Page 77 of Burn

“This is really simple, answer the question or just take me back to that airport and drop me off. I’ll figure out where I’m going from there.”

“That can’t happen,” Lunchbox said, arms folded. “Before you start throwing things… we have our reasons.”

“I’m very happy for you,” I said as I pivoted to face him. The fact he’d climbed right up there and gotten me down wasn’t lost on me. All of them had saved me over the past few days. “What are yourreasons? I think I have a right to know that much.”

“Maybe.” He didn’t glance at Bones but it seemed present regardless.

“Firecracker,” Voodoo slid an arm around me, but I sidestepped away, shrugging off the contact.

“Don’t try to handle me,” I ordered, maneuvering so I didn’t have one of them behind me. “If you don’t want to or are notwillingto answer me, fine. It’s a free country—most of the time. But if that is the case, then I’ll just go. I’m not your problem.”

“You’re not a problem, Gracie,” Alphabet said as he shifted his stance. There was a flicker of discomfort across his face, but he braced a hand on the back of a chair. When I opened my mouth to argue, he raised his free hand. “I know, we’ve lost some ground in the trust department. But Voodoo was putting together a burger for you. Lunchbox cooked it and his burgers are pretty much next level. Maybe come sit and eat?”

Did the burgers smell good? Absolutely. My stomach twisted at the allure, but we didn’t have time for that right now.

“Then what?” I shifted my gaze from Alphabet to Voodoo to Lunchbox and then back. I skipped right past Bones. If I never spoke to him again, it might be too soon. “You delay again? Or you shove me in another room? Maybe I’ll get chained to another wall somewhere?”

It would hardly be new in this current experience. The circular bruise around my ankle and around my wrist were bothclearly visible, even if they were varying shades of green, blue, and black. As many body aches as I had and as sore as my back was, I really couldn’t feel the others anymore.

“We haven’t chained you to anything,” Voodoo said firmly. Dislike licked every single syllable. “You have every right to be angry. I did tell you that we would take care of it and I haven’t changed my mind.”

“But?” Because that unspoken word hung heavily in the air.

“But the situation has changed,” Lunchbox said, picking up the thread from Voodoo. “The burgers are still warm and it would probably help if you ate.”

I was going to scream. They weren’tlisteningto me. “I want to leave.”

None of them moved. Unsurprising.

“Gracie…” Alphabet said before he limped closer to the table and dragged a chair out. “Come on, come sit. You’re pissed and you’re frustrated. You’re probably tired and in pain. Sit down, eat the food, let us try to explain this to you.”

Twisting slowly, I stared at him. Some distant part of my mine said play along, lull them into compliance, then just go when the opportunity presented itself.

But Iwastired.

I wasfrustrated.

Yeah boy, you betcha, I was furious.

“I want to leave,” I repeated then pivoted to face Voodoo and Lunchbox. Neither man said anything.

“The answer to leaving is no,” Bones said, interjecting into the conversation. “Nowsit downso that Alphabet will.”

The snap of command made me jump, but Bones wasn’t looking at me, he was staring at Alphabet, who had two hands now on the back of the chair he’d pulled out for me.

It killed me to follow that order, but Alphabet’s white knuckles and tense expression had my feet moving before I processed the fullness of Bones’ statement.

I dropped into the chair. “Happy?”

“Delirious.” You could have etched wood with the sarcasm in his voice.

Alphabet moved to sit in the chair to my left. There was an untouched burger in front of him. The minute he sat, the other three shifted, with Voodoo taking the seat opposite and sliding one of the two burgers in front of him over. There were condiments and toppings present.

I didn’t want any of them.

The fact Bones yanked out a chair opposite Alphabet and sat seemed to let some of the ballooning tension out. Lunchbox returned with beers, water, and juice. He eyed me briefly, then the drinks.

“The water is fine,” I said, then because I could probably catch more flies with honey than vinegar, I added, “Thank you.”

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