Page 19 of Fight or Flight
Because here’s what I learned about Claire. She may seem like this delicate, non-threatening and sometimes clueless person to some, but she’s actually anything but. Yes, she is sweet and caring and loves to live in her headspace a lot. But she can be very strong-minded and fierce when something ticks her the wrong way.
Now, I move her tangled golden hair away to kiss her forehead before I slip out of the bed. She still has an hour before she needs to get up for school. Maybe I can surprise her with breakfast or something. This time without poisoning her, hopefully.
I pull on a pair of gray sweatpants, not bothering with a t-shirt, before I exit my room, closing the door behind me soundlessly.
When I get into the kitchen, I’m surprised to see Saint already up. He’s holding a steaming mug and staring at the window with a displeased expression on his face.
He’s so immersed in his thoughts that I don’t think he even noticed me come in, which is confirmed when I open my mouth at last, and he jumps in his seat as if ready to defend himself.
“You alright, bro?” I ask and eye him with real worry.
There’s something off about him. He looks like shit and not the hangover, usual type.
“No need to be so jumpy. It’s just me,” I say, and go to get some eggs from the fridge. My eyes still on Saint.
When he doesn’t answer, just gulps heavily and scratches at his unshaven head, I stop my movements.
“Yo, Saint. You okay?” I prompt him again, and this time, his eyes meet mine fully, making me apprehensive.
“I lied to you, Aidy. I lied to the whole gang, actually,” he admits.
“About?” I sit opposite him, the thought about the breakfast forgotten. I don’t remember my brother ever acting so somber.
“Shit, man. I didn’t know...” his lips close, and his jaw flexes. “You were right. I didn’t want you to be, but you were fucking right. And I should’ve listened to your ass. But I thought you were young and scared to do what needed to be done. Turned out that I was the one acting like a clueless bitch.”
When all I do is lift my eyebrows, he sighs and looks behind to check if we don’t have ears on us. Then he lowers his voice and leans toward me. “Things have been quiet. But you were right to say that they are too quiet after everything. Yesterday, after I dropped the merchandise, I swear I saw someone tailing me. I can’t be sure, but he had an undercover cop written all over him. You know the look.”
My eyes narrow on my brother, and I nod my head that I understand what he means when he looks around the space. The house could be tapped for all we know.
“Have you called him?” I say, barely under my breath, and Saint grimaces, suddenly unable to look me in the eye.
“What? Santiago, tell me what it is. If you can’t, then write it, whatever.”
“I lied to you. The boss... He went MIA after... you know. The last job you saw him at.”
“What? What the fuck are you talking about? That was almost three months ago, Saint! You told me everything was fine! Who’s been giving you orders, then?”
“I kind of have been getting rid of the um... Hoping to do everything we were supposed to as planned, so when he comes back...” He eyes the place again, looking for words that wouldn’t incriminate us even worse, and I want to laugh. If the cops are tailing him and that fucker we worked for is gone, then we’re already fucking done.
“What are you going to do?” I ask him, my mind already running a mile a minute.
Could I just grab Claire and run with her somewhere where this shit won’t touch her? Doubtful. She needs to finish school, and I don’t know if she would actually want to leave Bell Ridge. And where would we go anyway?
“Fuck if I know, Aidy. I haven’t even told the other guys yet. Maybe it’s a false alarm, you know? Maybe we’re meant to wait a bit longer. For now, I’ll tell the guys to lie low and stop the deliveries. You go to school and act like a normal teenager until we know what is going on. If the cops see us scurrying around like bugs from under a lifted rock, they’re gonna be on us. I need at least a week to think of a plan of how to get us out of this fucking town.”
“Fuck. Fuck, man. I told you this was gonna happen. And now...” My eyes go to the closed door of my bedroom, and Saint shakes his head.
“You got it bad, brother. I don’t blame you. The girl is cute. But next week, we’ll be outta here. So you better cut her loose before that.”
Cut her loose? My eyes snap to Saint’s, but I don’t see his usual mean smirk in place.
“Couldn’t she come with us?”
“Does she know what we do? Is she aware of the shit we’re in?” He questions, not unkindly, but it still sounds like accusations to me.
“She doesn’t,” I grit through my teeth, and he nods.
“If you can convince her to travel with a bunch of lowlife fuckers, to god knows where, then fine, she can come. I don’t care as long as she doesn’t become problematic. You would be responsible for her and need to provide or whatever. I don’t know if you want to subject her to our way of living, but that’s your choice.”