24. Vortex
TWENTY-FOUR
VORTEX
“If you’re looking for Seven, I saw him with Havoc,” Connie says as she approaches me. She scrunches her nose. “Is that weird? Knowing your boyfriend is off with some other person? Should I pretend you’re his only partner?”
I chuckle. “You don’t have to pretend. It doesn’t make me jealous.
” No, I’m usually relieved to know he’s with someone else.
Before Seven, I’d never thought about sharing a man with anyone else, but everything had fallen in place.
My partners have accused me of being suffocating, of asking too much, but with Seven, it doesn’t even feel like it’s enough .
At least this way, I always know he’s safe — and more importantly, happy.
Connie bumps my shoulder. “So, why are you here, if not for Seven?”
Here being near the theater. This is the entrance Connie usually takes, since it’s closer to her hotel room.
“I thought we could go to your place and pick up your remaining stuff,” I say. “You’ve been complaining enough about how you’re short on clothes and you’re missing your material goods.”
Connie rolls her eyes. “I’m not missing my material goods . I’m missing the comfort of knowing where everything is and having what I need immediately at hand. Don’t get me wrong, this life of luxury isn’t bad, but…” After a few breaths, she says, “It’s not mine , y’know?”
“What do you mean?” I ask warily. I have a few suspicions on where I think she’s going with this, and I don’t particularly like them.
Connie gives me a crooked smile. “It’s been a few weeks. I’m feeling a lot better. No more headaches, no more jumping at shadows. I think I’d like to move back to my own place.”
If she goes back to her own place, though, I’ll be the one jumping at shadows, always worried that the next call I get will be that something’s happened to her. At the hotel, I know she’s safe and secure, but out there, the Lockwoods remain a threat.
I can’t explain that to her. It would mean betraying Seven’s trust, and in addition to that, it would probably make the shadows return to her eyes.
“You could stay a little longer,” I hedge. “I think we almost have the situation figured out.”
“Nah. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I really want to live my own life again.” Connie takes my hand. “So, instead of helping me bring stuff here, let’s grab my few earthly possessions from the hotel room and get me back where I belong.”
I want to refuse. Everything in me is screaming at me to refuse.
I need her to be safe. She’s my only family.
I have Seven, but it’s not the same thing.
I’ve spent my entire life protecting Connie, even before our parents died, and the idea that I might fail her is more than I think I can immediately handle.
I squeeze her hand. She’s an adult. She deserves her own space. “Okay,” I say quietly. “Let’s go back to your room.”
I hesitate once we’re in her room. She packs up quickly, and I’m surprised at how clean the hotel room is. She hasn’t covered it in her MLM goods, and there aren’t any clothes stacked anywhere.
Connie closes her suitcase and rolls it over to me. “Okay! I’m ready to check out. Lead the way, concierge,” she says with a smile.
I can’t bring myself to smile back. “I’m not going to argue, but before you go, we need to talk about what happened.
” She seems about to protest, but I shake my head.
“Not about that part. But about the part where we— the police still haven’t found the people who took Seven.
Now you’re on their radar, too. I don’t want you to have to be paranoid, but I need you to be very, very careful. So can you do a few things for me?”
Connie tilts her head. “Why would I be on their radar? I mean, it sucks for Seven, and I do like him and don’t want anything bad to happen to him, but isn’t it better if I’m not here to get caught up in the crossfire?”
I hesitate. I don’t know if I can tell her. I don’t know if it’s right to tell her. But at the same time, I don’t know if it’s right not to.
“They can’t get to you here,” I say slowly. “But they will do anything they can to hurt Seven. If they think he cares about you, they might decide to target you. I’m not saying it’ll happen, but I need you to agree to a few things for me, okay? Just… indulge me, all right?”
“Yeah, okay,” Connie says, and although I’m relieved she gives in so easily, it worries me, too. Connie is usually a lot more stubborn than this.
I wonder if she understands how bad the situation is or if it’s only that she’s that determined to return to her normal life.
“So… I want to set up a security system for you. Double locks, outside camera, et cetera. You can have an app on your phone to control all of it. I want you to start carrying something with you — mace, a taser, fucking bear spray. I don’t care.
Something. I need you to pay careful attention to your surroundings.
It’s only until they catch his…” I hesitate, not sure what to say.
“Well, I’m not paying for all that,” Connie says, but her smile is more brittle. “You’ll handle it, right, Sebby?”
For some reason, that stings. “Do you really think I wouldn’t?” I ask. “Connie, I don’t—” I refrain from making the sort of frustrated sound that’s ready to escape. Maybe I do need to tell her the truth. “You know Seven’s situation is bad, don’t you?”
“It was a joke,” Connie says, more serious. “I know you would. I just thought I’d put you at ease if I acted like normal.”
I can’t help but laugh at that, strained as it is. “You’re never normal,” I tell her, reaching out to tousle her hair. “Thanks, Connie. I know I’m overbearing, but I can’t stand the idea of anything happening to you.”
“The same goes for you, you know,” Connie says with a pout. “You’re the only family I have left, Sebby. Don’t do anything that makes me cry into my mac and cheese, okay?”
I chuckle. “We tried a new recipe for mac and cheese,” I tell her. “It came out so bad. Even Seven could barely pretend it was okay, and he’ll eat anything.”
“See! And you doubted my method.” Connie rolls her suitcase again. “So, are we going? If I’m lucky, no pests have taken up residence in my apartment while I was out.”
“Here, let me get that,” I say, taking the handle of the suitcase.
She rolls her eyes, but she lets me have it.
I lead her toward the door, hesitating at the threshold. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little?—”
The look she gives me is telling enough, and I sigh.
“All right. We’ll stop at an electronics shop on the way to your apartment, and I’ll get everything I need to set up your security system,” I concede.
We stop by the front desk to return the keycards. Traffic this time of day is light enough that we have no trouble picking up what we need, and Connie makes jokes the entire way.
“You’ll have to patch any holes if I ever move out,” Connie says as we carry everything to her place. “The landlord will kill me if he thinks I’m devaluing the place.”
“Extra security is never a bad thing for the value of a place,” I tell her. “But yeah, I’ll fix it.” I juggle the bags and her suitcase, refusing her help even though it makes her tease me all over again.
Once we get everything inside, I get to work unpackaging everything, determined to get it all set up before I leave. If she’s going to insist on staying here, I’m going to do everything I can to keep my baby sister safe.
“Are you good on rent?” I ask her carefully when I’m done setting up the camera on the outside of the door. This isn’t the time to criticize her for her life choices or push her.
“Yeah,” Connie says. “Can you believe they paid me to carry a few things around? But I’m ready to get back to selling my stuff. TerMa’s been on my case to increase my downline, and I got bumped down a grade. Ylona even yelled at me because I wasn’t being supportive enough, and…”
My entire body is tense, and I have no idea what I should say to her. I need to be supportive, and keep her safe, and if that means giving her more money to peddle this hobby, I’ll do it.
Connie looks at me with a tired expression. “This is the part where you try to convince me to get a real job, Sebby.”
I can’t help but feel guilty at being called out, but she’s not wrong. “Did you enjoy working at the casino at all?” I ask, feeling as weary as she looks.
“It was okay.” Connie lowers her head so I can’t see her expression. “I don’t want to do it forever. But…” Her shoulders start shaking, and I quickly shut the door behind me so nobody can see her.
“Connie,” I say, stepping closer. “Hey, whatever’s wrong, tell me. I’ll fix it.”
“God, you’re so annoying,” Connie says. “I know you’ll fix it!
I don’t want you to fix it! I should be fixing it myself!
But I know I can’t, and you’ve been letting me do whatever I want!
I know you’ve got this whole thing about taking care of people but maybe you should take care of yourself too, Sebby? Don’t be such a doormat!”
Her words startle me. I’ve never thought of myself as a doormat before, and I disagree with her now.
“Wanting to take care of people doesn’t make me a doormat,” I tell her.
“Wanting to take care of you doesn’t make me a doormat.
Wanting you to have a life of your own without worrying about money—” I cut myself off.
Maybe I am a doormat, at least where she’s concerned.
“I mean, apparently it includes letting me get scammed for years!” Connie shouts. “Yes, I know it’s a scam, okay? You can say it. I’m a stupid cow who got tricked by some con artists and kept getting tricked because they sold me air and dreams.”
“You are not a stupid cow!” I snap back at her. “Don’t you ever fucking say anything like that about yourself. Did you make mistakes? Sure. But we all do, Connie! Do you think I don’t make mistakes?”
“Nobody ever scammed you out of all your money!” Connie says. She rubs her eyes and takes a few steps away from me. “Nobody ever made you feel like such a fucking idiot.”
I smile, but there’s nothing humorous about it.
“Just because I haven’t told you about it doesn’t mean it’s never happened.
I’m glad you think so highly of me, but I fuck up regularly.
” I think of all the times I’ve screwed up with Seven, all the times I’ve screwed up with others I’ve dated in the past. I sigh.
“Connie, I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you have ideals that you’re not willing to compromise on, and I admire that.
But yeah, I do think it’s time to take a breather from these things and focus on building a stable life for a little while, whatever that means for you. ”
“I applied for a receptionist job,” Connie admits quietly. “It kind of felt like admitting defeat, but… Well, you can’t save me all the time, Sebby. I have to work on myself too.”
“It’s not admitting defeat,” I tell her, stepping close to her and opening my arms. I don’t want to force a hug on her, but I want her to know I’m open to it. “I’m proud of you, sis.”
She rubs her eyes, then steps into my embrace. “Yeah, yeah. You always say that.” Connie squeezes me tighter. “But maybe you can tell Caleb to have his mob friends take care of those TerMa scammers or something.”
I laugh at her joke, even though internally I wonder if that’s something Caleb and I can actually do.
Probably best not to entertain that thought for long. I’m getting a little trigger happy these days, partially out of frustration and partially out of a sense of helplessness.
“Don’t tempt me,” I say anyway. I squeeze her back. “Where’s the reception job at?” As much as I hope it’s at the Roi de Pique, I know better. With my luck, she’ll have applied at the Club of Clubs or somewhere equally awkward.
“It’s um, a non-profit.” Connie steps away from me.
“Their office is three blocks away from here, which is why I applied. The less commuting I have to do, the better.” She smiles at me.
“The pay isn’t super great but it’s better than losing money.
I still can’t guarantee I won’t need help with the rent. ”
I’m not going to suggest getting a roommate again. I don’t think she’d retaliate by calling her pathetic ex again, but I can’t be sure. “Okay,” I say. I slowly let out a breath. “If that doesn’t work out, we can figure out another place for you to try. We’ll get through this.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Sebby.” She looks around the apartment. “You want to stick around for dinner? My freezer pizzas should still be safe.”
I laugh. “Sure. One of us needs to learn how to cook eventually, you know.”
“I can cook! I have no ingredients right now, is all!” Connie protests with a laugh.
I’m so happy none of these experiences have robbed Connie of her laughter.
I’ll need to help Seven so he can laugh this easily too.