Savage Vandal (82 Street Vandals #1) - Heather Long Page 0,54

was they let me out of the room itself. Every morning, I’d go down with whomever had slept in the room, and we’d have breakfast and coffee. The coffee was crap some days and better on others. I had a feeling it depended on who made it. It was coffee, I could drink tar if they had it.

Most of the time, the food came out of boxes. Sometimes one of the guys cooked. Freddie, as it turned out, was an amazing cook. There had to be other people around, I’d seen them that one day, but not as many showed up when I was out of the room.

Rome appeared again. At least I thought it was Rome, his silence spoke volumes. He didn’t talk so much as sketch in one of his books. I was curious about it, but I didn’t ask and he didn’t show. Liam was there once or twice, but there was friction between him and Jasper. More than what was between Jasper and Freddie, and colder.

Most of the guys showed deference to Jasper. Figuring out the dynamics there took a little time. Kestrel and Vaughn deferred to him less. Vaughn didn’t seem to argue with anyone, and when he was around, I relaxed more. Maybe it was because like Freddie, he made an effort to talk to me, but unlike everyone else, he didn’t seem to act differently when I was there.

If anything, he just seemed to include me. I actually liked the nights he spent in my room more than the others because there was no discomfort. He talked in that soothing voice until I went to sleep. I swore he told the best stories too.

Jasper had taken my laundry that evening, and it was back the following day. Each week, the laundry would vanish and it would return the next day, usually by evening. Also after that first day, they took me to the clinic to get my wrist X-rayed, the one and only time I got to leave the clubhouse—their word for the huge warehouse.

Doc said it was healing properly, which was a relief, and to keep taking it easy, but he didn’t think it needed a cast. The trip was a short one, but it was good to see Doc and he promised to see me later that week. He dropped by every couple of days, and it was always good to see him.

When we came back, I shot a look to the room I’d seen Eric in, but Jasper just led me back inside.

Two weeks of this new routine later, I’d watched more movies than I had in my entire life, learned how to play pool, figured out one of the arcade games they had set up and beaten the pants off Vaughn, Freddie, and Kestrel at poker.

That was one game I did know.

Funnily enough, they assumed I didn’t. They wanted to call it beginner’s luck, and I let them.

But I was so fucking bored.

I did stretches every morning and evening. I’d taken to watching the movies on the floor doing the splits. It didn’t matter, it was getting harder to sleep at night. I’d read every single book they’d brought me. Twice.

Jasper started bringing me new books on the nights he stayed in the room. Fuck, those nights were uncomfortable. I was aware of every breath he took, every time he shifted, and each time his gaze rested on me. Yet not once had any of them done anything threatening. If anything, they’d been solicitous and kind.

They still wouldn’t tell me what they wanted or how long they planned on keeping me. I’d actually given up on asking.

One morning, Vaughn guided me down to breakfast, then leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “Be good today, Dove. I’m at the shop until late, but I’ll bring you back a surprise.” Then he was striding away.

The whole room froze, not just me. Rome and Liam were both at breakfast, and Liam just smirked as he poured white gravy over some biscuits. My heart thudded painfully at the ease of that motion and the fact I’d actually smiled. I couldn’t fucking help it when he said he’d bring me back a surprise.

Vaughn was a tattoo artist. One evening, I’d finally asked him about all these appointments he had. I mean gang member, kidnapper, and living in this box with no windows, and he had appointments?

“I work in a tattoo shop,” he told me. The smile curving his lips had my