Page 41 of Pretty Monsters

"It's Raven."

"That sounds better. Suits her."

"Do you trust her brother? Because I don't."

"I used to. I need to go and see if he is still on her side."

"He hurt her, that can't be ignored."

"It won't be."

Carmen comes around the corner, and we stop talking. "I don't know what is going on exactly, and I don't want to. I deleted the video of you entering the building, and it's off right now. I'll turn the system on again after you leave. I won't let her be found through me."

She hands me a detailed list of instructions. "She can sleep, but I want her woken up every two hours. If she gets disoriented or starts vomiting she needs a hospital. Protecting her won't do any good if she dies of a hemorrhage."

* * *

Raven fallsasleep on the short drive back to the apartment. Carmen wasn't able to give her anything more than ibuprofen, so sleep is the only escape from what must be a horrible headache. Instead of waking her up, I decide to carry her into Ford's apartment. It also gives me a chance to scope it out.

As soon as we enter the courtyard we see Lucien pacing at the base of the stairs. He steps forward, but Ford moves to stand in front of us.

"This is your handiwork?" Ford accuses.

Lucien manages to look appropriately guilty. Not that Ford needs the confirmation. The two of them could pass for twins if he wasn't three years older than her.

"How is she?" he asks me.

"She has a concussion, no thanks to you," Ford speaks up.

Lucien bristles at Ford's interference, but keeps silent.

"Raven," I whisper to her, encouraging her to wake up.

Her eyes blink open, and closes again. "The light hurts."

"I know, princess, but I need you to go with Ford. Then you can go back to sleep."

She refuses to open her eyes, so I pass her over instead. "I'll be over soon," I warn him. He doesn't argue, so I encourage him to go.

Once they are inside and I hear the locks click, I turn to Lucien. "Upstairs, now."

"So now you're giving the orders?" he says. He's still pissed at me, but I'm done with him acting like a little bitch.

"We aren't getting into this down here."

He throws his arm out toward Ford's place. "Seems like everyone knows now anyway. Shit, did you think about how much danger you put us in?"

I ignore him and head up the stairs. It goes against everything in me to turn my back on him right now. My senses scream he's a threat, but I need to get him alone before he says too much where others can hear.

"Okay, we're alone," he says after he joins me in the apartment.

"She needed medical attention. What option did I have? I took a chance that the team Ford plays on had someone on staff, and they would help. It worked. He knows, but he's not going to tell his roommates, and yeah, he knows what's at stake if she is exposed."

"You're putting a lot of trust in a stranger, brother."

"I trust him with her a lot more than I do you at the moment."

"I didn't mean to hurt her!" he shouts.

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