Page 24 of Omega Untamed
To him that was nothing. To me, in my condition, it was an eternity.
When we finally reached his car, I wasn’t surprised to see it was also black, like everything surrounding him. He helped me into the passenger seat, tucking my feet in, making sure nothing was hanging out, then handed me another water and a chocolate bar.
“Eat that if you can,” he instructed. “It will give you quick energy which you need for the time being.”
I held both items in my lap, still favoring my hand with the broken finger.
When Bast got into the driver’s seat, he glanced at me, frowning, then took the water from me and opened it. He did the same with the candy, handing both back to me.
I drank some more, then took a bite of the chocolate. The sugar rush went through me fast as I swallowed. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted and I gobbled another bite.
Bast drove down the road, checking over his shoulder every few minutes.
“Were we followed?” The question left my heart cold as I waited for an answer.
“No. I made sure of it.”
Relief swept through me, almost as good as the sugar rush. “Where are we going?”
“My place.”
“Is it safe there?”
“If you don’t do anything stupid like be seen.”
I bowed my head. “You’re hiding me.”
“You can’t go out in public.”
“Ever?”
“Not for a very long time. Not until I figure some things out.”
“So I’ll be staying with you? Or are you dropping me somewhere else later on?”
He frowned but did not look at me as he replied, tone flat, “With me.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“There is nowhere else for you to go.”
I should have thanked him. Certainly, I was grateful. But my throat closed up in another surge of panic. My life as I knew it was over. All my street friends would wonder where I was. I wouldn’t be able to contact them. I wouldn’t be able to do anything.
When I could speak again, I asked, “What happened to my phone?”
“I destroyed it. No one will be able to track you. You cannot contact anyone from your old life. Do you understand?”
I nodded once, balancing the chocolate bar, which was melting where my fingers clutched it. My good hand shook.
“I am very serious here. It cannot be known that you are still alive.”
But how long would that last? I wanted to ask so many questions, but I guess now we had a lot of time for all that. Right now I wanted to bury my head in the sand. I wanted to go away in my head, escape, pull a blanket all the way over myself.
“You don’t happen to have any steam.” My voice came out far too hesitant for what I was asking.
“No drugs. That’s one of my rules.”
I hadn’t agreed to any rules, but he was doing all this for me. I needed to respect that. But rarely had I done what needed to be done in my life.
