Page 33 of Inglorious
“It fuckin’ is. Now Kya?” Chuck turned and held Vortex’s gaze. I wouldn’t force Vortex to answer Chuck, and I wondered if he would. Vortex was a great judge of character.
“Kya’s living in squalor, and her mom is so hooked on drugs she’s forgotten Kya fuckin’ exists. Manda goes out and gets high, leaving Kya alone for days. A neighbour has reported them to child services. But somehow, either Kya got lost in the system or Manda bullshitted her way through a meeting, but Manda still has Kya.”
“Fuck,” I exploded as my eyes narrowed. Manda was heading for a beating.
“That kid ain’t safe,” Hercules snapped.
“Herc, we’re taking Kya. Doc, open the clinic, we’ll bring Kya straight to you,” I said, turning to Doc Paul.
Doc Paul didn’t say a word, but nodded immediately. “Don’t feed her. If Kya’s been starved, your natural inclination is to feed her, but you could make matters worse. I have to assess and diagnose what her problems are. Kya might need small and nutritious meals, and not a big, fat, greasy burger.”
“I understand. Chill, Vortex, you’re with me.”
“I’m coming, too,” Chuck announced, and I nodded.
“Me, too. What happened to Kya is on me. Heat knew Manda’s nature and had custody of Kya. He signed that over to me if he should die. Because I was… sinking my sorrows in a bottle,Manda was able to take Kya. Legally, I have guardianship, and Manda can’t do shit,” Inglorious said quietly.
Fury rose, and I stamped it down with effort. Inglorious had allowed a little girl to suffer despite knowing what a disaster her mother was. I was about to blast him when I saw Inglorious’s expression. Guilt and self-loathing were rampant.
“Get the paperwork you need,” I ordered.
Inglorious exited the room in a hurry and returned within minutes, holding a folder. “This contains Heat’s will and the papers making me Kya’s guardian.”
“Great, let’s go,” I said.
We headed outside, and the guys headed for their bikes. Idly, I noted Chuck had his own Harley, which looked pretty fuckin’ nice. However, I headed for my car with Vortex. Kya was too young for the back of a bike, and depending on her condition, I might need Vortex to sit with her. Plus, I hadn’t had a chance to visit a dealership yet. Psych’s Harley belonged to me, but it was too high for me to ride.
We rode out and followed Vortex to a section of Black Hawk that had been deemed incredibly dangerous. As I parked outside a rough-looking house, I shook my head. I got out and stared at it. This part of Black Hawk was known as Hideaway Hills and had a massive problem with sinkholes. The fact that Kya was here rang alarm bells because it was so dangerous.
“Did you know Manda was living here?” I asked Chill.
“No, last I knew, Manda lived in Summerset,” Chill answered me.
“Guess she’s downgraded. Fuck, this area isn’t safe,” I murmured.
“Manda’s gotta have lost her house in Summerset. She was paying a mortgage on one,” Chill stated.
“Are we going to chat shit or get Kya?” Vortex demanded.
“Let’s get her,” I replied, noting how on edge Vortex was. Child abuse was a trigger for many of the Unwanted Bastards.
We headed up the path, and I noted curtains twitching in the neighbourhood houses. Before Vortex could kick the door in, I tried the handle, and it opened. Inside was deathly silent, and a smell wafted from the house, which made me cringe.
“Shit. Chill, Vortex, Inglorious, find Kya and get her out of here. Chuck, you’re with me,” I said and entered, breathing through my mouth. The stench was indescribable, but body odour, rotten food, and stifling air were part of it.
Manda was in the living room, topless, wearing a dirty white bra that looked grey, a pair of unzipped shorts and her hair greasy and lank. She was snoring and had no idea we were present.
“Nanci,” Vortex said quietly. I turned from where I’d been standing and staring at Manda and hissed. Inglorious held Kya, and you wouldn’t recognise her as a child.
Kya was dangerously thin; her hair was shorn and cut roughly, covered in bruises, and she was deathly pale. She lay listlessly in Vortex’s arms.
“Get Kya to Doc right now,” I ordered, and they nodded.
Vortex would take my car, and Chill would follow him.
“That cunt,” Inglorious seethed as I picked up a needle between two fingers. It was filled with a brown liquid, probably heroin.
“Kya’s in a bad way,” I muttered, looking at the needle and then at Manda. “That bitch doesn’t deserve to live.”
