Mrs. Greely winced. “Three broken ribs, but no internal bleeding. I’ll need Noah to heal the nose and ribs, but I can get started on the rest.”
Relief mixed with anger poured through me. How dare these bastards jump my little bro. Was it because they wanted to get to me? Was that their motive?
“I’ll get Noah,” I told her and bolted from the room, pulling my cell from my pocket.
He was out on the field screaming obscenities at his boot camp group no doubt, so I didn’t expect him to pick up, but he did.
“Hey, Lincoln told me. I’m on my way” was all he said before he hung up.
What the…？ Damn, my boyfriend was good. Sort of. When he wasn’t torturing me.
I had barely even made it down the hall when the double doors opened, Noah striding through in all his beautiful perfection.
“What happened?” he asked.
I rubbed my sore arms, still burning from the pushups. “Some kids at Tainted Academy jumped him.”
Noah growled. “Little shits. Don’t worry, I’ll fix him up,” he told me and then winked. This guy handed out winks like they were high fives.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He jogged down the hall and I just stayed there, letting my thoughts run rampant. My mom would have to go back, but Mikey needed to stay. There were still five weeks of summer before the Awakening ceremony. What was I going to do with him for five weeks?
I made $2700 a month with my new Fallen Army gig, but that wasn’t enough for a studio apartment in Angel City. Especially after 50 percent taxes were taken out, plus my student health insurance, which was mandatory now that I was in the army. I needed some of that money for my own shit too—I was expected to have all these uniforms and military-grade boots, and that stuff wasn’t cheap. The army surplus store gave student deals, but—
“Bri?” My mom’s soft voice cut through my overthinking of the situation.
I spun, and upon seeing her open arms, I fell into them. Feeling her, smelling her, it made me emotional. I was homesick. I didn’t get to see her enough, and having her here with me now was a welcome relief, even under these circumstances.
When I pulled back, she smiled down at me through tired eyes.
“I gotta get back. This was my lunch break,” she said, her eyes flicking to the tattoo on my chest again. She didn’t say a word though. When I’d told her over the phone, she’d cried, but my mom was the type of person who didn’t dwell on bad shit. She just got over it and moved on. A useful survival tool.
“How’s work?” I asked her. Since Lincoln killed her boss to dissolve my slave contract, she’d gotten a new boss—Mr. Grim, Shea’s old boss who owned all the strip clubs.
“It’s okay. Not making as much money as when Burdock was running it. Grim doesn’t like that.” She shrugged.
Panic gripped me. “Does he hurt you? Grim?”
She shook her head. “No. He leaves me be, but docks my pay for stupid things. He’s all about the money.”
That mofo!
Suddenly I felt selfish. Every time we spoke, we talked about me. Did my mom need money? “Well hey, I am a salaried Fallen Army soldier now, so I can help out with your bills,” I told her.
Her limp blonde hair fell across her shoulders, as she shook her head. “No, baby. I’ll be okay. I rented out your and Shea’s room about four months ago to Mrs. Conner. You just take care of Mikey, okay?”
Mikey. Shit. What am I going to do with him?
I nodded. “Of course, Mom. I will.”
She smiled again, weaker that time. “Love you, bee.” The childhood nickname caught me off guard. She hadn’t called me bee or bumblebee since I was ten.
“Love you too, Mom.” I pulled her in for another hug, but then all too soon she was drawing away.
“Bernie and Maximus miss you,” she added, and then she left. Just like that. She just left me with my little brother to take care of, and an ache in my heart for her, for Bernie, for all of them. It was the first time that I really realized how bad Demon City was, how bad being a slave bound was.
I smoothed my hair and left the healing unit in search of the only person I knew could, and would help Mikey.
I knocked on the large double doors lightly, praying he would be in his office.
“Come in!” Raphael’s cheery voice called out.
Thank God.
Relief mixed with nerves flooded through me as I stepped into his office. He sat at his desk, looking over what looked to be maps and papers. He seemed surprised to see me.