Page 18 of Priest

“Four years.”

“How old are you?” Ox asked.

“Sixteen.”

Damn, someone had brought the kid here when he was just twelve. Probably a victim of sex trafficking or some shit like that.

“With your family or some men like those who run this house?”

“You ask a lot of questions,” Gael stated and eyed me suspiciously.

“Just tryna help. I swear.”

“My mother and sister. We came for a better life with some men who promised her a job and good schools for my sister and me. We were separated after two days of being here. They sent my sister to one place and my mother somewhere else.”

“What about you?” I asked.

“Left me at the docks over on River Street. I was taken off the truck with everyone else and taken into the warehouse. When they separated us, it was in the early hours of the morning. I fought and begged them to keep me with my sister or mother, but they would not listen. They left out and left me behind.”

“You’ve been living on the streets since then?” I asked.

He nodded.

“What happened that brought you here?”

“I was trying to get some cash. This man told me he could help me get some and told me to come ride with him. When Ichanged my mind at the last minute, I was thrown into their car, and they brought me here.”

“How did you manage to get left behind?”

“They got word that dem boys was coming,” he stated. “Dem boys” was the cops. “They cleared everyone out, but I pretended to be seizing from a drug I’d taken.”

“They’ve been giving you drugs?”

“Pills. I stash ’em,” Gael stated and handed me a plastic baggie.

“X,” I muttered.

He shrugged. “They left me ’cause they thought I was having a bad reaction from the drugs.”

“Come on,” I commanded as I stood.

I met Ox’s inquisitive gaze before I ordered, “Tell the men to stand down.”

He nodded and looked at the kid again before he looked at me.

“Gael, hand me your gun, please.”

The kid jumped up and held it tightly at his side.

“Listen, I know that you don’t know us and don’t trust us. I’m not gonna sit here and bullshit you like we’re saints because we’re not. I’m not a good man, Gael, but I promise I don’t mean you any harm. My friend here ain’t gonna leave my side with you still holding that gun.”

Gael looked at the gun and then at Ox before looking at me defiantly.

“Listen, li’l nigga. If I wanted to take that shit from you, I could easily do that. But I’m trying to establish some form of respect and trust here.”

“’Sides, you ain’t got no more bullets,” Ox stated.

Gael’s shoulders slumped again before he handed the gun to me.

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