Page 10
Flash
I t didn’t take long for Micah to write the list Wrath had asked him for. He didn’t just write names, though; he wrote little specifics next to them so that we knew just what all these people had been doing and which ones were involved in the plot to physically harm Cam. His level of detail without being asked is impressive. I scanned over the list as he wrote it, and I didn’t miss the detail about the fact that the teacher who had been targeting Cam had also overheard the horrible shit those kids were planning, and instead of doing something about it, like a fucking teacher should, she just smiled and walked off.
The fact she’s targeting Cam has already placed her on all our shit lists, but when everyone else learns that she was more than aware of what those kids were planning for Cam, she’ll be fucking lucky if Wrath and Flame leave her breathing. Her being a woman will mean nothing to them, or any of us, when she’s dealt with. Not after what she’s been doing to Cam. Not after she was knowingly going to allow those kids to physically harm Cam. No, she’s going to pay. Us normally not touching women isn’t going to mean a thing, not after her actions and inactions.
With the list made, I send a quick picture of it over to Wrath and Flame so they have time to digest what Micah has written down. I know they’re going to need time to wrap their heads around the additional information on here before they can calmly come up with a plan to deal with these people. Some of the things that they’ve been saying are disgusting. I’d be furious if I found out an adult had been spouting off this crap to another adult, knowing it’s been coming from kids and is being said to another kid is hard to wrap my head around, and I’m not as directly involved as Wrath and Flame. I know it’s going to hit them even harder than what Micah told them in person when they read just the sort of things that have been said to Cam.
I look up from my phone when I hear Micah make a small sound, like he’s trying to get my attention but is wary at the same time. I glance over at him and flash him a small smile, hoping to alleviate whatever he’s feeling right now.
“Is there a chance you could take me home, Flash? Well, close to home. It’s late, and if I don’t hurry, my mom is going to freak out.”
“Of course I’ll take you, Micah. Where am I dropping you off?”
“Point Park. It’s not far from home.”
“Come on then. Grab your bag, and let’s get you home.”
“Thank you.” Micah says as he reaches down for his school bag and pulls it onto his back before following me out of Piston’s office.
Even without him asking for me to take him, I always planned to make sure he got home safely. I couldn’t not. Even without any answers right now, I know deep down he’s connected to me somehow. It’s the only thing that makes sense with his resemblance to Wyatt. I don’t believe it’s just some weird coincidence. No, there is something deeper here, and I will find out what it is. Even if it’s the last thing I do. There’s no way I can just let this go; it’s not how I’m built.
The ride to Point Park doesn’t take us long at all; I wish it had been a little bit longer. Micah clearly enjoyed the short ride I originally gave him to The Clubhouse earlier, and I’m always all for giving someone the experience on the back of a bike. There’s no other feeling like it in this world, and I thoroughly believe everyone should get to experience it at least once in their lifetime. It’s the closest you can come to flying without actually having wings on your back. Feeling the wind whip around you as you travel. There’s no other feeling like it in the world.
The ride to Point Park started off much like the one to The Clubhouse; Micah was clearly enjoying the ride, his body was relaxed around me, and I heard the occasional young-sounding laugh as we rode, but I couldn’t help but notice the way he got more and more tense behind me the closer we got to our destination. It was like he was shutting himself down the closer he got to his home. I have a really bad feeling about the way he’s acting; it’s not normal behavior for a child or even an adult, but I know there’s not a lot I can do about it. At least there isn’t right now. I have no proof of anything untoward happening in his life, just a feeling in my gut. I can’t act on anything I’m feeling until I have more details and know what his connection is to me and Wyatt.
Even knowing there isn’t much I can do at this time, there is one thing I know I can do, and it will give me some peace of mind. I can give him a way to contact me if he needs it. I can make it clear to him that if he ever needs help or if anything happens, I’m only a phone call away, and I will always come if he calls. It might not be a lot in the grand scheme of things, but for the moment my hands are tied. This is going to have to be enough for now.
I don’t know what his connection is to me, even though I’m sure there is one. What I do know is that his mom has made it clear to him that she doesn’t want him anywhere near Devil’s Inferno and its members. I can’t risk doing more than giving him my number; I won’t put him in an awkward situation with his mother. She has her reasons for wanting to keep him away from us, even if to me they are fucking stupid. We weren’t the ones in the wrong with the situation that went down with Megan. No, the only person in the wrong was Megan, but we all know parents can have a blind spot where their kids are concerned, and she clearly has a rather large blind spot where her daughter is concerned.
As I pull up to Point Park, I scan our surroundings to check we’re clear of prying eyes that could cause trouble for Micah, and as far as I can tell, we’re alone. I can’t help but thank my lucky stars for that one; I don’t want someone seeing us and causing Micah trouble by informing his mother that he’s been with a member of Devil’s Inferno. I can’t imagine that would go down well at all. Micah climbs off the back of my bike like an old pro and not a kid who’s only been on the back of a bike for the first time today. He’s a natural.
“Thank you for listening to me and bringing me home.” Micah says as he hands back the helmet I borrowed to him for the ride here.
“You’re very welcome. Do you have your phone on you?” I ask him.
“Yeah, but it’s not great.” He says as he pulls out a very outdated phone that I’m pretty sure only sends texts and receives calls. He can’t hide his look of embarrassment as he hands over the phone that should really be in a museum. It’s that goddamn old.
There’s another red flag. Another warning sign that something isn’t quite right. Why doesn’t he at least have a smartphone? It’s not like he needs the newest one or whatever, but they’re a dime a dozen nowadays, and I don’t think I’ve seen a kid with anything less than a smartphone in a very long time.
“I’m going to give you my number; if you ever need anything, no matter how small you might think it is, I want you to either text or call me. I will always come if you need me.”
“Why would you do that? I’m just some random kid. Even worse than that, I’m Megan’s little brother, and I know what she did to Shadow and Wreck. I overheard the lady who came to our house and spoke to my mom.”
“Because you didn’t have to come to us today and tell us what was going on at school. You did it because you care about Cam, and everyone deserves someone to reach out to if they need something; who your sister is means nothing. You are your own person. Your actions show me the type of person you are, Micah, and it’s nothing like your sister.”
Micah gives me a small smile, and I see a small amount of the tension he’s been carrying around since we got here drain from his body. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still way more tension in his young body than there should be, but there is less now that he knows he’s going to have someone to reach out to if he ever needs to. That I honestly don’t hold the actions of Megan against him. He hands over his phone for me to put my number in, and it takes me a few minutes longer than it normally would. What can I say? It’s been a very long time since I had to press a button multiple times just to get one letter in the contact line. I forgot just what a pain it used to be to use a phone; man, I really don’t miss this at all. Thank God we have the phones we do now.
Micah is chuckling at me by the time I hand his phone back to him. I’m glad my annoyance with his phone has given him something to laugh about, even if he is laughing at my expense. I do make sure to send myself a text so I have his number too. The text might just be a random letter because fuck if I was spending the time trying to type more than that using that outdated thing, but at least I now have his number too. I know I’m going to want to check on him in the future, and I want an easy way to contact him once I have some answers.
“Thank you for bringing me back and for the number. I need to get going before Mom starts to wonder where I am.” Micah says before turning on his heels and rushing off.
I watch him go, my heart feeling heavy and full of worry as I watch him disappear from my view. I know I need to find some answers fast. I have a terrible feeling that Micah isn’t as safe and loved as he wants people to believe. Why else would he act the way he does? Why would he get more tense the closer we got to his home? Something is amiss, and I don’t fucking like it. Not one bit.
I pull my phone out before heading back towards The Clubhouse. I want to save Micah’s number now so I know it’s there in my phone, but I also want to see if I have any messages, and would you know it, I do. I have one from Jake. I can’t help but smile at that; he’s become a really good friend these past few months, and there’s definitely a connection between us that I’m hoping one day will develop into more. It just hasn’t been the right time to do anything about what I’ve been feeling towards him, and with these new developments, it looks like I’m going to have to wait a bit longer to make my move.
After opening Micah’s message and saving his number, I click open Jake’s message to see what he has to say. He’s asking me to meet him back at The Knightlye Mansion. It doesn’t actually say that, but I know that’s what he means by home. Even though Jake is fully recovered now, we’ve both still been staying at his family home. As I carry on reading his message, I see that after I left with Micah for The Clubhouse earlier, Piston filled him in on why I reacted the way I did when I first caught sight of Micah, and Jake being Jake has already set things in motion for me to hopefully gain some answers. I’m about to have a face-to-face with a woman who’s lied and manipulated people I care about. I’m honestly not expecting her to tell me what I want and need to know, but I’ve got to at least try. Megan telling me what I want to know is the quickest way to gain answers, but I very much doubt she’ll give me any answers out of the goodness of her heart. Her heart is as fucking black as they come. She won’t willingly tell me what I want to know without knowing there is something in it for her. I’ve never even met her in person before, and I know all this is true; I’ve heard enough about her from not only Shadow and Wreck but all the Knightlyes too. None of them had anything good to say about her, not even Rex, who used to be her friend before she tried to use him for her own gain.
After sliding my phone back into my pocket and tucking the spare helmet Micah used into my saddlebag, I straddle my bike and head off towards The Knightlye Mansion. I need to spend the time I have on the ride out there to prepare myself. I know whatever I might learn is going to be life-changing. I can feel it in my bones. I know that no matter what I learn, though, I’ll deal with it like I do everything else, and I know I won’t be dealing with it alone. Not only will I have Piston right there next to me like I always do, but I’ll have Jake this time too, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. I have a feeling his steady and calm presence is going to be imperative to helping me stay level-headed through whatever I’m about to discover.