of the kitchen. Get some rest. I’ll wake you up early.”
I push myself up and start back to the guest room. I take a few steps, then look over at Gabby. “When they found the van, was there any sign of those two guys?”
“Nothing, but we’ll find them. It might not be as easy this time since they’ll be watching for us, but we’ll get them eventually. They’re out there somewhere.”
I head back to the bedroom.
They’re out there somewhere.
For some reason, this doesn’t make me feel better.
I walk into the guest room and close the door behind me. The room is warm and lit by two silver lights on either side of the bed. There is a desk against one wall and a small, three-drawer dresser with a large mirror along the other.
I sit at the foot of the bed and look at my face in the mirror. I don’t recognize my reflection, and I decide that’s not a bad thing. If I’m trying to lie low, I’ve got one hell of a disguise.
I stay there for a while, letting my mind wander until my thoughts turn black, then I stand up and get undressed. I set my clothes on top of the dresser, then pull back the sheets and slide into bed.
I think about the first time I slept under Gabby’s roof. I was twelve years old, scared to death. I remember Gabby handing me a cot and a wool blanket and telling me to set up in a room above the office. I did, and even though the air up there smelled like grease and the blanket was old and rough and scratched against my skin, I was happy to be there.
As much as Gabby terrified me, there were worse things out there for a kid. At least with him, I knew I was safe.
Now, almost fifteen years later, I wonder if much has changed. The cot and the wool blanket are gone, but as far as I can tell, that’s about it.
I reach over and shut off the lights.
– 27 –
“Get up, Jake.”
I open my eyes. The room is dark, but the light from the hallway cuts through. Gabby is standing at the foot of the bed, holding a suitcase in front of him.
“What’s that?”
“I’ve got you three sets of clothes in here. If you need more, you’re on your own.” He sets the suitcase on the ground, then reaches into his front pocket and pulls out a money clip. He holds it up and shakes it in the air before tossing it to me. “You can pay me back later.”
I pick up the clip.
It’s packed with bills.
“How much is here?”
“About a grand,” Gabby says. “It was all I had in the house, so it’ll have to do for now.”
“I don’t need it. I have money.”
“Take it anyway, just in case.”
I sit up slow, but not slow enough. The pain from my nose splits through to the back of my head, and I close my eyes tight against it.
“I’ll get you a new bandage before you go,” Gabby says. “You’re a mess.”
“I’ll do it this time.”
“Suit yourself, but do it quick. Your flight leaves in a few hours.”
He walks out, leaving me alone.
I push the covers away then slide my legs over the side until my feet touch floor. It’s ice cold, and for a second it distracts me from the pain in my head.
Then it fades.
After my shower, I stand at the sink and replace the bandage on my nose. The bruising is darker today, deeper, but the swelling is down and the rattling sound when I breathe is gone.
I hear Diane’s voice in the back of my mind telling me that with a new bandage and some clean clothes, there’s a chance that even I might look presentable.
It makes me smile, and when I close my eyes, I feel my heart break all over again.
Once I’m dressed, I close the suitcase and walk out to the living room.
Gabby is waiting for me.
He’s standing in front of the full-length windows with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Outside, the morning sky is a wall of color, orange, purple, and pink, as if the entire sky has become part of the sun.
I set the suitcase by the front door.
Gabby looks at me then takes a sip of his coffee and says, “Your ride is waiting downstairs.”
“Any news on Kevin?”
He shakes his head. “There won’t be any, either. That’s not how