Page 35 of Manacled Hearts

“I’m not buying all of these.” I hold the items like they burn me.

“You don’t have to. Just try them on. At least now you know where the store is,” she says, shrugging.

Before I close the dressing room door, I turn to her and Lulu. “It’s not stubbornness, by the way. Getting back on my feet is more about Maya and my responsibilities back in Fleeton than it is for myself. I will search for a job and start saving as soon as I figure out the logistics about my sister.”

I close the changing room door before either of them can continue this conversation. There’s no debating this plan. Pulling my clothes off, I’m happy when I notice the gauze is still neatly in place and there’s no blood seeping through from the shallow wounds. The first thing I try on is a pair of tight black jeans and a thin, oversized knitted sweater.

“Childcare for Maya can be arranged.” Morrigan raises her voice behind the door and says, “I believe that a certain mother of the group would be happy to help. But you can also enroll her in school here.”

I know she’s referring to Mamaw June and I don’t disagree.

“I want to enroll her, but I can’t.” I crack the door and peek through so I can whisper, “She was enrolled in Fleeton under a slight misspelled name. Intentionally, of course. But that doesn’t mean that CPS, and probably the police if the school alerted them of a missing child, couldn’t make the connection. More importantly, I don’t have custody of her yet, and I won’t risk going on the radar until then.”

“I think all that can be sorted. I’m sure The Sanctum has some resources at their disposal,” Loreley says in a lowered tone.

I’m not sure what she means by that, and as intriguing as it sounds, accepting more help from them is off the table. At least until I’m convinced it doesn’t come at a cost. No matter what, it has to start with custody, and I can’t even begin to fathom how incredibly difficult that will be.

“A job can be arranged too. I could always use the extra help,” Loreley adds.

“Maddox and Finnigan will kill us if we bring her in Metamorphosis,” Morrigan counters, as I close the door back up, to try on more clothes.

I scowl at the sound of that. What does Finnigan have to do with this decision? I can do whatever I want to do. But, what’s Metamorphosis and why shouldn’t I be there?

“Christ, babe, no. I meant the café,” Loreley says, laughing.

“Aaah. Okay, yeah, that makes more sense.”

“That’s kind of you, but it’s okay. I’m sure I will find something,” I say.

“It’s up to you. The offer is there.”

Loreley basically offered me a job. Just like that. Though accepting it wouldn’t be any different from taking their money.

Or maybe I’m overthinking this too. After all, Loreley isn’t part of The Sanctum, is she?

CHAPTER 7

EVELYN

It’s lunchtime when I get back to Katya’s place with three large bags and a shiny new black card that Morrigan threw in one of them. She gave me a warning glare that told me she was gonna bite me if I dared return it, then said it’s not hers, anyway. I haven’t touched it. It’s Maddox’s for sure. It looks exactly the same as the one he tried to give me at the ice cream place.

Jay helps me with the bags as I walk in, opening the door for me, but I stagger when the living room comes into view. It’s not Katya I find sitting on the couch with Maya.

What the hell is Finnigan doing here with my sister?

My steps toward them quicken, but I stagger when I see Katya in the kitchen, calm as she potters about. Feigning a relaxed wave to her takes effort, but it’s the strained smile she puts on in response that confuses me. I don’t stop to ask her about it, because I’m curious about the intense conversation my seven-year-old sister is engaged in with a man twenty years her senior. The back of the sofa faces me, and they don’t appear to see me coming.

“Evie told me that some of the other books are for older kids, but I still want to read them.” I hear Maya’s little voice.

“I may be in favor of breaking the rules once in a while, but she’s right with this one, sugar. I read them when I was older than you.” His gaze drifts to me. He knew I was here all along.

I’m sorry, what? Finnigan Hennessey is talking books with my sister?

My sister turns too and jumps and squeaks when she sees me, rushing toward me with yet another great big smile on her face that I didn’t put there.

“You’re not going to believe it, Evie! Finnigan likes Jules Verne, too. We’ve been talking about the one I’m reading now, and he said there’s another one I will love when I finish this one—Treasure Island. Can you get it for me, Evie? Please? It has pirates!”

My eyes widen, lips parting as I creep back to the entryway on uneasy steps, pulling out of one of the bags I came with exactly that—Treasure Island—a second-hand copy I bought from that little bookstore.

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