Rain Shadow(28)

Angel turned to me.

“I was about to tell you.”



She sat down. “Shit, I’ve got to get Gracie to a doctor.”

“Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen,” Gunner muttered over a mouthful of pancake.

“I’m sure we won’t be stuck here for long. Dreygon will probably work some deal with Griffin,” Jericho said.

“Yeah, a life for a life,” Gunner said with a grim laugh. He pointed his fork at me. “Guess that would be you.” He laughed again.

“Oh, shut the hell up and finish your breakfast,” Angel said. “I’ve been stuck in here all morning and I want to clean up and be done.”

Jericho and Gunner sucked down their breakfasts. I stayed behind to help Angel clean up. She’d been quiet the rest of the meal. “Is that the first time you’ve ever killed someone?” she asked over the running faucet water.

It was a question I should have expected but it still caught me off guard. She sensed my apprehension to answer.

“Sorry, I should have known better than to ask that after what you went through with your best friend.”

“This wasn’t the first time,” I said. And that answer seemed to be enough for her.

She continued washing the dishes but didn’t ask anything more. Sometimes I could read her face but today there was such a mix of emotions that I had no idea what she was thinking, except that she was very worried about her aunt. I picked up a towel to dry the dishes, but she took it from my hand. “You look so tired. Go get some rest.”

“I need to take a shower first. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and help.”

“I’m sure.”

I stood there for a second. Her silence was killing me. “Angel—”

She put down the towel. “I’m not upset about what you did. You were doing what my grandfather asked of you. And I’m the one that dragged you into this.”

“Stop saying that. You saved my life. This was all meant to be, remember? You and me were meant to be.”

“Just don’t judge me by what goes on in this place. Sometimes I feel like I don’t really exist, like I’m just a shadow that got trapped within the ugly walls.”

I took her hand. “As far as I’m concerned you’re the only thing that is real.” There were moments like this one when I contemplated telling her the truth, my truth. I’d convinced myself that her aversion to Dreygon’s lifestyle would lessen the impact. But I wasn’t ready. I knew I was being a fucking coward. I’d replayed the major confession in my head more than once. If we managed to earn some freedom, I planned to tell her long before we hit the main road. That way she still had a choice. It would destroy me but I would let her know first in case she wanted to turn back.

She leaned against my chest. “I’m just worried about my aunt.” A smile tilted her lips. “I guess if we’re locked in then we’ll just have to make the best of it, like two lovers being snowed in at a remote mountain cabin.”

“Now that’s what I call finding the positive in a bad situation.”





Chapter 9

Angel

Five days was long for Chance. The horse had pent up energy, which made cleaning his pen a little precarious. As usual, he followed me around as I mucked up after him, but instead of plodding behind with heavy feet, he trotted and occasionally reared up.

“Shit, I’m standing watch out here to make sure there are no snipers in the wilderness, but I’m beginning to think I should be in there,” Luke said. “That horse looks like he’s about to explode.”

“He just needs to get out. If I could just take him out there in the meadow and trot him around—”

Luke shook his head before I could finish my suggestion.

“You’d be like a sitting duck up there on that giant horse.” He turned and surveyed the surrounding landscape. There were plenty of trees and shrubs to hide anyone who might be out there. My grandfather had been unable to talk to Griffin since the incident. They were actually old friends who’d started out in the Hell club together as twenty year olds. Grandpa never talked about it much, but it seemed the two of them had done some pretty wild things together. Eventually, Grandpa went off on his own, and since then Griffin had always considered him a traitor. But they still had the mutual bond of being members of an outlaw club.

Several chickens squawked and fluttered their wings at each other, startling Chance. He kicked up and swirled his head around like a giant wrecking ball. I waved my arms to push him back.

“That’s it,” Luke said. He climbed into the pen and stood between Chance and me. He put the pistol in his waistband, held his arms up and waved Chance back farther. The horse wasn’t thrilled about having him in the pen, but I was able to finish up without getting a hoof print on my head.