Page 56 of Hell In A Handbasket
“Why would I? I have nothing to prove to you.”
“Because you’re a fake. Let’s not forget that, if yourgift,” she air quotes with her fingers, “was real, you wouldn’t have been bamboozled in the first place. Mayet was so focused on the headset, she didn’t even realize my test was complete the moment you sat your asses on that plane.”
“Guess you’re right.” Aubree lifts just one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug, then she walks toward Tim and cuddles into his side, pressing her body to his ribs and beaming when his arm comes down to sandwich her in.
They’re not so different from us at all. Not really.
Different families. Different cities. Different backgrounds.
But for every moment I sit here with Jess on my lap, and I’m treated to an unrestricted view of Archer holding Minka, Tim standing with Aubree, Even Felix, the fuckingdon, fussing over Christabelle, they become more human to me.
Not machines to be wary of. Not mafia I have to protect my family from. They’re just people, and at the root of it all, they’ll do whatever they’ve gotta do to protect those they love.
Same as me. And Spence. And Jay. And every other person on this bus.
“You don’t get to doubt her.” Cato moves toward the front of the bus, scowling at Soph. “You don’t get to call her a fake.”
“Why not? She’s yet to prove me otherwise.”
“She doesn’t have to prove anything! She knows what she is. She knows what she’s capable of.”
“Look at you, standing up for your sister,” Spence teases. “Kinda forgot you were still a kid. But there you go, spouting off because you can’t see the long game.”
“It’s notspouting offto demand an apology when an apology is due. You don’t get to call my fuckin’ family out for lying when they’re not.”
“Cato.” Aubree shakes her head. “Stop.”
“I’ll stop when these assholes acknowledge their betters.”
“Their betters?” Spence throws his head back, laughing. And because she’s smart, Jess slides off my lap, allowing me space to stand if the kid escalates. “Boy, just because you were born rich doesn’t make you better. It just makes you shinier.”
“Say sorry for calling her a liar, and we won’t have a problem.”
“Cato,” Archer growls. “Enough.”
“Yeah, Cato. Enough.” Spence rises from the driver’s seat and turns to face the rest of us. “Also, the bus is fucked.”
“The hell you mean it’s fucked?” Felix leaves Christabelle behind and shoves between his baby brother and mine. “This bitch cost more than the average American home. It’s a day old!”
Spence turns to him, too fucking arrogant for his own good. “Step down, Capo. The bus ain’t starting, and you bitchin’ about it won’t change anything.”
“Sophia.” Minka’s eyes burn with fierce intolerance. “Stop screwing around. We have a flight to catch.”
“Why are you blaming me? I didn’t do anything.” She strides through the growing group and flops into the chair. “It was fine yesterday.”
“It was fine an hour ago,” Troy rumbles. “Are we going, or not?”
“We’re definitely going.” Minka stands, snarling. Though I don’t miss the hand Archer keeps wrapped around hers. Nor the way he sits forward and curls a finger through the loop of her pants. “I’m ready for this bullshit circus to be over, Sophia. It stopped being funny three days ago,beforeit even began. Cut the shit already.”
“I’m not faking this.” She slams her foot to the gas pedal, flooding the engine like a total newb. “This is a nine-hundred-thousand-dollar bus. This is a quality engine! There’s no reason for it not to?—”
“Open the door.” Rolling her eyes, Aubree turns to the exit. “We’re not going anywhere.”
“Yes, we are!” Minka snaps. “We’re driving to the airport. I refuse to miss that flight.”
“You think you have it bad?” Sophia quips. “I’m gonna miss the wedding between two people I don’t even know. I had money on the fight, dammit!”
MINKA
