Page 32 of Burn

“Soon as we relocate,” he promised. “If Voodoo doesn’t get you a phone, I will. You have my word.”

It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear. “What if…” I didn’t want to even finish the thought.

“Well, let’s assess it this way,” Lunchbox said, his gaze steady. “If she is or was also a target, chances are, she ended up in a similar place as you.”

That made me sick to think about it. Am would not do well. She would never stop fighting.

“Stay with me,” he ordered in a gentle tone. “The people who took youwantedyou. They wanted you alive and in one piece. Right?”

That was true. The man in charge wanted me far more specifically, but it hadn’t been abuse he rained down on me.

“The five-man team at your placealsowanted you alive and whole. They were going out of their way tonothurt you. Because it probably would have been a lot faster for them to take you if they hadn’t cared about your condition.”

“I’m not sure that’s as comforting as you might think it is.” Because it meant if they’d taken Am, she could be suffering right now.

“I’m not trying to be comforting at all.” Direct, no softening the words or his tone. I appreciated that. “I’m laying this out. If they have no reason to kill her and every reason to keep her alive, it gives us time to find her and rescue her.”

Time for her to suffer. I folded my arms again, needing self-soothing. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because that’s what we do.” He said that like it was the most natural thing in the world. “For now, all you can do is take care of yourself. We’ll find her.”

“I want to believe you,” I said. “I really do.”

“But you don’t know us well enough to trust our word.” Again, it wasn’t a question.

“Let’s be honest—Lunchbox—would you believe me if I gave you my word about something important? Like, would you believe me if I said I’ll help you find Alphabet?”

He canted his head to the side, his sober expression deadly serious. “I don’t know,” he said, finally.

For some reason, that answer,helped. Because understanding seemed to kindle in his eyes. “So, you see my position?”

“I do. I can’t change your mind with a word, only with actions. Right now, we can’t do anything more than make sure you continue to feel better. That means you need to eat and hydrate.”

“I’m not really hungry,” I admitted.

“Then you don’t have to eat very much. I think you should try to eatsomething.”

Since the other option was stay in here and stare at the walls, I nodded. “I can try.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He opened the door for me and I snorted.

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Alas, Gracie,” he said, putting a hand over his heart. “I live to push my luck.”

The corners of my mouth twitched. I almost wanted to laugh at the very dry, and very droll way he delivered that sentence.

Once we were in the kitchen again, the only other person present was Voodoo. He wasn’t in the kitchen but in the living room, sprawled back on a sofa with one arm tucked beneath his head.

I thought he was asleep, but his eyes flicked open to track me. Bones and Alphabet were absent and, to my disappointment, so was Goblin.

“Making food for Grace,” Lunchbox said. “You want anything, Voodoo?”

“Sure,” he said, but the weight of his stare stayed solidly on me and I tried very much not to notice it. Of the four men, he was the only one I hadn’t had a conversation with beyond the few words at breakfast.

Frankly, he seemed almost as stone cold as Bones. So I’d rather skip deepening the experience.

“Have a seat,” Lunchbox said, pointing to the table. “Did you actually want some coffee? We have juice now. There’s a couple of cans of soda.” He opened the fridge. “We’ve got some energy waters—weird. Also regular water with some of those extra hydrating packets you can flavor them with.”

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