I see her melt slightly at my touch but the stubborn set in her jaw remains.
“We should do things together,” she replies firmly, “I can take care of myself. Who are you going to see, anyway?”
“You’ll see,” I reply vaguely. “No time no explain but don’t worry. Stay here, I’ll be back tonight to move Ethan.”
Before Ana can object again, I turn on my heel and walk out the door. Not turning around, I half expect her to follow me and don’t know how to feel when she doesn’t.
The morning is broken over the horizon and the first few townspeople are awake. There won’t be long until that militia member is missed, and I know my time for walking around town unmolested is limited. A man who looks like me tends to get notice, whether they associate me with Ethan or not.
After last night, the urge to run is strong, but my own stubbornness keeps me to the plan.
On silent feet, I make my way through the early morning streets and straight toward the jailers’ accommodations. I can only fucking pray our deal stands after last night.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ana
Isit at the window watching as the streets wake up. My abs hurt from being sick so much and my stomach hasn’t entirely settled. Fortunately, Sammi seems fine tending to Ethan’s wounds. Where she learned such skills, or why, I don’t want to know.
“Where did Axle go?” I hear Sammi ask behind me
“My guess is he’s seeing if the guards will still help when the time comes. He’ll want to get to them before The Watch does,” Ethan replies.
My mind wanders as I little to them chat. Emilio and his men are elsewhere in the house and I find myself drifting off with my head against the cool glass of the window.
I’m woken some time later by a shout, a cry for help outside. I jump, immediately on edge until I realize it’s come from outside. Peeking out the window, my eyes widen as I take in the scene before me.
The Watch has clearly discovered Ethan’s breakout.
Several of the militia are questioning people along the streets. I note a man with a bloody nose and a woman crying as items are tossed out of her home. A search, perhaps.
I see one Watch member as he shouts something and smacks a small child aside as he passes. The fury rises inside me when I see it’s Omer and I don’t stop to think before I rush through the house and out the front door.
“Omer, are you okay?” I ask as I lean down to help the boy pick up his fallen snack tray.
“Yeah—”
“No reason to help the scourge, m’lady,” a voice says from behind me. My teeth clench as I turn but I do my best to keep the utter animosity off my face.
“I see no scourge here, just a young boy being abused while trying to make a living.”
The man narrows his eyes at me and takes a step forward.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Maybe instead of picking on weak children you should go fuc—”
“Penny! There you are,” Emilio’s voice rings out from behind me. I don’t take my glare off the man in front of me, even as Emilio pulls me to his side possessively.
“This your woman?” the militia man asks, sneering at me before turning to Emilio. “Quite the fucking mouth on this one.”
“Ah, my apologies sir. The soft hearts of women, am I right?”
The man glares at me once more before looking back to Emilio.
“Keep a fucking handle on her, or next time I won’t be so forgiving.”
I don’t listen as Emilio rattles off more lies while I instead continue to help Omer, who is watching the entire thing with wide eyed fascination.