Page 61 of Rue

“She didn't even know!” Justin cried. “And she thought it was fake! Costume jewelry that someone lost in the sink!”

“Bullshit,” Geo snorted, sitting down at the table and smirking at Justin. “That’s why your dad started beggin’ for her life as soon as I walked in. He knew, and that meant she knew. They both knew. You got somin’ you wanna say, fool?” Geo asked Justin, his eyes dancing with madness.

Justin went red, looking down at his feet. “Thank you. Thank you for not killing her… or my dad.”

Sailor sat down hard, stunned. He hadn’t killed her?!?

“They’re both okay,” Justin went on, still not looking up. “She lost two fingers, and he lost one, but that’s all. Thank you for letting them live.”

Geo snorted again, then waved Sophia over. She broughtfood to the table immediately, smiling at Geo.

“Like I said, I fuckin’ own you now, Fool,” Geo told Justin, looking over his food and not at the awkward boy.

“Yeah,” Justin agreed softly. “I know.”

“Mig’s gonna have a new job for you, you’ll be workin’ with a new crew, too. Fee’ll send someone for ya sometime today. Mig, take him to the other room. What about you, Fool? You got som’in you wanna say?” Geo asked Davon as Justin left with Mig, his eyes huge.

“You know he cain’t handle what you’re fixin’ to throw him into,” Davon rumbled, pitching his voice low.

“You wanna take his place?”

Davon glanced at Sailor, then glowered at Geo.

“Didn’t fuckin’ think so,” Geo snorted, amused.

“He cain’t do…”

“Enough!” Geo yelled, irritated. “I wanna enjoy my fuckin’ breakfast! You cain’t shut up, you can get out! Find you a new fuckin’ job!”

Davon leaned back against the wall, turning to glare out the window. Geo ate, but he was upset now. Sailor picked at her food, still not having an appetite.

“Fuckin’ eat, Rue,” Geo demanded, looking over her plate.

She didn’t argue, taking another bite and moving food around on her plate. When he looked over his shoulder at Mig coming back in, she stood with her plate and took it to the sink.

Mig led Phoenix in and motioned to the wall next to Davon.

Phoenix grinned at Davon, but he looked away from the younger boy, looking bored and irritated.

Geo got up and offered Sailor a hand, and she took it, blushing. Leading her to the office, he let go of her hand and crossed his arms. She knew her time was up, so she sat down, opened the laptop, and waited for it to boot up.

Geo stepped in and tilted her face to him, kissing her before going back to the door. “I got shit to do, Rue. You need me, my number’s in that phone there. Mig’s too. Them fool’s’ll be hereif you need food or som’in’ ta drink or some shit like that. You good? You gon’ have this shit done by tomorrah?”

“I’ll have it written soon, tested by tomorrow probably, barring any interference. Just make sure they leave me alone,” she told him, hoping that he would close the door and let her stay in the room alone.

He did not, grinning as he left and leaving the door open.

Davon came in and sat across the room, Phoenix following him and hovering nearby.

“What do we do?” Phoenix asked Davon quietly.

“Just stay quiet and make sure she don’t try ta run or shit, make sure she don’t need nothin’. We’re just here as her bodyguards.”

“Bodyguard? For her? Why, who’s tryna get at ‘r?”

“Less about people’ tryna get ‘r ‘n more about like, collateral damage ‘n shit. Also, we gotta keep ‘r here. Make sure she don’t run ‘n shit or try anythin’. Call the cops ‘r some stupid shit. If she…”

“You both need to be quiet and let me work,” Sailor called back to them.

---