“Why? Why did he kill your parents?”
She licked her bottom lip, dredging up memories she swore she’d never talk about. But now seemed the right time. Marlin had never pressured her before, but now the need to spill was overwhelming. She gripped his skinny fingers.
“I can’t remember all the details.” She swallowed. “I just remember that my dad was really scared and he told me to go and hide. This man…the guy from tonight…he turned up at our house. He tortured my mother and then killed her in front of my dad.” She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the image of her father’s floppy body away. “He wanted me too and started calling my name, but Dad fought back…” Her breath hitched. “He fought back and was shot.”
“Who was this guy?”
“I don’t know his name. I don’t know anything about him, except…”
“Except what?”
Lucy licked her bottom lip, her body trembling as she glanced up at Marlin. “He called himself an officer of the law.”
The shocked silence didn’t just ascend into the room, it dropped like a nuclear bomb. Lucy turned away from Marlin’s pale face.
“No wonder you’re so afraid of cops.”
“How can you be so sure he was telling the truth?” Shorty’s soft voice made them both jump. He was standing on the edge of the room. Lucy didn’t even hear him come back in.
“I guess I can’t, but it felt like the truth. My dad worked for the FBI. He wasn’t an agent or anything…just an analyst. But even though he didn’t do field work, he still had reason to be scared of this man.”
“Do you think it was his boss or something?”
Lucy pressed her bottom lip into a tight line and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d never seen him before, but Dad kept me away from his work. I just assumed he was a cop…a really powerful one, but I don’t actually know and I don’t want to. I just want to lay low and stay out of law enforcement’s way. I don’t care if he’s FBI, LAPD or a freaking US Marshall. I don’t want him to find me.”
“Do you think he recognized you?”
She flinched, looking up at Shorty. His hard expression had softened, his dark eyes swimming with a look she’d never seen before. Sympathy maybe?
With a slow swallow, Lucy shrugged. “I don’t think so. His eyes didn’t flicker with any kind of recognition.”
“Your swift exit may have made him suspicious.”
Closing her eyes, Lucy dropped her head into her hands. Tears were swarming to break free, but she held them tight. Marlin rubbing slow circles over her back wasn’t helping. She lurched off the couch. “So what do we do now?”
Shorty sighed, sliding his hands into his pocket. He looked from Marlin then back to Lucy. “It’s time for a change of scenery. It’s too risky staying here now.” He rubbed his long fingers across his bottom lip. “I’ve been doing some research in the San Francisco area. They have some pretty wealthy schools across that bridge.”
“Schools?” Lucy frowned.
He stepped towards her with a grin. “I think it’s time, Miss Cyan, that you start acting your age.”
She swallowed. “And what would I do while acting my age?”
“Oh, I’m sure we can come up with something.” He chuckled. “Those gullible rich kids and their mummies and daddies have plenty to give away to lovely souls like us. Don’t you agree?” His black eyebrows lifted and his white teeth shone. “I have a few cons I’ve been researching. I think we can pull off a trick or two that will score us some decent cash.”
The gleam in his dark eyes made her stomach swirl with dread.
Lucy looked away from him and caught Marlin’s grin. “Don’t worry, Cy. I’ll take care of ya.”
She nodded, forcing a smile. San Francisco. Yes, good. If it meant she wasn’t in the same city as that blond man, then that was exactly what she needed.
“San Francisco it is,” she whispered.
Chapter 16
ZACH
May 2014
“Hey.” Dani’s voice was sweet and chipper as she greeted me.
I closed my locker with a grin. She looked adorable, standing next to me with a test paper in her hand. I saw the 98%, circled in red and I thought she was going to bust out of her skin. Her smile was so huge, her blue eyes dancing.
“Congratulations.” I took the Sociology test from her and scanned the pages to see where she might have beaten me. Miss Berry’s comments on her essay section were glowing.
“So how’d you go?” She bit her lip and I was struck by the fact that I was looking at Dani. Not - I can’t tell you where I live, Dani - or - I have deep dark secrets you’re not allowed to know about, Dani - but the real deal. Her face was flushed with triumph, her smile open and free.
“I got a 91.”
“Yay.” She squeezed my shoulder, bouncing on her feet.
“You seem pretty excited. Don’t you get marks like this all the time?”