Page 17 of Calypso's Shield
Scarlett nods slowly, finishing off her beer. “Yeah, this kid’s been someone’s punching bag for a while. Weeks, maybe months, from the age of some of those injuries.”
Allura frowns. “We’re guessing he’s been trafficked through the Black Market Railroad with the help of the Bloody Femmes. The Royal Bastards have tried to shut it down a few times now, but it keeps coming back.”
Scarlett nods, her expression grim. “You’ll never shut it down completely. Too many people are involved, and there’s too much money in it.”
Allura’s gaze flashes with fire, but Scarlett raises her palm. “I’m not saying we should give up. I’m all in on taking these assholes down. But it’s not realistic to think we can wipe them out completely, at least not in the short term. If we keep hitting them often enough, they’ll stop seeing it as profitable. Maybe, just maybe, we can clear it out of L.A. But don’t get your hopes up.”
Allura’s shoulders slump, and she takes a long sip from her glass. I feel that weight too. As the enforcer, it’s on me to help keep this city safe. And we’re not doing enough.
A loud crash from the back jolts us to our feet. I grab my gun instinctively. “What the fuck was that?”
Scarlett pulls her dagger from its sheath, and we rush toward the back room. I’m right behind her as she kicks open the door. My gun’s ready, but I see Iris standing in front of the boy. Her presence calms me enough to lower my weapon so we don’t send the kid into a panic.
The boy’s awake, confused, disoriented, and pissed. One of the machines is knocked over, and he’s ripped out his IV, blood dripping from the wound. He’s backed up against the bed, hands raised like he’s ready to fight.
Scarlett steps in front of me, palms raised in a peaceful gesture. “You’re safe. No one here will hurt you. You were found near death on the side of the road, and we brought you here. If you lie down, we’ll take care of the rest of this and patch up the hole you made pulling out the IV.”
His eyes are wild, darting between us, but he’s listening. Scarlett continues, “Ladies, clear the room. Give me ten minutes to get him settled.” Allura backs her up, ushering us out.
My nerves are on edge as I pace outside, trying to ignore the others watching. Farris, sitting with Allura, Iris, and Divine, hasn’t taken his eyes off me. Normally, I’d tell someone to back the fuck off, but with him, I don’t mind. I like it, even. The way he watches me, like he’s imagining all the ways he could have me.
Finally, Scarlett emerges with the boy, who’s freshly showered and looking a little less frantic. He eyes the room suspiciously. “Why are all the men just wearing pants?” His gaze darts to the man candy walking by.
Scarlett shrugs. “They choose to be here, wear what they want. No one’s forced into anything. These men? They like being with strong women who take control. In return, they get taken care of and have a safe place to live.”
The boy frowns. “And is that what I’ll have to do to earn my keep?”
I can’t help it. I scoff, setting a plate of food in front of him. He digs in immediately. “Hell no. If you decide to stay here, you’ll earn your keep cleaning or something.” I glance at Scarlett. “Our food will be out in a bit.”
She turns to the kid. “Once we figure out who did this to you, we’ll arrange for you to meet the Royal Bastards. Maybe you’llfeel more comfortable with them. Or if you want nothing to do with either club, we’ll help you find another way. A family to take you in, maybe. How old are you?”
He doesn’t answer, too focused on eating. I wait a few minutes before leaning forward, elbows on the table. “Look, kid. You need to start talking to us. Show a little gratitude. Without us, you’d be dead out there in the desert. You really want to protect the people who left you to die?”
He clenches his fists, staring at his hands. “It’s too late. Too much time has passed.”
Scarlett frowns, but I speak before she can. “It’s only been two days since we found you. You really think that’s enough time for them to have moved?”
His head snaps up, glaring at me. “Don’t lie to me. I remember everything they did to me. I remember hitting the ground when they tossed me out of the car. I knew I was dying. There’s no way I’d be healed this fast. I know how long it takes to feel better after a fight, and I haven’t felt this good in months.”
Scarlett’s expression shifts to pain, but she hides it quickly. She leans forward, locking eyes with him. “I have some abilities that help me heal faster.”
He raises an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was crazy, too. She nods at his hand, the one with the tear from where he pulled out the IV earlier. “Put your hand on the table, wound up.”
I’ve seen this a thousand times, and I still can’t get enough of it. I watch, fascinated, as she heals the wound. The boy’s mouth falls open in awe as he flexes his hand, checking it from every angle. The cut’s completely gone.
Scarlett leans back, calm and confident. “As I said, I have special abilities. That’s why Calypso brought me in. Without me, you’d probably be dead.”
I’m sure of that, and I’ll do everything in my power to protect him and anyone else we can save.
7
CALYPSO
Afew days after the boy woke up, Scarlett, Allura, and I question him. Farris hasn’t left my side either, so it’s nice to have someone to hold me up when I’m hitting a low. I need to tell him about my health, but I don’t want to burden him with the truth. If he cuts and runs after finding out, that’ll leave me more broken than what my asshole ex did. I can’t handle that. So, I shove the issue aside and focus on the conversation.
I shift in my seat, pulling the kid’s attention away from Scarlett. “We need you to start talking about what you know. Especially if you think they’ll move on soon. We want to take these guys out. How about we start with your name, age, and where you came from?”
He heaves in a deep breath, his eyes flickering for a moment, probably processing what I said. "My name's Gareth Downs, I’m sixteen, and I was living on the streets in L.A. when those fuckers grabbed me.”
