Chapter Forty-Seven Blake #3
Some fear crept in her gaze. She lowered her head once more. “Yeah. I know.”
Well, that was an easier stepping stone to start with—
She raised her head, determination gleaming back at me. Her chin was firm. “It’s why I’m here.”
I opened my mouth, surprised.
She continued before I could say anything else, gesturing to the hallway. “He’s got a rule. You know that? No minor girls can be approached.”
I closed my mouth on a snap. “What?”
“If we approach the gangs, the pimps, the dealers, that’s different. But if we don’t, we’re to be left alone. Anyone who breaks those rules are, well, you know what happens. They don’t show their face again. He did that. Neighborhood changed when he took over.”
“Creighton did that?”
She frowned. “I don’t know his name. They just call him Boss Lane or Boss Line.
Something like that. The psychopath one, right?
That’s what else they say about him, but everyone knows who you are.
” She began grinning. “When I realized that you were the same Blake that’s the Boss Line’s woman, I almost shit myself.
Crea thought it was so funny too. My sissie.
I told her, too, when I figured it out. I had to sit down in the bathroom, right there in the stall.
I was so shook up, I didn’t even get to the toilet.
Had to sit on the floor. Good thing I know you guys clean those floors or I would’ve shit my pants all over again. ”
Creighton protected the girls.
That was still rattling around in my head.
He did that for me. I knew he did. Or because of me. Because I’d been one of those girls.
He would’ve thought about it that way.
“He never told me,” I murmured, softly.
She grew quiet, angling her head to the side. “He didn’t? I’d think that’d be something he’d tell you right away. Make you feel good about it. You know?”
“No. Not Creighton.” He wasn’t like that. He didn’t do anything for credit.
“Anyways, you think you can help me and Crea somehow?” She shrugged at me.
“I mean, that’s the reason you asked me if I knew who you were.
Right? And why you told me you’d been a runaway too.
You were doing all that to say that you can help us out?
What are you going to do? You’re going to ask your boyfriend to help us somehow?
I bet he’s got people everywhere. Bet he could grease the wheels and get my sister in my same foster home.
” She quieted, but her lip was back to trembling again.
She sniffled. “You think he could do that?”
“I think.” I needed to decide. To ask for Creighton’s help or not. But what was I doing? Of course I’d ask, and Creighton wasn’t spiteful. He would help merely because I asked him.
A new wave of gratitude swept through me, heating me up again. This was a new consideration for Creighton because a lesser man would have held this over my head, but he wouldn’t. He would never do that to me. That’s not the kind of man he was.
His obsession was unconditional.
I flicked a tear away and ignored how Satya got suddenly quiet, peering at me intently. I stood up, and motioned for her. “Grab what you need. I can’t, in good conscience, let you stay here. Your sister won’t come back until tomorrow, right? She’ll go to her school?”
“At her sleepovers, I go and get her. We don’t have school tomorrow. It’s Saturday.”
Of course. I’d forgotten because part of my world had been turned upside down since I entered a certain warehouse. “Can you go back to your foster home tonight? They were in the center four days ago and acted as if nothing was wrong.”
“That’s cause they left on a short trip. They got an old woman to stay and watch us, and she’s blind as whatever can’t see. One of the kids covers for me. I don’t think the others will narc. You know how it is.”
Sometimes narcing wasn’t a bad thing, but I got it.
“You can sleep at your foster home tonight, and I’ll talk to Creighton.
Call me in the morning, and hopefully by then I’ll have instructions on the next steps to take, but, Satya.
” She’d started to pack her bag, but paused.
I said, “If you’re in a situation where you think the only next step to do is come back to a place like this, please call me.
I’m not a mandated reporter. You know what that means? ”
She moved her head up and down, almost shyly this time.
“That means I don’t have to report shit. Not yet. I’m more than okay with helping you with some back channels. Okay?”
Her tears welled up, and she had to blink a few times before they cleared, before she could speak again. “Cap told me who you were when you made sure Malik got home. It’s why her and I decided to give the center a shot.” She went back to packing.
I waited, thinking she had more to say, but no. She already said it.
Okay then.
I found some extra bags they had stuffed in a corner and began helping her pack.
We put as many of their items inside the bags as possible.
When I reached up to start taking down the stars on the wall, she stopped me.
“Leave ’em for the next people. I can make more.
” She stood up, after finishing rolling up her sleeping bag.
Our arms were full as we went down to the front door.
She didn’t look around before she ducked outside.
I did, glancing over to make eye contact with the guy who’d approached me. He flicked his fingers, lighting up a joint, and the flare of the lighter illuminated his face for a second. His eyes were sharp, but he was from the streets.
Another city, another corner, and things might’ve been different between him and me, him and Satya. But we were in this city, in this corner of this city, and it wasn’t. That was because of Creighton.
I stepped outside, starting to pull out my phone because if I was already going to ask Creighton for help, what would it hurt to ask for a ride as well? It was late, and I didn’t want to travel on the train with Satya and Crea’s personal items. Plus, that’d be a long-ass ride.
I didn’t need to, though. I shoved my phone back in my pocket.
A black SUV was parked on the street, and one of Creighton’s guys stood by the door. He nodded inside. “Boss called us in. Said you might need a ride.”
I expelled a sigh because he hadn’t given me space after all.
He just called in another watchdog for me, but as I bent down to climb inside, the guy added, “Just so you know, we arrived a few minutes ago. Boss said that’d be important information you’d want to know.
He also said to make sure you know that we’re not here for you.
” His eyes trailed to Satya. “We’re here for her.
We’ll help her however she needs. Boss said to let you know that he won’t have anyone killed, said you’d be real keen on that fact. ”
Well.
I . . . Okay then.
I was reeling all over again, and tried to sputter out a remark, but as soon as I climbed inside, he shut the door.
Satya laughed a little bit. “You should see your face. It’s the same look Shepherd gets on his face whenever one of us girls starts talking about our periods.”