Page 63 of Harmless
Devin lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Thanks. It helps a little, but there’s no undoing what’s been done.” He straightened again. “I’ve wrapped up the body, but I didn’t know if you wanted anything done with it.”
“It doesn’t matter to me. We can bury it out in the wilderness tonight, unless you prefer something else?”
Devin seemed taken aback that she would let him decide, but he quickly recovered. “Ah, no. No preference, that’s fine. I can help with the burial if you’d like.”
“Sure.” Rori’s smile at him was genuine, her posture relaxing and the iciness in her demeanor thawing. “I’d appreciate the help.” There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, and then I cleared my throat to cut in to the conversation.
“We’re gathering everyone out front in fifteen,” I told him. “Sadly, our little vacation here has to end soon.”
“Ah, alright. I’ll be right out there. And I’ll grab the guys from the other house too.”
“Thanks,” I told him. The moment he turned to leave, I gave Rori a shocked look, which she just grinned and shook her head at. Once Devin was gone, I said, “Am I high, or was that the most productive conversation you’ve ever had with him?”
“It was definitely a step in a positive direction,” she mused. “Not one that I expected.”
“Did Santos talk to him?”
“I don’t think so. Even if he did, I get the sense that he doesn’t really listen to Santos.” Rori shrugged and stepped away from me, her hand running down my arm and clasping my hand until the last possible moment. “I’m gonna freshen up. See you in fifteen?”
“You got it, creep.” I kissed her fingers before releasing them, then went to give everyone the message while she headed up the stairs.
* * *
“Thank you all for coming out,”Rori said from where she stood in Val’s truck bed. It was the only elevated spot we had, where everyone could see her. Behind and above her, Astarte was perched on the apex of the roof on the detached garage.
I stood on the ground next to the rear tire, while Santos took up the same spot across from me with Tezca sitting in front of him. The jaguar observed the onlookers with cool, calculated yellow eyes.
Carter, LJ, and Val were seated on the truck’s bumper, arms crossed and looking out at the gathered crowd like a trio of bodyguards. With Santos, Tezca, and me, I guess that made six of us.
“Sadly,” Rori continued, eyes scanning the crowd, “we can’t stay at these two houses forever.”
She paused and smiled at the playful chorus of disappointed groans and shouts of, “Boo, this concert sucks!” The Hunter earned another smack from his lady for that one.
“I know,” Rori laughed. “But seriously, we’re excited to help you all start your new lives. My people and I can take you to your choice of territories, either Four Corners or Sevier, where the professionals there can set you up with housing, jobs, education, or they’ll help to locate your family members.”
Rori paused and a long silence followed, with everyone staring up blankly at her. She seemed flustered for a moment before resuming her speech.
“Of course, you don’t have to take any of these options if you don’t want to. Just let our riders know where you’d like to go from here, and they’ll take you the closest they can where it’s safe.”
Another long silence stretched on, everyone’s eyes on Rori expectantly. She frowned and glanced down at me. I shrugged in response.
“Um, does anyone have any questions?” Rori called out.
“Yeah,” one ex-gladiator answered immediately. “What about the people who run the resort? You’re going after them, right?”
Rori squinted at the guy. “Well, yes.”
The fighter crossed his arms and looked around at the others surrounding him. “What if we want to come along?” There was a low murmur of agreement and nodding heads.
“Oh no.” Rori lifted her hands as if trying to diffuse the situation. “Please, you don’t have to do that. You have your whole lives ahead of you and don’t owe us anything. I speak for all of us when I say it was an honor to help you get your lives back.”
“You misunderstand me, ma’am,” the fighter said. “We don’t feel as though we owe you a debt. We want to spill the blood of the deranged cunts who did this to us, and our brothers, until none of them are left.” He flinched. “No offense.”
Rori was too stunned to be offended, shaking her head and planting her feet wide on the truck bed. “You don’t have to shed blood anymore, though. You can return to your families, or start new families. Ending this cult will take months, if not longer, and is incredibly dangerous—”
“Weare just as dangerous,” the fighter snarled, punching one fist against his chest. “They made us this way. Most of us don’t have much in the way of family to return to, but we all have one thing in common. Every man here is very good at killing. Why not use our skill against those who forced it upon us?”
“We’re also not afraid to die,” the Hunter chimed in. “Your riders certainly have families that would miss them, a lot to lose. We will take risks in ways that they won’t.”
