Page 46 of Hostile Saint

Smiling because my angel was in my sights, my fingers pulled at the grass to try to stop my retreat. “But you guys, it’s my Pretty Girl.”

Dagger grumbled, “If he reopens Doc’s fine work, I’m gonna kill a Saint.”

Lynx kept trying to quiet the laughter as he whispered, “Not sure, but I think killing saints is against biblical rules or some shit.”

Back in the safety of the trees, Vice plopped down to his butt but didn’t dare release my ankles. “Kid, this stakeout was almost over before it began.”

I couldn’t stop beaming. Still on the ground—under several heavy bikers—I asked Lynx, “Did you see her? Did you see what I’ve been talking about?”

He had a hold of my shoulder. “No. I was too busy taking down a moron.”

Lacey was sitting on a little decorative black iron chair in front of a matching table. Her long-sleeved arms were crossed over her chest, but she did, indeed, look somewhat relaxed. I couldn’t tell how well she was being fed due to her sweatpants, but her cheeks weren’t sunken, like the time she stopped eating after the brothers…

“Look now,” I begged Lynx. I think I needed someone to confirm I wasn’t dreaming. “I won’t crawl away.”

Smirking, he gazed up. Then his body sighed. “Oh, yeah, I get it, Pup. She’s a little gem.” Then he whispered over his shoulder, “Like for real. She’s tiny.” He asked me, “How old is she, again?”

Across the table from her sat a man with greying hair. He was talking to her, but she was gazing off into the woods. In our direction. Yet her blank stare showed she wasn’t seeing us. I wondered what she was thinking about. If she was asking herself where I was. “She’s seventeen.” She needs me. If only these heavy men would get off me.

There were only a few other people—who looked to be patients—sitting in chairs around more little fancy patio tables. One orderly, in an all-white uniform, stood by the back door watching over them.

From my feet, Vice joked, “So, uh, hang here for a bit?”

Lynx smacked me on the back of the head. “Behaving now?”

Only until I get a chance to run to her. I nodded. “Yeah.”

Letting me go, Lynx sat on his butt. “No apology?”

“I will never apologize for wanting to be right by her side.”

Rolling off me, Dagger coughed, “Lynx Junior.”

Lynx exhaled through a chuckle. “I know. I know.”

Not letting Lace from my sight, I sat up and curled my legs to my chest, so I could try to trick my arms into believing my legs were her. Full of gratitude, my arms wrapped around tightly, warning that they would only act fooled for so long.

I hear ya, but we gotta ditch the old guys before getting the real thing.

When the man at Lacey’s table tried to get her attention again by touching her hand, Vice told me, “His name is Doctor Vincent Landon.”

“Well, he needs to not touch her.”

Dagger was very amused. “Lil’ Saint getting jealous?”

My head snapped to him as I pointed toward Serenity. “She’s mine.”

To Lynx, he sounded like a scorned mother. “Are you really just going to sit there and let him talk to me like that?” His head bobbed with attitude, which was hysterical with his beard and eyepatch.

I muffled laughter. “You make for an ugly woman.”

“Finally.” He rolled his eye. “Some good news.”

Resting my chin on my knees, I sighed. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Lynx exhaled, too. “We need to come up with a plan so you can start your wooing someday soon.”

Oh, it begins today, my friend. “Yeah, any suggestions?”