Page 40 of Color Chameleon
“Let an old woman coddle the both of you.You’re not the only one who’s been worried.”
He snorted at her calling herself old.She wasn’t a day over forty, having had him young.She had that mom energy, though, same as any of his aunts.
“Okay, okay.I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”
“Good boy.I’ll see you soon and I love you.”
“Yes, Mom.I love you too.”
He put his phone on the table and sighed.He supposed he should put together a bag with a few of their clothes.Mom had sounded like she was going into full-on care mode, and he had a hunch she wasn’t going to be satisfied with them staying just one night.Besides, Darcy was definitely going to need a change of clothes.
“Everything good?”Nik asked.
“Yeah.They’re taking Darcy back to the compound so Doc can look him over.Luce is coming to pick us up.”
“Cool.”
Charma nodded and got up to go get their stuff together.
“Hey, bro.”
He turned back to Nik.“Yeah?”
“I’m real glad your guy is okay.”
He gave Nik an honest and sincere smile.“Me too.”
The truck rolled to a stop and Darcy jerked awake.He frowned when he realized he didn’t know where they were—but it definitely wasn’t his place.
“Where are we?”he demanded, screwing up his courage to try running again.“Where have you taken me?”
“Relax, Darcy.We’re at the compound.The Chameleon Compound.”
Okay, that didn’t sound too ominous.It was where Charma’s people lived.But it wasn’t where he wanted to be right now.“I want to go home.Please take me home.”He couldn’t make it any clearer.
“We will get you home, but we thought it would be prudent to have our doctor check you out.You’re pretty banged up and that eye is looking gnarly at this point.”
“Why here instead of the hospital?”Darcy asked warily.
“Do you really want to sit for goddess knows how long in emergency before they see you?”Mik asked.
He conceded that point.He probably wouldn’t stay more than like an hour before going home to recuperate without seeing anyone.
“Does it really look that bad?”
“It’s just gone this really lurid purple.”Mik gave him a wink.“Makes you look badass.”
“Darcy!”
He turned, smiling when he recognized the lady running down the stairs and along her sidewalk to the truck.That was Charma’s mother.
“Mom!”He got out of the truck and went to her.
She wrapped him in a hug and held on, and oh god, that was just what he’d needed.Now it was real.Now he knew he was safe.He felt tears prickling at his eyes, but he blinked them back.He wasn’t going to cry.Not in front of all these people he didn’t know.
“Charma’s on his way.”
“Thank you.”
