Sempre (Sempre 1)

Dr. DeMarco blinked a few times. “It’s not often two people accept blame around here.”

As if on cue, the boy spoke again. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t really my fault. She scared me. She’s a fucking ninja or something.”

Dr. DeMarco pinched the bridge of his nose. “Watch your mouth, son. Go get ready for school.”

He started to argue, but Dr. DeMarco’s hand shot up to silence him. The sudden movement startled Haven. She recoiled, bracing to be struck.

The boy eyed her strangely. “What the hell’s wrong with—?”

“I said go!” Dr. DeMarco said. “I don’t have time for you.”

“Fine, what-the-fuck-ever.”

Dr. DeMarco turned to her after the boy stormed out. “He isn’t usually . . . well, never mind; that’s a lie. He is usually like this. He’s finicky and angry, but that’s neither here nor there. He’s set in his ways, and it doesn’t matter what I do. Carmine is who he is.”

Carmine. A strange name for a strange boy.

“Why are you up, anyway?” he asked. “I figured you’d sleep most of the day to recover.”

“I didn’t know what time I was supposed to get up.”

“You get up whenever you get up,” he said. “You can go back to bed now.”

“But what about—?”

He didn’t let her finish. “I’ll handle this. Don’t worry about doing anything today. Just rest.”

2

“I need a favor.”

Carmine stepped past his father, refusing to acknowledge he’d spoken. The scent of freshly brewed coffee was strong in the kitchen as Vincent cleaned the sticky mess from the floor. The knees of his newest Armani suit were soaked with juice, and Carmine got a tiny bit of satisfaction from that fact.

“Are you ignoring me now, son?”

“Oh, are you talking to me? I thought you didn’t have time for me this morning.”

Vincent stood. “I certainly don’t have time for your attitude, but I do need a favor.”

“Of course you do.”

Vincent pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to him. “Ask Dia if she’ll grab this stuff after school today. I’d do it myself, but I know nothing about things teenage girls need.”

Carmine laughed. “I don’t think Dia knows shit about teenage girls, either.”

“She knows enough,” he said. “Just do it.”

Carmine shoved it into his pocket. “Whatever. Is it for the ninja girl? Who is she, anyway?”

“Do you honestly care?”

“No.” The word came out before he gave it any thought. He wasn’t sure what to think.

“Then it doesn’t matter who she is,” Vincent said. “But she needs things, so don’t forget to ask Dia.”

“I heard you the first time,” he said. “It would’ve been nice to have some warning you were bringing someone here, though. Where’d she come from?”

Vincent poured some coffee into his silver travel mug. “I thought you didn’t care.”