Page 27

“Evening, Miss Lucy.”

Lucy grabbed a small box above the pile and handed it to Gerard through the window. It was a box of chocolate-covered raspberries. The side read, “Betty’s Sweets”.

“Here. For Octavia.”

If possible, the man’s smile got even wider. “Thank you. You just made me Dad of the Week.”

“You’re welcome. I live to serve.” Lucy gestured to Leah. “This is my friend, Leah Davis. She’s helping me with everything today.”

Gerard nodded. “Nice. Can I see your ID?”

“Of course.” Leah handed over her ID card.

Gerard took it to the station and scanned it. After a few seconds, the machine beeped. Gerard returned and handed the card to Leah.

“You’re good to go. Great to see you again, Miss Lucy.”

“You too.”

The black gates opened, the hinges squeaking once. “How often do you come here? Do you know all the guards?”

“Once a month or so. I volunteer here.”

“I don’t get it. How can you work for vampires when you see what they do to humans?”

“Humans can be just as cruel. The vampires don’t treat us worse than how humans treat each other.” Lucy’s tone was serious. Leah must’ve touched a nerve, but she understood what Lucy meant. Despite what the Organization said, humans weren’t so much better than vampires.

“I see.” The other woman’s solemn response was unexpected.

Leah stared out the window as silence descended. They passed a few light poles with cameras on top. A few gazebos dotted the landscape here and there, providing shade from the blazing afternoon sun that baked the earth. All the gardens they passed only had low cacti and groundcover.

“Why are there no tall plants?” Leah asked. “Everything is so… flat.”

“It eliminates any hiding spots,” Lucy explained. “There are always patients who attempt to escape, especially in the first few weeks when the withdrawal symptoms are the worst. The shelter grounds are designed so there is nowhere to hide.”

“Just like a prison.”

The Compound could use a few pointers from these shelter designers, considering Leah had escaped three times. Then again, they’d caught her each time, and the Guard Captain had delighted in punishing her, so maybe they’d kept the Compound deceptively easy to escape on purpose.

“It’s for the patients’ safety. It’s not that bad. See?”

The car made a right turn, and the shelter came into view.

Leah’s mouth dropped.

Chapter Nine

Amansion,athree-storycolonial monstrosity with tall white columns and a wraparound porch, stood in front of them. It looked more like a Hampton house for sale than a rehab center and was a far cry from the barn on the outskirts of Miami. The grounds flanking the entryway were tastefully planted with blooming shrubs surrounded by green hedges.

A tall oak tree, the only one on the property, stood to the right side of the house. A person lounged with a book in hand on the wooden bench under the tree. As their car rolled to a stop, Leah saw the hanging swings on the porch and had an absurd urge to relax there.

Three people greeted them. Leah was amused but not surprised when Lucy hugged each one. She was probably friends with everyone here.

Running water babbled somewhere nearby. Maybe a pond or a fountain? Leah wanted to explore but turned her attention back to Lucy and the others.

Lucy introduced her to the newcomers. The black-haired middle-aged man in the white robe was Dr. Maxwell. Leah wasn’t a fan of doctors—none of the doctors at the Compound gave a shit—but Dr. Maxwell seemed nice enough. The golden-skinned woman whose smile was as wide as Lucy’s was Head of Patient Safety, Christine. The taller and bigger man in an orderly uniform next to her was more reserved. His name tag read Miles.

As Leah shook everyone’s hands, Lucy ordered Tristan to open the backs of the first two cars. Miles unloaded the boxes while Christine oohed and aahed.