Bartholomew stared at our ship that burned on the surface of the water, and soon enough, it would sink beneath the waves too. His hands gripped the rail, the smile still wide. “Well, that was fun.”
“We lost a ship.” It was my idea, and the only way I could destroy the entire anthill, not just a few insects.
“We’ll buy another one.”
Claire walked between us on the sidewalk, her backpack bouncing up and down with her steps because it was nearly empty except for a couple papers and her lunch box. The sidewalks and streets were busy with people getting to their destinations, bags over their shoulders, coffees in hand.
Constance was on the other side of Claire, glancing down at her from time to time, giving her a smile that hid the pain behind her eyes. In her new wardrobe, she no longer looked like the prisoner of a cult that became my problem. Now she looked like her own person, in tight jeans, heels, blouses, and jackets, jewelry on her wrists and neck. Her long hair was usually done in soft curls, and her makeup made her eyes stand out, gave her lips new life.
I was exhausted after my long night, but I didn’t want to miss taking Claire to school for the first time…first time since she’d been gone. I’d already had a conversation with her teacher, explaining that she’d been taken out of school for personal reasons. Last thing I wanted was for her teacher and the other students to treat her like she was different—and not in a good way.
When we dropped her off, there wasn’t a hint of unease. She spotted her friends and ran off without a backward glance.
It hurt that she didn’t say goodbye to me—but it was a good thing.
I watched her backpack bounce up and down quickly as she ran to her friends, who were just as excited to see her when they spotted her. Hugs were exchanged. Laughter. Squeals.
It was time to go, but it was hard to leave her there.
A hand moved to my arm, slender fingers digging into my muscle, a kind embrace.
And there was a soft smile to go with it.
I met her look for several seconds, feeling a distinct connection that hadn’t been there before, or at least that I hadn’t allowed to be there before. The exact same emotion was in her eyes, like leaving Claire was hard for her too, albeit for different reasons.
We walked back to the apartment together, spending most of that time in silence.
Fewer people were on the sidewalk because everyone had arrived at their destinations by now.
The pathway seemed to be just for us.
Her boots tapped against the sidewalk as we walked, two steps for every one of my mine. “How was your night?”
“Long.”
“Yeah, you seem tired.”
“I’m always tired now.” I had to juggle two personas at once, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Constance. The situation worked out to the advantage of us both. She had a lot of issues to resolve, so I suspected she would be around for a long time.
“Are you a drug dealer?”
The smirk was unstoppable. “No.”
“Then…a hit man?”
We were out in public, but I didn’t give a damn. As long as Claire wasn’t around, I didn’t give a shit who heard what. “Chasseur.”
“You’re a hunter. What does that mean?”
“We hunt—a lot of things. People. Drugs. Money. One-stop shop.”
She walked beside me, her eyes on me as if she didn’t understand.
“It’s complicated.”
“Then you’re in a gang.”
This time, I released a quiet laugh. “More like an empire. More like a corporation. More like an organization that the police and government both know about. We’re in the drug business, getting everything into France from our partners overseas. We pay off the right people like it’s an annual membership to your favorite warehouse store. We kill the people who fuck with us, and sometimes kill the people who fuck with the people who would never fuck with us.” I turned my gaze and watched her, watched her study me with calm absorption. “We’re in plain sight—but nobody sees us.”
“And the cult? Why do they have so much power?”
“Because they have the acid market. Our relationship can be symbiotic, so we’re allies—some of the time. Their organization goes deeper than the camp. It’s just a place they colonized so they can be freaks in peace.”
She gave a nod as if she understood, but she didn’t understand a thing.
We returned to the empty apartment, the first time we’d been alone together without Claire.
It instantly felt hollow, like I was back in time, sobbing in front of the fireplace.
She seemed to know, based on the way she stared at me. “I can make you something to eat.”
I didn’t need her to wait on me, to do anything for me. “I’m going to bed.” I turned back to the hallway.