Pike (The Pawn Duet #1) - T.M. Frazier Page 0,30

bites.

“Something like that,” she mutters.

“Don’t you worry that this will blow back on you? That you’ll go to jail for helping him?” I ask, taking another mouthful of salty broth along with a hunk of shredded chicken. “Accessory to a crime?”

“Do you worry you’ll go to jail because last time I checked, breaking and entering was a felony, but you had a weapon and armed robbery comes with a price tag of some hard fucking time.” She feeds me another spoonful. “I know you don’t know Pike. Because if you did, then you’d know that he would take all the blame for all of this before he’d let me go down for shit he did. Plus, he wouldn’t get caught in the first place. I’m just here as hero-support or villain support, however you want to look at it.”

Another thought crosses my mind as she talks about Pike with affection in her voice. “So, you’re his girlfriend then?”

She pauses the spoon midair and wrinkles her nose. “Oh god, fuck no.”

“Then, why?” I ask, truly curious. If she wasn’t romantically involved, then why help him in this?

Her words soften. “I owe him my life and more. That’s all you need to know. I’m a loyal person, and Pike is the most loyal person I’ve ever met. He ain’t a good man by any means, but to me, loyalty means more than love.”

“Do you have family?” I ask.

“What’s with all the questions?” Thorne is clearly irritated. She plunks the spoon down into the now empty bowl.

“Sorry, I just haven’t gotten to talk to anyone in a while,” I say without adding, You’re my first opportunity to try and escape, and I’m trying here. “I mean, anyone else.”

She lifts a glass of water to my mouth, and I gulp it down in a few swallows. She dabs the water and food from the side of my lips with a napkin. She searches my eyes for something but I’m not sure for what. “Pike is as close to family as I got. I’ll do anything he asks of me and shit he wouldn’t ask of me. Without question. Without hesitation.”

Now, this I understand. “I get it. You’d do anything for family. So would I. I have three sisters and two parents, and although they think they know what’s better for me than I do, I’d do anything for them.” I smile, but there’s no happiness behind it. “At least, I’m trying to do everything for them.” I sigh. “It’s not really working out at the moment.”

Thorne ignores the sadness in my voice. “Oh, good, so then you get it,” she says, standing up and brushing off her hands on her jeans. “So you can stop asking me shit like that.”

“Good point,” I offer.

She unsheathes a knife from her pant leg. I cower backward, almost tipping the chair. She reaches out and catches it before it falls, setting the legs back on the ground. “Easy, killer,” she says, cutting my bindings.

“You…you’re letting me go?” I ask, hopefully.

“Nope. There’s enough security to keep you here without all the rope burn on your wrists. Locks. Lights. Sirens. Motion detectors. Cameras everywhere and anywhere.” She points to a blinking light in the upper corner of the room. “This was the boss’s orders. Feed you, then untie you. I just do what I’m told. I don’t ask questions.”

My arms are so sore. Every bone in my body cracks and creaks as I bring them from behind my back to resting on my lap. I rub my reddened wrists. “Why didn’t you untie me first?”

“Hot chicken soup to the face isn’t pleasant,” she remarks. “Come on. Follow me.”

“Where are we going?” I ask. I stand, but my legs fall out from underneath me. I drop to my knees.

“Here,” she says, wrapping one of my arms around her shoulder. “Up we go.”

She grabs the plastic bag she brought in with her other hand and helps me up and out the door. The night air is thick and warm and it feels so good to be outside when I’ve often thought I never would be again. “Are you going to tell me where we are going?” I ask again.

“Do you want to be anywhere besides the fucking garage?” she replies.

“Touché.”

We slowly make our way through the alley, passing a few stray cats who meow at us along the way. “Shoo,” Thorne says, kicking out her foot to push them away, but being cats, they of course don’t listen. Instead, they sit and