I raise my brow. “I’m not willing to pledge a donation when I can’t assure my girl’s safety and education.” I move to stand, and Gunnar and Calix are so in tune with me, they rise as well. “I don’t have time to wait until next year.” I make a point to run my hand over my extended tummy.
Anita pushes her chair back and rushes to say, “I think we can make an exception. You are a legacy, after all.”
Chapter 23
“Ican’t believe she pretty much gave us free rein of the school because she wants our money. Our kids would never come here,” Gunnar grouches.
“They wouldn’t anyway,” I remark.
“I know, it just pisses me off. Why the fuck do people even have kids just to ship them off for someone else to raise?” Gunnar’s comment hits a little too close to home. I don’t have an answer for him, but I completely agree with him on the sentiment.
“Where should we go first? It’s still early. I don’t want to interrupt a class, plus we wouldn’t get any answers from the girls then anyway.” I glance down the quiet halls as memories of how lonely I was here assault me.
“Let’s look at the facilities first, like the gym and pool,” Calix suggests, and points in the direction of the sports annex.
“How are we going to question the children?” Gunnar’s eyes are scanning the entire place as if he’s considering every security lapse, and there are plenty. I know from experience.
“Lunch will be our best bet, the commons outside is where most of the girls used eat.”
We spend a few hours walking around, nodding at teachers and students who give us double takes. Gunnar’s mood sours with every passing minute. “Well, now we know the witch wouldn’t have any problem infiltrating the school. All he would have to do is flash a little cash and this place would feed him the girls on a fucking platter.”
I reach for his hand as we make our way back toward the main school building. Instead of using the path we came on, I take a shortcut through the area near the dorms. My heart rate picks up the closer we get. “Dirty magic,” I whisper. The closer we get to the buildings where the girls sleep and spend their free time, the stronger the sickly feeling gets.
“I feel it,” Grim murmurs.
“Is he here?” Calix nearly growls.
“I don’t know. I just know someone is doing magic over there.” I point toward the dorms.
“Let’s keep going,” Gunnar says. “We can sneak back in tonight—it’s not like it will be fucking hard—and get some answers.”
“Should we still talk to the kids at lunch?” I’m more than willing to admit they know how to approach this better than me.
“Yeah, keep the questions about the school, but see if you can find anyone tainted with the magic.” Gunnar tightens his grip on my hand. It’s a solid plan. If we ask too many questions it might frighten Antonio away, or at least have the girls warning him we’re asking around.
“Maybe I should see if I can find Boogey and ask if he knows anything else?” I suggest, already knowing Gunnar is going to hate the idea.
“How would you find him?” Calix gazes down at me.
“When I lived here, all I had to do was hang my foot or hand over the bed. If he wasn’t busy, he would be there.”
“Busy doing what? Crawling up someone else’s skirt?” Gunnar mutters.
I swat his chest. “No, and slow down. I have to pee again.” My hand is still trapped inside his, so he’s damn near towing me along.
“Sorry.” He slows immediately. “If you hadn’t swallowed a basketball, I could carry you.” He stares down at my protruding belly and gives it a sweet caress.
“That’s not a basketball, it’s gallons and gallons of jizz,” I quip. Calix snorts so hard I think I see spit or snot go flying.
Gunnar tugs me to his side and gives me a sideways hug. “You’re so romantic.”
I smile up at him, because he no longer looks like he’s going to murder some unlucky soul who happens upon us. “What can I say? I’m a giver.”
He swats my ass and starts walking again. I can tell by the set of his shoulders my joke helped lighten the mood, which makes me feel good.
The shortcut feeds us right to the commons outside the lunchroom. The weather is cool enough that I worried the girls would all be inside, but I needn’t have. I forgot just how desperate they would feel to get away from the staff, so a little cold weather isn’t a deterrent.
The girls don’t hide their interest in our group. Almost every eye in the place is trained on us. It makes me feel a little better. If these girls were afraid, they wouldn’t make it so obvious. Even with us strangers among them, they still feel safe here.
