As a lad who’s not paid to be agreeable, I dig through Justice’s lies. She drops another bomb that goes by the name of Lance. Some guy she says sang in the choir whom Marcus promoted to be a secular singer, and the bampot feared success—who the feck knows or cares? By this time, I’m not listening to her story. I’m waiting for tears to fall onto her tits so that I can return to my imagination.
“Long story short,” Justice shares, “Lance changed. Marcus gave Lance drugs to take the edge off. He OD’d once on drugs. The first time, I think it was an accident. But one more time is all it took. And that wasn’t an accident. Everything, it was all too much for him . . .”
Fat tears slide down Justice’s cheeks as she recalls the dead nugget she once loved. What fool would hurt her? My wrath turns to Chevelle. Do something. Leith’s wee bride pats Justice’s back. Wit the feck is that? It’s condescending.
I get up from the table, grab a couple of napkins, and bring them to Justice. Our eyes connect for a fraction of a second. For a single moment, I desire more than just to own her for my pleasure.
“I’m okay.” Justice’s voice wobbles. Smiling faintly, she takes the offering.
“Ye’re, uh,” I clear my throat, “gonna have to tie it all together for me, for us. Why are ye running from the guy?”
Justice sniffles, continuing her story. “Marcus said I nagged Lance. Marcus demanded that I give him a hundred grand for him priming the city for Lance, money spent on promos. The drug dealer turned producer had mismanaged it all.”
My jaw tightens while Justice explains that Marcus beat her da and had her parents paying him from their retirement. She’s been working to pay off the dead lad’s debt for over five years.
Voice strained, Justice says, “I still owe him about twenty grand. The odd jobs I’ve taken aren’t much help.”
“Ye don’t owe him another dollar.” My words startle even me. If ye ain’t blood, I’ll not fight for ye. Hell, I’ll not spit on an innocent lad engulfed in flames. I didn’t last this long giving a feck about a human whose last name ain’t MacKenzie. But before I can stop myself, I tell Justice, “Ye’re coming with us.”