Page 93 of Off the Rails

“No.” I lifted my chin and walked past her.

We’d lost so much in the years since we stumbled into the park, hiding from cops and religious freaks. No education, no friends or family besides each other, no society.

It was her fault we were like this.

And I was going to win Fright Night and make Tess pay her penance.

53

TESS

I was starting to worry that I would wear a hole in the soles of my new shoes from walking so much.

The last thing I’d wanted to do was sit still in the Freaks apartment. Especially after what happened a few days ago.

I’d been trying to steer clear of all three of them after realizing they’d known me the entire time I’d been staying at Feverpoint.

But that was a surprisingly tall order despite how massive the amusement park was.

I’d been walking the acres and acres like a monk on a mindfulness retreat. Every corner and edge became second nature as I memorized each nook and cranny of the entire place.

One thing had become incredibly clear, I needed to win Fright Night. That $40k prize would be enough to pay off my debt and run for the hills. Clearly, I couldn’t trust my three captors.

They’d lied to me.

Or at least omitted the truth.

But everywhere I walked, one of the Freaks was always waiting. Always watching.

They didn’t engage or insist on talking to me. All they did was watch.

It was pissing me off.

Today, I was hoping to get a lay of the land in Superhero Central. It was one of the few places I hadn’t been to as a kid — a late addition to the park that held rides primarily for adults.

As I studied the massive fake movie theater, I peeked inside the ticket booth. There was a small door off to the side, one that looked unlocked.

Reaching out my hand, I was just about to press on it when a voice came from behind me.

“Boo.” Nash’s low rumble drew my eyes away from the potential hiding spot, making me jump.

“Jesus fuck.” My heart dropped into my stomach.

A slight smile played at the corners of Nash’s stoic face. “Sorry, Sweet Lamb. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Right.” I licked my teeth and leaned against the ticket booth. “What do you want? I’m kind of busy here.”

“I know, studying. Can’t get away from us fast enough.” Her voice said it was a joke but her gray eyes said otherwise.

I can’t believe it’s really her.

The coqui on her arm made more sense now. I remembered how proud of her Puerto Rican heritage she had been, especially after losing her parents in a car accident.

“Spare me a few minutes?” Nash walked closer, holding out her hand to me.

Pushing it away, I shook my head. “No time.”

Another step closer, Nash’s broad shoulders were starting to box me in. “I promise it’ll be worth it. You can go back to studying after.”