warmed my ear. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Chapter 12
‘You squeaked.’
We were sitting eating some bread and cheese bought from a farm. ‘My knee hurt, okay?’
‘Oh, right, okay.’ Stuart smiled. ‘I’ve been thinking.’
‘There’s nice.’
‘We could skip the Craffid and train plan, and steal some fuel from somewhere. Ride the bike the whole way. What do you think?’
‘They’ll be looking for the bike. I bet they’ve already got in touch with other counties telling them to watch out for us. And fuel stations have high security.’ Without the right paperwork even five grand couldn’t buy us fuel.
‘I meant steal from a farm or somewhere not a fuel station. I’m not a complete pancake.’
‘Still too risky. Besides, that bike makes my arse sore.’ My backside was about the only bit of me that didn’t ache after my beating and I planned to keep it ache-free. ‘I vote we stick with plan A.’
‘Fair enough. I suppose risking another theft charge would be a dumb move in any case.’
When Stuart rolled over so easily I got the impression he’d only suggested the idea so he could let me have my own way. I’d seen Joe use the same trick on his lady-friends, as he liked to call them. He’d let the little lady of the moment make a few minor decisions so when something major cropped up he played at being all super reasonable, But honey, you’ve had your way all the time lately. Now it’s my turn. He’d go gooey eyed, bat his lashes in mock flirtation and simper. Just this one teeny thing. Trying to make them laugh. I swallowed. Well, I wasn’t going to let Stuart do it with me. Not that he simpered and his face looked pretty much expressionless. But I didn’t want him to start playing games with my head ― we needed to focus. We had to find those kids and get them home, not only for their sakes, or Stuart’s, but for mine. Call me selfish, but I had to get back into Joe’s good books. I needed the resistance group like I needed my blood. I knew nothing else and had nowhere else to go. What started out as a way of keeping my hopes alive for promotion had now escalated to my keeping my home and Joe, the only family I had left.
I broke little bits of bread off a loaf and eased them to the back of my mouth past my split lips and aching teeth. ‘I wish you’d got soup,’ I said.
‘Do you want me to go back and ask? They might have some. Or ice-cream might be good.’ He looked at me, straight-faced.
‘No. Stuart. I don’t think it would be a good idea to draw any more attention to ourselves, do you?’
He shrugged. ‘Suit yourself. Stop moaning if you don’t want me to fix it.’
Fair point. Annoying though.
We counted the money. Stuart handed two big bundles over to me. ‘In case we get separated.’
I held them in my lap. ‘I need to shop for some new gear. I’ve worn these clothes for days and they’ve got blood all over them.’
‘You girls and your shopping.’
He wore all the latest trends. He used shops where people like me couldn’t even get through the door and he had the cheek to roll his eyes at me. ‘You think I look fit to travel, do you? Blend in? With all this blood and crap all over me?’
‘It suits you. The urban fantasy look.’
‘Don’t be a dick.’
He scoffed and stood up. ‘You are so touchy sometimes, do you know that? I was having a laugh. You do know what one of those is, don’t you, Atty? It’s where people try and look for the bright side in life.’
I stood too. ‘Not all of us have a bright side. You and your let’s give Daddy a ring for Five. Frecking. Grand.’
‘I’m scared too, Atty.’
‘Yeah, you would be. But I ain’t. I’m fine, thank you very much.’ I sounded a proper twonk.
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. ‘It’s easier to be angry than afraid, I get that. But …’
I held my palm in front of his face. ‘Don’t you dare start your educated psycho babble on me.’
He stopped.
I
Chapter 12
‘You squeaked.’
We were sitting eating some bread and cheese bought from a farm. ‘My knee hurt, okay?’
‘Oh, right, okay.’ Stuart smiled. ‘I’ve been thinking.’
‘There’s nice.’
‘We could skip the Craffid and train plan, and steal some fuel from somewhere. Ride the bike the whole way. What do you think?’
‘They’ll be looking for the bike. I bet they’ve already got in touch with other counties telling them to watch out for us. And fuel stations have high security.’ Without the right paperwork even five grand couldn’t buy us fuel.
‘I meant steal from a farm or somewhere not a fuel station. I’m not a complete pancake.’
‘Still too risky. Besides, that bike makes my arse sore.’ My backside was about the only bit of me that didn’t ache after my beating and I planned to keep it ache-free. ‘I vote we stick with plan A.’
‘Fair enough. I suppose risking another theft charge would be a dumb move in any case.’
When Stuart rolled over so easily I got the impression he’d only suggested the idea so he could let me have my own way. I’d seen Joe use the same trick on his lady-friends, as he liked to call them. He’d let the little lady of the moment make a few minor decisions so when something major cropped up he played at being all super reasonable, But honey, you’ve had your way all the time lately. Now it’s my turn. He’d go gooey eyed, bat his lashes in mock flirtation and simper. Just this one teeny thing. Trying to make them laugh. I swallowed. Well, I wasn’t going to let Stuart do it with me. Not that he simpered and his face looked pretty much expressionless. But I didn’t want him to start playing games with my head ― we needed to focus. We had to find those kids and get them home, not only for their sakes, or Stuart’s, but for mine. Call me selfish, but I had to get back into Joe’s good books. I needed the resistance group like I needed my blood. I knew nothing else and had nowhere else to go. What started out as a way of keeping my hopes alive for promotion had now escalated to my keeping my home and Joe, the only family I had left.
I broke little bits of bread off a loaf and eased them to the back of my mouth past my split lips and aching teeth. ‘I wish you’d got soup,’ I said.
‘Do you want me to go back and ask? They might have some. Or ice-cream might be good.’ He looked at me, straight-faced.
‘No. Stuart. I don’t think it would be a good idea to draw any more attention to ourselves, do you?’
He shrugged. ‘Suit yourself. Stop moaning if you don’t want me to fix it.’
Fair point. Annoying though.
We counted the money. Stuart handed two big bundles over to me. ‘In case we get separated.’
I held them in my lap. ‘I need to shop for some new gear. I’ve worn these clothes for days and they’ve got blood all over them.’
‘You girls and your shopping.’
He wore all the latest trends. He used shops where people like me couldn’t even get through the door and he had the cheek to roll his eyes at me. ‘You think I look fit to travel, do you? Blend in? With all this blood and crap all over me?’
‘It suits you. The urban fantasy look.’
‘Don’t be a dick.’
He scoffed and stood up. ‘You are so touchy sometimes, do you know that? I was having a laugh. You do know what one of those is, don’t you, Atty? It’s where people try and look for the bright side in life.’
I stood too. ‘Not all of us have a bright side. You and your let’s give Daddy a ring for Five. Frecking. Grand.’
‘I’m scared too, Atty.’
‘Yeah, you would be. But I ain’t. I’m fine, thank you very much.’ I sounded a proper twonk.
He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. ‘It’s easier to be angry than afraid, I get that. But …’
I held my palm in front of his face. ‘Don’t you dare start your educated psycho babble on me.’
He stopped.
I
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