Page 47 of Sinful Secrets

Talitha

I stretch and smile to myself. I move my hand to feel for Khan but all I feel is an empty space. My head snaps up and I see he's not there.

“Khan,” I call out but I am only met with silence. I get up and pull on my robe to go in search of him. The club is quiet and I walk into the kitchen to see Rose stood there, drinking a cup of coffee, stood in just an oversized T-shirt. Her gaze comes to mine and she smiles.

“Morning, couldn’t sleep either?” she asks.

I look at her with confusion. “Where is Khan?” I ask. She doesn’t answer straight away, she sighs and mutters something to herself which includes a fair few curse words.

“Here, have a cup of coffee.” She hands me a cup. “I'm guessing Khan didn’t tell you, and the bastard just crept out of bed in the middle of the night…” She pauses, shaking her head. “They have gone to take out the cult.”

I put down my cup and shake my head. “Why didn’t he tell me?” I ask.

“I'm guessing he didn’t want you to worry,” she tries to reassure.

“But when did they leave? It has been hours,” I point out. That’s when I see the worry in her face, and she nods.

“Yeah, they left just after midnight. It’s been eight hours,” she states, looking at the clock.

I pace the kitchen, a bad feeling gnawing in my gut. “That’s not good, right? I mean, it’s not even that far away. I don’t like this at all, something isn’t right.” I panic. Rose grabs hold of my hand.

“We wait, it’s all we can do. We don’t interfere. We don’t know the details of what they were up to. We wait, we stay strong and when they return, we greet them and let them know just how much we love them.”

“It doesn’t feel right. He shouldn't have gone; he was still healing. What if something has happened to him? I didn’t get to kiss him or say goodbye.”

“Stop thinking like that, you cannot ever think like that. You need to stay strong. Now come on, as the VP old lady, it is your duty to set an example to the rest, get changed and come back and help me make breakfast for everyone,” she orders before pulling me in for a tight hug. “They will be okay,” she whispers, but I'm not sure if she was telling me that or reminding herself.

* * *

After getting dressed, I help Rose out in the kitchen, and the other old ladies join us to help. Raven and Trudy help out whilst the others are with kids, trying to entertain them.

“Seriously, how much longer? Because it’s like a damn zoo out here.” Firecracker sighs, sticking her head through the door.

“Five minutes, and sing some songs or something, entertain them,” Raven suggests.

“Sing some songs? Sing some songs? Do I look the damn Wiggles to you?” They all burst out laughing. I just smile, not getting the joke, wondering what the hell a wiggle is.

We serve up the food and the kids are practically savage, grabbing it with their hands and shovelling it in their mouths like wild animals. “Um, is it always like this?” I ask Rose.

“Oh yeah, when there is a lockdown it’s like they gang up on us. They out number us and play us like damn fools, making us feel bad because we’re in lockdown. Clever little sods.” She smirks.

After we clear up, we take the children outside to the play in the play area and hopefully to burn off their energy. Every time a truck drives past, I turn my head and wait to see if its them. It never is.

“They will get back when they get back,” Raven says, coming and standing beside me.

“So everyone keeps telling me.”

“I hate to say it, but sometimes no news is good news, trust this old lady.” She winks.

I smile and nod, and she goes to help a child climb the slide. “You need to smile,” a little voice says beside me. I look down and see Maddie, Firecracker’s daughter, staring up at me. I smile and crouch down to her height.

“Is that better?” I ask.

She smiles and nods. “Yes! That better. Do you want to know a secret?” she whispers into my ear. I nod and wait for her to tell me. “I'm a real pwincess. People here know I'm a pwincess, and Axel told me that I'm a really real one, but I'm not to tell any of the other kids or they will get jel-us,” she states seriously. I laugh and kiss the top of her head.

“Your secret is safe with me,” I promise. She smiles and then skips off to something that’s more fun and interesting than talking to me.

Soon the day passes and the children––well, at least some of them––are starting to tire. Once all the children are asleep in bed, Raven comes to Khan’s room. “Come on, you’re not staying sat in here on your own all night, worrying.” She grabs my hand and drags me behind her to outside where the fire-pit is burning, Rose and the others sat around it.

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