Well, shit.
“Uh-oh.”
I spun around to the voice. “Oh, shit. I…um. Just give me a second—”
Macy held up her hand. She was dressed in black pants and a huge football jersey with Garfield stepping on Odie’s neck on the front. I was pretty sure the original cartoonist hadn’t sanctioned the shirt. Especially since the iconic dog’s eyes were zombified and Garfield was carrying a bat that looked eerily like the one Neegan carried from The Walking Dead. “No need. It’s how we became friends.”
I frowned. “What?”
&nbs
p; Macy shook her head and did a light step around Rylee, taking the knife and jar of peanut butter jar out of reach. When my girl went for a canister of sugar, Macy cursed. “I swear she’s getting better at this.”
“You know about this?”
Macy shifted her armful of kitchen accessories to a shelf behind her. “Yep.”
I looked around. “How did you know she was…” I was completely at a loss.
“Cameras. I have them on a sensor trigger for my little felon.”
“And you’re not freaked?”
She laughed. “Nope. I did some reading up on it. Evidently, you’re not really supposed to wake them up if you can avoid it. Just kind of steer them back to bed. Since we’re not exactly close to her bedroom, I’m gonna have to wake her up.”
“Should I do it?”
Macy looked up at me, then tilted her head. “Hmm.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but Rylee was starting to make a little keening sound that snapped my attention back to her. I crossed to her. Just as I was about to touch her arm, Macy cleared her throat. I looked back at her.
“I wouldn’t.” She waved me over to her. “Supposedly, a loud noise from a distance is the best way to wake them. Gives them time to get orientated.”
It went against every instinct inside me, but I backed up to stand beside Macy. “You know a lot about this.”
She shrugged.
“No other details?”
“Not my story to share.”
I huffed out a breath. “How many times—”
“Ask Rylee, not me.”
I locked my hands behind my neck. I didn’t like feeling helpless. The longer Rylee bounced from counter to counter in confusion, the more upset she got.
I slapped my hand down on the counter beside me.
She stopped moving.
I did it again, and she swayed.
“Fuck this.” I crossed the space in two strides and caught her against me. “Hey, you.” I kept my voice soft.
She looked up at me, her eyes soft and sleepy. “Gage?”
“Yeah, baby. It’s me.”