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“I guess so.” My hand absentmindedly moves to rub the tattoo on my chest.
“Do you want some?” Lily asks, holding up a pancake.
“Sure.”
I expect her to break off a piece and hand it to me as I pour some more batter into the pan, but instead, she feeds it to me. I stifle down a moan of my own. Mum’s recipe isfoolproof. My tongue darts out to swipe against my lips, her eyes tracking the motion. She tucks her hair behind her ears–her gaze never leaving mine–and I find myself leaning forward.
“This looks cosy.”
My brother’s voice is like a bucket of cold water pouring over me, and I stumble back, dropping the spatula. I mutter a curse under my breath as I bend over to pick it up.
TEN
LILY
HARLEY JUMPS BACK from me as if he’s been burnt, and the spatula clatters to the floor. A tall guy with a dark crew cut and eyes as blue as his brother’s steps into the kitchen behind us, a small frown forming on his lips.
“Hi,” I squeak out, offering him a wave as my cheeks heat up. “I’m Lily.”
“Tom,” he replies, looking to Harley for explanation.
“Lily’s going to be crashing here for a while,” Harley says, placing his hand on the middle of my back. “Come on, I’ll get the spare bedroom made up for you.”
“Sorry?” Tom offers me a tight smile before eyeing his brother and gesturing to the living room. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Later. I’m tired.”
“Now, Harley.”
“It’s fine,” I tell him. “I need to use the bathroom anyway.”
“Down the hall, second door on your right,” Tom says, pointing.
“Thanks.”
I take my time, wondering if Tom thinks I’m some hook-up his brother has brought home with him. Although, something tells me that Harley’s not the one-night-stand type.
Five minutes later, there’s a soft knock on the door, and Harley calls out. “When you’re ready, I’ll show you your room.”
I quickly splash some water on my face and take a few deep breaths. The reality of my situation finally catching up with me. I don’t know Harley. I don’t know Tom. They don’t know me or my past. Me being here puts them in danger if I’m found, but I have nowhere else to go. I pull my wallet out and check it. Thirty-five dollars. Not even enough for another bus ticket.Shit.
Another knock. “Lily? Are you okay?”
I tuck my wallet back in my pocket, paste a smile on my face, and open the door to find Harley leaning up against the frame.
“This was a mistake,” I say quietly, following him into a bedroom further down the hall. “I don’t want to cause trouble with your brother. I’ll leave tomorrow.”
He dumps my bag on the double bed and turns to face me, his face impassive. “Where are you going to go?”
I shrug. When I took off, the plan was to go north. I guess I’ll just hitchhike. I’m sure wherever I end up, I canfind a job that pays cash. But for some reason, I’m hesitant to tell him any of this. It’s only going to bring up more questions.
“Do you have any money?”
I left Sydney with a couple hundred dollars that I’d managed to find lying around the house. I couldn’t use my credit cards because they’d be able to track me. Declan knew exactly what he was doing when he cut off any source of cash income I had access to. It was just another way for him to control me. I also didn’t have time to sell off any of my jewellery. I needed to get out of there before I ended up dead.
With the cost of the bus ticket, the prepaid mobile phone, and the motel I stayed in last night, I’ve got nothing left. My silence tells him exactly what he already knows.
He palms the back of his neck. “Look, it’s not much, but you can stay here until you figure out your next move. Tom’s fine with it. My bedroom is next door if you need anything.”
