one being. They had their ways, and an hour later, after hitting some shops and the Ferris wheel, I saw more guards coming and switching out. So that was how they did it.
One ride on the Ferris wheel wasn’t enough, not for me. For Jonah, yes. But he was trying to be a polite companion after I caught him wincing as I steered him toward the wave swinger. I heard a mumbled “Oh, God,” but he climbed on next to me and rode like a trooper.
I took pity on him after that.
We did the carousel next, though I selected one of the benches in the middle.
“Thank God.” He sighed.
I laughed, tipping my head back.
He smiled. “Sorry. This is just not what we do.”
“That’s what you said.” I shifted slightly to face him. “It’s not what I do either, to tell you the truth.”
“Yeah. I can see that.” He eyed me. “Is it weird for you? To go from a life where you were a professional Hider to this?” He waved to the guards around us, one going up and down on a pink tiger.
I bit back a laugh. “Yes. But right now, I’m only focused on the next step.”
He nodded, not asking what that was, and I was grateful because I didn’t want to lie to him.
“Can I ask you a question?”
His eyebrows rose. “Sure.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
His eyebrows went higher.
“I’m not asking for me.” My grin was easy. “I’m just wondering how that part of your life fits with everything else.”
“Oh.” He settled back against our bench, mulling it over. “It doesn’t. I mean, there are questions, but we learn to lie. Every Bennett is born an amazing liar. We’ve had to become that just to function sometimes. As far as a girlfriend…” He paused, his cheeks becoming pink.
I sat up. I’d thought I was fishing in an empty barrel here.
“There is a girl.”
“A girl?”
“She’s another resident.”
“Resident?”
“Ah.” He laughed shortly. “A doctor. She’s in my year. We work at the same hospital.”
“How do you do that, by the way? What with the constantly leaving for family things.”
He rubbed at his eyebrow. “To be honest, Kai rarely calls on me. This whole thing with Brooke threw all of us for a loop. We were scrambling. Then he brought you in, and I knew what Brooke had done wasn’t the normal little tirade she sometimes throws. It was more serious.”
“You didn’t answer the first question, though.”
“Oh. Yes. Uh, I’m in trouble, to be honest.” He bobbed his head forward in an easy, smooth motion. “But having my last name as Bennett helps. Kai will just step in, grease some wheels, and I should be fine.”
Why wasn’t I surprised? “That’s how it’s done? He bribes your way through medical school?”
He frowned. “Yeah. It’s part of our world. If I want to have some semblance of a normal life, I have to accept that.” His frown deepened. “I’m just grateful to have this time to become a doctor. This never would’ve happened if my father were still alive.”
“What do you mean?”
“He sent Brooke away. He killed Cord. He would’ve killed Kai too. Who knows what he would’ve let Tanner and me do, or get away with. He didn’t even let me live with the family.”
“What?” My heart twisted.
“I was sent to live with an aunt. He didn’t want me around the rest of them. I got to see them on holidays or if Cord or Kai insisted they visit me.”
The pain in my chest doubled.
He shrugged and swallowed tightly. “It is what it is. I look different. He treated me differently.”
“I’m sorry.”
He coughed, shifting in his seat. “Kai changed everything. He brought Brooke and me back…but yeah, to answer your initial question, we compartmentalize.” He coughed again, blinking rapidly. He flicked a hand to the corner of his eye. “Brooke falls in love every two months. Tanner doesn’t. I don’t know what he does. He rarely talks about women. And I…” He quieted, flashing me an uneasy smile.
I grinned back. “You have a girlfriend.”
“That I lie to every day.” His laugh was uneven, forced. “But that’s how it is. We lose our footing with the council, and we’ll all be wiped out.”
“What?!”
“You didn’t know? I thought Kai would’ve explained…” He trailed off again, frowning. “Sorry. I thought you knew.”
“No,” I gasped. “What do you mean you’ll be wiped out?”
“Um...” He hesitated.
“Tell me, Jonah.”
“We’re only at the top because they fear us. They fear Kai. If someone moves against us, they’ll have to