“Might just do that. I think she’s due some luxury,” Sin said.
Vicious burst out of the apartment building a few feet away at a run, hooting and hollering happily.
He noticed Feral still there, and ran over, grabbed him, lifted him up off the ground and laid a big ole kiss on his cheek. “I’m going right now! I’m going to get Kim and we’re going to pick up our Jeep! We got a red one! Thank you, Feral!” He set Feral down and took off running through the middle of Alliance on his way to go get Kim, wherever she was. He yelled excitedly at everyone he passed. “I got a red one!”
Sin was laughing so hard he wiped tears away from the corners of his eyes. “I don’t think he knows how that sounds to everybody he’s shouting it to,” he said between laughter.
“And from the looks on their faces, they’re thinking the same thing you are,” Hail said, laughing hard herself.
“Lord! Alright. I’m gonna let y’all go and I’m going to find my Celia and show her your place. I have a feeling we’ll be moving right in. We’ll save the guest bedroom for you if you ever decide to come visit,” Sin said.
“Enjoy,” Feral said.
“Oh! One more thing… I’m going to shift both your phone lines under my name.
“Why?” Feral asked.
“I already did it with Frenzy’s. Surprised he didn’t call to ask why his phone showed my name on it. Anyway, simple truth is if anybody tries to fuck with your access to anything, my name is the first hit they’ll get and they’ll back off and go look elsewhere or come to me. It’s just another level of protection, and keeps your phones from being wiped by the powers that be. You may not live here anymore, but you’ll always be part of our forces, part of our population, and I won’t leave any of our peopleunprotected. It just makes sense for your own safety to be able to access information only we can if and when you need it.”
“I appreciate that. But don’t you think multiple lines will be questionable?” Hail asked.
“I’m a busy male. I have a lot of shit to do and lots of phones to do it with,” Sin said. “Now, y’all get the fuck out of here. I gotta go convince my mate she wants to move into Feral’s apartment.” He smiled at them, and started down the walk toward his house at the opposite end of Alliance. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard the Jeep start, and paused for a second to wave at them.
They were both smiling as they waved at him and the Jeep slowly moved forward.
Then he just stood there, watching until they’d made the turn and were headed toward the first checkpoint leaving Alliance. “Godspeed my friends, and lots of it.”
Chapter 27
Half an hour after Feral and Hail left Alliance, Sin was walking past the admin building again, this time with Celia, her hand tucked safely in his.
“Are you sure? I mean, we’ve always lived in my place,” Celia said.
“I know, love. But part of that was because it was yours and you were secure there. It was special to you because it was the first place that was really yours. And all I wanted was to be with you, I didn’t care where. The rest of it was because it was close to the clinic and you had to be there often. You’re healthier than I am now and don’t need to be so close anymore. Let’s look at something new, luxurious. Bigger! I think you’ll love it.”
“I’m not saying no, but I’ve got so many memories wrapped up in our house.”
“If you really don’t want to move after you see it, then I’ll let everybody else know it’s available. But it’s the only one in the building open now that Feral has given it up. I don’t know how long it will be until another opens up.”
“We could always move into the building on the other side of the pool if we really wanted a new place and this one is gone,” Celia said.
“True, but have you seen the apartments there?” Sin asked.
“Yes. I visit Ginny there all the time.”
“Have you seen the apartments in this building?”
“I can’t say that I have.”
“I’m not saying these are nicer than Ginny and Brutal’s building, but… it’s nicer than Ginny and Brutal’s building,” Sin said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with Brutal’s building — it’s nice, too. Everybody lives where they live for a differentreason. Case in point, your attachment to your place for your own personal reasons. Brutal’s because he likes to look over the pool. But this place, Celia, it’s like something out of a magazine. And you know I have to give you the best of everything.”
“Then why didn’t you insist we move there before?”
“You weren’t ready, my love. And I’m not about to force you to do something you don’t want. But I think you’re ready now. Take a look and we’ll do whatever you want, including stay where we are if that’s truly what your heart wants.”
“Okay, I’ll look,” she said, smiling up at Sin and blushing when he leaned down and kissed her quickly, not even breaking stride as they walked.
As they passed the Admin building, Sin slowed to a stop when he saw Tawny waiting there. He looked down at Celia, then back at Tawny.
