Page 120 of Gambler's Conceit

I’ll have to go back to doing that until I can get cash again.

My hands shake as I splash water onto my face.

I have nothing again.

No backpack, no money.

No Nacho.

The idea of leaving Nacho with a monster like Caleb has me letting out another harsh sob, but he’d seemed to treat Miss K well.

He might not care about people, but at least he cares about animals.

Caleb.

I’ve been avoiding thinking about him, but now that he’s in my thoughts, I can’t get him out of them again. I break down all over again, thinking about how I’d fucking trusted him. I’d given him so much of myself, and he’d sold me out—and for what? Money? He has plenty of it. Why would he need to do that?

It doesn’t even make sense, but then, rich people do selfish, cruel things all the time.

Someone comes out of one of the stalls, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, and I startle.

“You okay, kid?” he asks gruffly.

Instinct tells me that offering to blow him in the middle of the bathroom isn’t going to get me anywhere, so I nod and paint on a smile. “Just had a bad breakup,” I tell him, which isn’t even far from the truth. I let out a breathless, fake laugh. “I’ll get over it.”

Satisfied, he washes his hands and leaves the bathroom.

I stare at myself in the mirror, hating what I see.

She would be fucking furious to see me like this.

But I’m not supposed to care what she thinks anymore. I straighten my shirt and leave the restroom.

I’ll stop by the food court to see if there’s easy food there. I’m not hungry, but I know better than to waste the opportunity to eat. If I’m lucky, I’ll find somebody in need of easy company. If not… I’ll just keep going. I can’t stay here for too long. With how connected Caleb is, I don’t believe anywhere in Calamity City is safe.

Going to the bus stop right away is stupid, though. That’s exactly where they’ll expect me to go. Maybe a truck stop would be better, if I can find one. That’s where I’d found most of the people who’d been willing to have me along.

They’d been quick to tell me they weren’tfags, but time away from their wives and families had made them more than willing to take what they could get.

They’re all disgusting, but… I need someone disgusting right now.

The food court isn’t as crowded as I would expect, although for all I know, this mall doesn’t get that much clientele. A half-eaten burger on a tray draws me closer, and I don’t even care that there’s ketchup smeared all over. I wrap it up in the wrapper and grab some napkins for later.

People are milling about, nobody paying me any mind.

I’ve made a mistake, though.

A crowded place like this lets me be anonymous—but it also means it’s easier for my pursuers to hide, too.

I catch a glimpse of Vortex, tall and overbearing. He stops to look around the food court, and I immediately duck down.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I can’t let him see me. If he does, he’ll drag me back to Caleb… and Caleb will hand me over to Raymond. I need to get out of the food court. I need to get out of the mall and back out onto the busy streets. I’d needed the chance to get clothes and food and regroup, but turns out, it was a bad idea.

How had he found me here?

I start to carefully make my way through the edges of the lines, trying to blend in. I’m just about out of the food court when a hand grabs my wrist.

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