“I need you strong for me right now,” Levi tells me. “I need you to keep searching for a house. I need you…to bury Dad.”
I can’t do this.
I can deal with a lot of shit, butnotthis. Mae and Ellie don’t even know yet. The idea of picking out the casket and music?—
“I got some money saved,” Levi chimes into my inner freakout. “It’ll take care of the month and a half rent that they’ll need for the house. I need you to keep moving forward. We need to get the girls back.”
“Lev—” He lightly grabs my hand and squeezes, silently pleading with me to give him this.
Except it’s a pipedream.
It’s not reality.
The longer my sisters are in the system, the quicker I lose them. If I can’t provide a place for them to stay and show that I’m a responsible adult who can provide for them.
I need to find another job—a legal one.
Fuck. I’m so fucked.
“Bay—”
“We need to get you out of South Shore. We have to leave.”
“I don’t want you on the run forever. I don’t want that for you.”
“There’snothinghere for me anymore but you and the girls.” I squeeze his hand, attempting to draw some of his strength into my veins. “I need you, Levi. I can’t live a life without you in it. This place is nothing now.”
His green eyes bore into me then, but it’s not in a glare or exasperation. But mirroring what I’m saying.
There is no existence without Dad. He was a pillar, one that’s fallen. But Levi is my foundation. And, without him, I can’t find ground to do anything. He needs me and I would give anything to get him out of here and break any number of laws.
“There’s a way out of this,” I state before Levi perks a brow. “One you’re not gonna like.”
“Then don’t mention it,” he quickly dismisses. “I need you to call Hot Rod. He’s gonna help with everything you need while I figure out?—”
“You can’t do anything while you’re here.Inhere.”
“No.” He shakes his head, already shutting down an idea he doesn’t know. “I don’t want you risking anything orgivinganything. We just need the girls.”
“And while that’s definitely the goal, I have to have you, too.”
Levi’s expression softens slightly, but he’s still determined to not hear me out. “Bay, I love you?—”
“Let’s go, Astor,” Muncy orders at my back. “Time’s up.”
“One more minute.” I hold out a finger but don’t bother to turn around and acknowledge him. Meeting Levi’s steel greens, I say, “I just gained a shitshow of problems with Torin and Matteo. Two men who don’t mesh well together. Torin dug up Judah…he confirmed that he’s dead.”
“He’sbeendead,” Levi leers. “So, where the hell is the confusion?”
“I dunno, but with that video, it apparently looks likeIdid it.”
“You don’t carry.”
“He doesn’t know that and it doesn’t matter. He’s literallyonit with me. He just took Ellie and Mae. There’s nothing he isn’t going to do. He’snotgoing to stop.”
“Did he say that?”
I shake my head. “No. I took his brother, so…”