Page 63 of Shield and Savior

Again Alana smiles at him, and I can’t tell what side of her is real. “Great job, Champ. Go meet me in the car.”

She glares at my family. “I’m dropping you off in town. Take an Uber home. Izzy, you’re with me.” She shoots me an apologetic look. “I promise I am doing everything in my power to keep you safe.” She heads for the garage door. “You’ll be off the grid for a little while.”

The phone buzzes again, and she bounces on her toes standing on the threshold between the kitchen and garage. “You and your kid, stop texting Lance. Your phones could be compromised.” Before any of us can say anything, the door slams shut, and the garage door creaks open.

True to her word, she drops Donnie, Dad, and Joey off at a diner. I don’t think my dad’s ever taken an Uber before. Once they’re gone, she says, “Tomorrow I’ll let you see Lance. He’s been a miserable asshole without you.”

It hits me, maybe both sides of her are the truth.

ChapterThirty-One

Izzy

It’s the headlights I notice first. My stomach knots.

The new house is nicer than the old one. A little smaller and homier, and there’s hidden tech everywhere—even the fridge is connected to Wi-Fi. While the other house had sort of a farm kitchen feel, like it was designed by a company, this one has darker wood cabinets, and light-colored countertops and fixtures gives this place a cottage core vibe.

Is Lance with them? More importantly, did I put on deodorant this morning?

I fail the sniff test and head to the bathroom to get ready. I leave when I feel satisfied with the woman in the mirror. Her hair isn’t a knotty mess, her lips are shiny. Leggings and one of the cuter shirts I packed finish the ensemble. Just enough to make it effortless and casual, like this is how I always look.

Now, I wait.

I feel like my whole adult life I’ve been waiting for something, something unknown and hazy and out of reach. But since coming home, the layers of that haze have lifted. And while I still can’t see clearly, I know I’m getting closer.The garage door opens, and Drew pushes past me.

“LANCE!” Drew sprints from the kitchen and throws his arms around Lance. My heart twists again. I know I missed him, but I didn’t realize how much he meant to Drew. The instant smile that makes the whole room brighter appears on Lance’s exhausted face.How can someone appear so good and so rough at the same time. His skin has a sickly pale sheen, making the dark circles under his eyes more prominent.

“Hey, Champ. How’s it going?”

“Awful. I’m readingWhere the Red Fern Grows,and I don’t think these dogs are going to make it. And Specs only plays the Kidz Bop versions of songs and won’t stop for Slurpees.”

Lance flinches. “Which we don’t do because we can’t eat or drink in the company cars.”

Drew blinks for a second and continues in a slower and more practiced tone. “Yeah, I know. I’m just saying it would be super cool if Specs did do that. Not because it’s something we’re used to, but because it’s a cool thing to do.”

Alana steps from behind Lance. “Good save there, kid.” She seems tired too, and she’s wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Did she go back to the office? The hospital? Did she even sleep?

“Are you coming to Family Day?” Drew asks. He’s still standing very close to Lance but speaking to Alana. “Maria is supposed to be singing a song about a tree.”

Alana grins. “I’ve got two god kids in that play. And you think I’d miss the chance to watch Ian make horse sounds on stage? Never.”

She walks to the kitchen, and we follow. Alana moves around the space like she’s lived here her whole life. Finding plates and the stash of cheese in the fridge, she cuts small blocks and arranges them into a smiley face.

Today she seems a lot less threatening than she did the last two times I met her. I can’t tell if this is fake, and she’s doing it to make everyone feel safe, or if she’s in a good mood. “Hey Champ, why don’t you go grab your new PlayStation from the car, and I’ll help you set it up. Maybe I’ll even let you give me a tutorial on Minecraft.”

Proud to have a job, Drew rushes off, popping a cube of cheese in his mouth.

Once the three of us are further away, Lance snaps, “Two fucking weeks.” Lance runs his hands through his hair.

“You’re fucking lucky it’s only two weeks.”Apparently they were in a heated debate before they got here.

“But why? You need me.”

“Do you want the reasons in alphabetical order or relevance? You know what? You don’t get a choice.” Alana counts on her fingers, “One, after a traumatic event—like a resuscitation—no agent is allowed to return to the field until they get a psych eval from Dr. Gate. And since she’s in Texas for two weeks, you’re going to have to wait. Two, you violated basic protocol and put yourself at risk by not carrying the medkit. Three, you were released from the hospital two hours ago. Four, you’re being an asshole, and between Majesty, Izzy, and various other death threats landing on my desk, I’ve got too much to worry about without adding you to the mix.”

Death threats? Me? I swallow, and the motion is not unnoticed by Alana, who starts to rub her temples.

“Two week’s suspension—paid. And I don’t give a shit what you do.”

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