Fiona toyed with the salad in her bowl. “I don’t think I can go back to school.”
Kelan nodded. “Why not sit out a few days and make up your mind then?”
She nodded, still pushing her food around.
“You know, everyone here was worried to death about you. They’d love it if you came out of your room and visited with them. Maybe go sit in the sun, or talk to the girls.”
“I will.” She looked up at him and smiled, but the gesture was so fleeting that it left him feeling hollow.
Kelan stood up. “I don’t know how long we’ll be. Don’t wait supper for us if we’re not back.”
Fiona’s eyes widened. “You’re sure it’s safe for you to go back?”
“Perfectly. The FBI is all over that place.”
She stood and faced him. He pulled her into his arms. “When you’re ready, we’ll do something fun. We missed your birthday. I still have your gift to give you.”
She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “I don’t feel much like having fun. Maybe we should just skip this birthday and wait for next year.”
Kelan rubbed her back. “We could do that.”
*
Walking with Val toward the salon that afternoon, Fiona enjoyed the sun’s heat on her face. The girls in the tunnels had lived with very little natural light for months and years. She thought of the other girls in the brothel. They could see the sun but not go out into it.
Val wrapped his arm around her. “Wanna talk? I’m a good listener.”
Fiona shook her head. “Not yet. I’m still trying to process all of it. What I saw, what happened.” She looked up at him. “My father’s like a cancer, isn’t he?”
Val considered that then shook his head. “No. He’s more like a tropical virus that until now has existed in a closed, controlled environment. But that environment has been ripped open, exposing him and spreading his disease rapidly. We’ll get him, Fiona. We’re closer than we’ve ever been, thanks to you.”
Someone moving toward them on the sidewalk caught his attention. Fiona felt him tense. It was a young woman. She looked Goth. No, that wasn’t quite right. She looked like a Goth fairy. She wore two camisoles, the outer one a pale aqua, the other peach. A wide, studded black leather belt hung low over her hips. Skinny jeans ended with black Army boots. A long finger held a black leather jacket over her shoulder. A coffee cup was in her other hand. Her makeup was impeccably applied—no, it was more like she’d sculpted her face with tones and colors that perfectly complemented her outfit. The smoky shadowing around her eyes made their pale green color pop.
Val had stopped walking and was grinning at her.
Fiona stopped too, but kept close to him. The girl didn’t miss the fact that Val didn’t step away.
“Ace,” Val said.
She nodded at him, then her gaze sliced toward Fiona.
“This is my friend, Fiona.” Val touched her long hair. “We’re going to get her extensions removed.”
A small smile touched Ace’s mouth. Fiona watched as her brows lifted. “Oh. Ohhh. Uh-huh.” She grinned as she met Fiona’s gaze. Her entire demeanor changed. Fiona looked up at Val to see if he caught the shift. After the mind game Stacey had played on her, she was much more observant. Maybe that was fallout from all that had happened, a scar that would always color her world. She hoped not, but once you saw things you didn’t pick up before, you could never go back to not seeing them.
Val was still fingering her hair as he looked at Ace, who chuckled and went around them.
Ace turned around, walking backward. “Hey, Val. I’m going for a hike up on Bobcat Trail Tuesday. Want to come?”
“What time?”
“One?”
He nodded. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot.”
Ace looked happy. “Nice meeting you, Fiona. Good luck with your hair!”
Fiona waved. “Thanks, Ace. Have fun on the hike.”
Val gripped Fiona’s arm and started forward, but Fiona didn’t move. “What?” he asked.
Fiona lifted a brow. “You like her.”
Val tilted his head and frowned. “Fee, have I ever met a female I didn’t like?”
“Don’t play it down. You like her.”
“So?”
Fiona frowned. “She thinks you’re gay.”
His brows lowered and the humor left his face as he glanced back at Ace. “No. And I’m not.”
“I know you’re not.” Fiona gave him an exasperated look. “But you’re missing the point.”
“Which is?”
“She went from standoffish to friendly as soon as she decided you were. Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll find out on our hike.”
Fiona started down the sidewalk. “I hope you’ll let me know how it goes.” Val’s mood had darkened. She smiled, trying to cheer him up. “How is it that you know about removing hair extensions, anyway?”
“It’s a long story.” He looked at her disappointed face. “But the short version is that I worked at a salon the last two years of high school.”
They’d reached the shop. He opened the door, putting an end to their conversation, which was a shame, because now she really was curious.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kit and Ty went upstairs for a break. They took glasses of iced tea outside to the patio. “What do you make of Bladen’s library?” Kit asked.
Ty looked into the distance, burying his gaze in the hills beyond the lawns of his yard. “I think whatever it is, it’s older, bigger, and better organized than we ever thought. And given all the languages represented in the library, it’s not confined to the U.S.”
“True that. It’s going to take a while to get through all the documentation and start putting the pieces together.”
“I’d like to see Rocco given the lead on this.”
Kit dipped his head as if thinking about, then tossing, that idea. “Not sure about that.”
“He’s sick to death of monitoring social media accounts for whispers of insurgency.”