Page 5 of The Prodigy

“Do you know where the Heights are from here?”

“N-no,” she stammered.

“GPS it. It’s around here somewhere but I can’t place it.”

She grabbed my phone out of the center console and dropped it twice before her shaking fingers did what they needed to do.

“Make a l-left on B-breckridge, th-then a right on Newell.”

“That sounds about right.” I shook my head. “Fuck! First day home and already in some shit.”

Wisely, she didn’t respond.

I made the left like she told me and sped down Breckridge. Newell came faster than I expected, and the swerve I hit bending the corner threw her body into the door.

She still didn’t make a sound.

A few minutes later, I was backing into the driveway behind a black BMW that was a few years older than mine, a sense of relief washing over me. It wasn’t home, but it was the home of somebody who might could help me out of this bullshit.

I cut the car off and looked over at homegirl. She was still shaking, her eyes fixed on the dashboard.

“Yo, it’s alright,” I said, not even halfway convincing. “We just gotta run in here real quick, and then…” I trailed off.

And then, what? Take her home and go on about my night?

The reality was that she wasn’t going home, but she was scared enough already. If I told her the truth, she’d probably pass out right here in my car.

So I got out and walked around to her side, my eyes darting all around me. It was dead quiet outside, and dark enough for the night to conceal me. I relaxed a little as I opened her door.

She didn’t move.

“We gotta go,” I urged. “Come on!”

She jumped, then stuck a leg out. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed her arm—gently, but with a sense of urgency. I had to basically drag her up the driveway, then to the front door.

I didn’t get a chance to ring the bell, because the door swung open as soon as my feet hit the welcome mat. I nodded at the man in the doorway.

“Pretty boy Knight,” he said with a grin.

“Trini Joe.”

We embraced like long-lost brothers, which, if you got people that’s in your corner like he’d always been in mine, was basically the truth. Like my daddy used to say,Blood don’t make you family.

We separated, sized each other up real quick, then he stepped aside to let me and homegirl inside.

“Who’s this?” he said with raised eyebrows.

I sighed and shook my head. “Lemme holler at you real quick. Is there somewhere I can put her?”

Joe frowned. “You mean…”

“I mean I need to secure her somewhere while I talk to you.”

Joe nodded once before retreating into the bowels of the house. I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself. Homegirl stood where she was and kinda balled up into herself like she was trying to hide. I felt bad for her, but wasn’t nothing I could do about her situation at the moment. I had to concern myself with my own.

Joe’s footsteps echoed down the hall as he made his way back to us. When he returned, he had a hand full of zip ties.

Homegirl’s eyes went wide as she shrank further away from me. I reached out and grabbed her hand—it was soft—and shook my head.

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