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“Maybe caffeine wasn’t the best idea,” Jade says with a smile. “What’s your plan from here, Teagan?”
I shrug. “I’m so overwhelmed about everything that I can’t think straight.” Everywhere I look, there is something that I’ve never seen before. My mind’s chaotic as I try to shuffle through things. Sure, I’m not all that ignorant to things. I’ve seen cellphones and even know how to use them. I also know what cars are. Lola taught me about a lot of things growing up. Looking back now, the things she taught me were the most important things for me to learn.
“It’s understandable,” Kelvin says. He’s someone I can’t make out. He’s being sweet with me, but I can see the underlying anger in his eyes. It’s like he’s holding it back, letting it bubble under the surface. “I understand that you don’t want to tell us what happened in the clubhouse, but I do believe you’d benefit from talking to someone.”
Yeah, that’s never going to happen. I can’t and won’t talk about it.
“You were held captive for almost twenty years, Teagan.”
“Not all that time was in the basement,” I tell him. That only happened when I turned eighteen. Four years. I’m grateful that was all I had to endure.
He rolls his eyes and sighs. “Semantics, woman.”
My lips twitch at his words. If he wasn’t so confusing, I could like him. He’s funny.
“Alright,” Jade says. “If you won’t talk to someone, what are you planning on doing?”
I stare blankly at them both. Surely, they can’t be this I and believe that I’d tell them what my plans are. “I don’t know,” I semi-lie. “Where do I even go?”
“You can either stay with me,” Kelvin says, and I recoil in horror. God no. “Or we can put you up in an apartment. Fully paid until you find your feet.”
No way. “I can’t,” I whisper. I can’t do that. No. I won’t be indebted to them more than I already am. I couldn’t live with the thought of owing them something. Or even worse, them thinking they can take whatever they want because they have helped me.
Jade sighs heavily. “Look, Teagan, right now, I’m not comfortable leaving you alone in a city you don’t know.”
Kelvin nods. “I agree.”
Jade reaches for my hand and squeezes it tight. “You’ve been through so much already. We just want to keep you safe. That’s all we want.”
I pull my hand free of hers, pissed that I’m in a position where I’m fighting against everything I want to do with what others want me to do. “You have no idea what I went through. You have no damn clue as to what happened.”
She licks her lips. “That may be so, but I can guess,” she says softly, her voice low so only I can hear her. “I went to prison. I was there for five years, and for those five years I was repeatedly beaten and raped. It hurts. Even now, I can feel their breaths on my neck, and they’re all dead.”
My heart aches. I hate that she’s felt what I have. “How did they die?” I ask her, wanting to know if they got what was coming to them.
She smirks. “I love revenge, and let’s just say mine was sweet.”
She murdered them. I knew the moment I saw her that she was a killer. “I’ll never be able to get that, though, will I?”
She glances away and shakes her head. “No, you won’t.”
I get to my feet. It’s time to leave. “How do I even know they’re dead? Hmm? How do I know that you got them all? As far as I’m aware, the only man you took from the clubhouse was Crunk.”
“There was no one left,” she tells me.
I shake my head. “That’s not good enough. How can you be so certain? How can you be so sure that you got every single brother? If you didn’t, then guess who they’re coming for?”
I walk quickly away from the table and out of the coffee shop door. I don’t look behind me. I know they’ll follow. There’s no way they’ll let me escape. My feet hit the sidewalk hard and heavy as I push my body to run. I need to get away. I need to find a way to escape them. I notice an underground parking lot up ahead and quickly glance behind me to see if I can spot Jade and Kelvin. They’re just leaving the coffee shop now. I push harder, wanting to put enough distance between us.
I dart into the parking lot and run toward the back of it, where I crouch down behind a car. I have the perfect angle to see if they’ll come in here. The darkness is something I’m used to, so I’ll be happy to stay here all night if it’s what it takes to ensure that I’m safe and they won’t take me. I keep my breathing even, not wanting the sound of my breaths to give away my position.
I wait. Minutes tick by, but there’s no sign of either of them.
I can’t be sure that they’re not just holding back, waiting for me to make a move, so I wait it out even longer, while also giving myself time to recover from running.
When darkness starts to fall, I make my way out of the parking lot. The streets are still filled with people, and I hope that I’ll be able to blend in. I walk around the city, watching everyone closely, keeping an eye out in case Jade and Kelvin are still out here.
I stumble across a shelter. There’s a queue of people waiting outside, and I’m hesitant to join it. What if someone in need of a bed doesn’t get one because I’m here?
