Page 36 of Bound By Water
With a frown, I grab River’s sleeve. “Do you think Raven has Jordan?”
He lifts his head and gives me a confused look, but it’s quickly replaced with a shake of his head. “I’m sure he’s fine. The office used to have a couch in it. Let’s see if it’s still there.”
The line between his eyebrows tells me something is bothering him, but I’m not sure what it is. “How did you know it was Raven?” If Phoenix was following the tracker, they might have noticed the long periods we spent at Jordan’s apartment and made an educated guess we would return.
He glances at me over his shoulder. “The patch on their arm. It’s their insignia.”
The guys at the gas station had been in suits. Yesterday, they had been in blue uniforms, but I didn’t notice an insignia or a patch. Of course, I’d been too busy staring at my bag.
When we get to the offices in the back, I’m surprised to see a spacious room. There’s a pretty good-sized leather couch across from a large, grey metal desk and an old school leather office chair. Along the side wall is an ancient coffee maker and a few cabinets. River sets the pizza down on the counter under them.
He seems awfully familiar with this place, and it reminds me of something Jordan told me. “Is this where you, Jordan, Lance, and the rest of your group hid for a while?”
Surprise flashes across his face. “He told you?” When I nod, he sighs. “Yes. It gave us all a safe place to stay for a while. Better than the streets.”
I frown. “But didn’t Raven catch Lance and the others here? They know about this place!” Fear makes my voice rise. Why are we hiding where Raven can find us?
“It’s the last place they’ll look for us,” he insists, taking my hand. “Look, it’s only for one night. I don’t know that many safe places here. We’ll rest up and figure out where to go, okay?” He stares at me while he waits for an answer.
“I hope you’re right,” I concede with a sigh. “One night.”
We have food, water, and shelter. That’s infinitely better than being in handcuffs in the back of one of those SUVs, I remind myself. Wrinkling my nose, I grab a rag from a nearby table and wipe down the old leather sofa. It’s going to be a long night.
CHAPTER18
WILLA / GREER
Downtown Atlanta is too hot with Raven in the vicinity. River and I decide to head to the suburbs tomorrow. We found a motel or two that seems promising. River assures me they’re the kind that take your money and don’t ask any questions.
Tonight, we dine on cold pizza and water. What started out as a fantastically awesome day went to hell fast, but oddly enough, I’m sort of okay. Does that mean I’m getting used to this life?
I glance around the office. “How many of you lived here? And why isn’t it freezing?”
“Seven of us.” River leans back with a shrug. “Whoever owns the building must control the temperature remotely. The thermostat is set on sixty, and we could never find a way to change it.”
“Tell me about them?”
He flexes his fingers as if he doesn’t know what to do with them. “Lance was the best guy. He noticed me using my powers one day and invited me to lunch. When he found out I had no place to stay, he invited me back here.” River grins at the memory.
I turn toward him, getting comfortable on the couch. “He sounds like a good guy.”
“He was awesome. Always taking care of us. Finding cash jobs for the necessities. He was even working on a plan to get us an apartment,” he says with a soft snort, looking around the office. “None of us really cared where we were, though. Having a semi-permanent place like this one was better than any place we’d stayed in a while. We were like family.” His voice drops off, heavy with emotion.
“How did seven guys sleep in this tiny place?” I tease him, trying to help him through the guilt he must be feeling.
Jordan told me about how he and River watched them round up the rest of the guys and how guilty he still feels.
He motions to the right. “There’s a bathroom and another office behind that wall, along with a back door for a quick escape, not that it did any good.” This time, there’s a bitterness to his tone.
I slip off my shoes and lay my head on his shoulder. “Tell me about the others.”
“I can’t,” he murmurs, rubbing his palms on his thighs in agitation.
Underneath his usual spring scent, an underlying burnt wood smell like a bonfire fills the air, and it tells me more than his words. I get it. For a long time, I couldn’t talk about my parents. When I did, it was only to Lionel… someone who knew and loved them, too.
“I understand. How about your parents? You said your mom has powers?”
He’s silent for several minutes but then begins. “My dad left when we were kids. My mom is wonderful. Protected us for years. Always moving us before Raven could even get a sniff.” His voice is warm and full of love. “She has telekinesis. The ability to move objects with her mind. She’s not very powerful even for a first gen, but she only used it to make us laugh or swat us on the butt with a wooden spoon.”
