Page 49 of Walking Red Flag

No, I didn’t think she would.

I squeezed her just a little bit tighter.

I was probably cutting off her air supply, but at this point, I couldn’t stop myself.

The shivering had come down.

She was no longer shaking in my arms, but she was sitting deathly still.

“I’m in front of the diner about a mile from the prison,” I informed him.

“I’m less than thirty minutes out.”

I didn’t bother to ask how he’d gotten to that point so fast. I just said ‘okay’ and hung up.

Milena never said another word.

She did relax in my arms, though.

She went from a shaking, stiff mess to a loose, languid, melty woman in my arms.

She fell asleep at some point, and I kept holding her exactly like this for the next twenty-four minutes.

Shasha arrived beside the Suburban and didn’t wait for me to get out myself. He walked right up to my door and stared at his sister.

Since he could see her face, he didn’t say much.

He only opened his passenger side door and gestured for me to put her in.

I did, placing her gently into the car.

Shasha rounded to the other side and pulled a couple of pink blankets from the back seat.

One he shoved underneath Milena’s head, and the other he gave to me to cover her with.

Carefully closing the door, I looked at Shasha over the roof.

“I would’ve never brought her here had I known,” I commented. “I was just trying to get her on the back of the bike again. I didn’t want her to be afraid.” I paused. “She’s had a really bad day today.”

Shasha’s head turned. “What else happened?”

I told him what I’d heard the two women talking about at the park bathrooms today.

His eyes narrowed.

“I don’t know what else happened, but she was really fuckin’ down when I saw her last,” I elaborated. “Running on the side of the road where a car could’ve hit her.”

He rubbed his hands over his face.

“Sometimes, she puts on such a good front that I forget that she’s broken,” he murmured.

Broken.

Was she broken?

I didn’t think so.

“She started running when she first got…” He couldn’t even say the word. Which tracked, because I couldn’t even think it. “She started running, and she got back to herself. Started going on dates. Started living life again. But sometimes, if you catch her at the right moment, she forgets to put the mask on. Forgets to act like she’s happy.”

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