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“Beauty?”
“Yep.I’m loyal to The Skulls,and the old ladies are more than happy to let me work on theirhair.”Lacey smiled, looking at Charlotte.“I could do wonders foryour hair.It’s so long.”
“You’re not touching herhair,” Gash said.
Tugging out her ponytail, Charlotte stuckher tongue out at Gash.“What do you recommend?”
Lacey chuckled.“I likeyou.”
“I’ll probably be deadbefore you can do anything.”
She noticed that made Laceypause.
“Excuse me?”Laceyasked.
“Gash is threatening mylife.I don’t know how much time I’ve got left.”
Gash slumped.“I’m not going to killyou.”
Charlotte looked at Gash and shrugged.“You’re the one that has been threatening to kill me.I accept myfate, and if I don’t make it out alive, then I don’t.”
“This is weird,” Whizz said.“Talking about your death should have you at least a littlefreaked.Normal women would be freaked out, even Lacey, and she’snot that close to normal.”
“Hey!”Lacey said, chuckling atthe same time.They were a strange couple, but seeing them both together,it worked.
Charlotte smiled.“I’ve had a lot oftime to deal with it.”
“You’re Charlotte,” Whizzsaid, moving toward her.
Lacey didn’t stop running fingersthrough her hair.“Purple, it would totally rock purple, and atrim.I bet we could put some curls in the length, and it wouldtotally look fuckable.”
Gash groaned.
“I tell you what,” Charlottesaid.“When we finish what we’re doing, you can do whatever thehell you want with my hair.”
“Deal.”Lacey glared at Gash.“She better be back in one piece, or I’m going to startmakingsomeserious use of the knives that Whizz gave me forChristmas.”
“Lacey, keep Gash company.I wantto talk to Charlotte.”
Before she could protest, Whizzwas draggingher down a long corridor into a large room that looked like acommand center.
“Wow,” she said.“That’s alot of computers.”
“Yes, it is.This is myoffice.Welcome.”Whizz closed the door, and Charlotte leanedagainst the wall that had nothing against it, no technology, andnothing worth breaking.
“I don’t want to touchanything in case I, erm, I break it.”
“Have you told him?”heasked.
“Told him?”
“About what youlost?”
Charlotte tensed up.“No one knowsabout that.”
“There’s always a trail,Charlotte.No one is clear from shit like a forced abortion.Therehad to be paperwork.”
She pressed a hand against her stomachas tears filled her eyes.