Page 52 of Off the Rails

Setting my mug down, I reached across the counter and grabbed at the strong muscle. She barely flinched under the weight of my tug and my center pulsed at the feeling of her skin on mine.

“What’s this?”

Nash smirked. “A coqui. Small frog, indigenous to Puerto Rico.”

My curiosity piqued. I didn’t often ask the Freaks many questions about themselves. But this was too odd to let lie. “Is that where your family is from?”

Her face fell suddenly, her jaw tensing. “Something like that.”

Blade appeared behind us. “Ready to go, bro?”

“Yep.” With a wink, Nash pulled her arm away.

“Wait, where are you headed?” I asked, more desperate than I would have liked. Cyrus had left early that morning, off to “work” — whatever that meant. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in this huge apartment alone.

I was already too bored for my own good and despite myself, I’d rather spend the day out with these two feral captors than cooped up here.

Blade wiggled her eyebrows. “Errands.”

Without saying more, the two of them headed for the door. But as they reached for the knob, I shouted after them. “Wait! Can I come?”

Blade turned around first, surprise written all over her face. “Really? You want to?”

“It’s boring shit.” Nash explained, watching me carefully.

Laughing, I walked closer. “What? Why is that surprising? The alternative is I stay locked up in your little haunted fairytale tower like some Grimm-ass princess. Yeah, no thanks. I’ll just come with.”

“You’ll just run, no?” Nash’s brows pressed together.

Shaking my head, I stuck my hands in my pockets, hoping I’d look more innocent. “I think you all underestimate how much I could do with $20k. I’d really rather not go back to any of the places I used to stay. Not very glamorous.”

Blade licked her lips. “She’s not going anywhere, she likes what we have to give her. Isn’t that right, Trinket?”

I rolled my eyes, bothered by it. But it also wasn’t a total lie. Even if I was reluctant to admit it.

When I didn’t answer, Nash grabbed her keys and threw open the door. “Fuck it. If you try to run, I’ll chase you through the streets anyway. After you, Sweet Lamb.”

She held the door open, letting me pass while keeping an eye on Butch, who looked eager for an afternoon stroll.

Hot on my tail, Blade zipped out of the apartment and through the rainforest-themed restaurant below.

Outside, it was sunny and the warmth of late August hit my skin.

Nash walked us around to a utility building behind the jungle decor that lined the paths of Jungle Jolt. Reaching down for the garage door, Nash lifted the gate.

“Holy shit.” I gawked at the expansive garage, a few cars crammed inside.

At the front, a huge, pitch-black Cadillac Escalade. I’d seen cars like it around Valemont before, unsure what kind of person drove such a massive car.

Every once in a while, a decked out Escalade would appear in the parking lot of the club.

Was it my Freaks?

“Hop in, Trinket.” Blade pulled open the front passenger door, dramatically gesturing into the car.

Swallowing hard, I walked into the dark garage. Behind the Escalade, a trim sports car made its home next to a sleek sedan. I hadn’t seen this many nice cars next to each other often, if ever.

Where the fuck is this money coming from?