Then she met Red, the first person inyears she’d made a meaningful connection with and trusted. Rollercoaster car going up, up, up.
Turned out he had lied to her. Everythingabout Red was a lie. Her sister was in danger. Lequire hunted herfamily. The roller coaster car plunged straight down.
Despite this bizarre personal and familysituation happening, Britt could still see the finish line for thisnext step in her life. There were people who would keep her safeuntil the show next week. That’s all she needed.
The lightness in her step had very little todo with the hulking, sulking guy in fake glasses next to her whowalked faster so she would keep up. Red whipped his head up at thesound of a car door closing. After a beat, he returned to theslouchy student posture.
Yep. Britt could chalk up yet anotherimpulsive decision for the books. Nothing like sleeping with a guywho led a secret life. Oh, no. In Britt’s world, just jump hispants and figure it out later. God, she was an idiot.
Later. She’d process her bad decision-makinglater. Right now, Britt had a project to finish and bad dudes toavoid. No handsome slab of overprotective male would distract herfrom that goal.
Unless it was like last night. What adistraction. She curled her toes. From here on out, she would focuson fashion.
