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I was too damned tired to argue with her. “I’ll pay you back, Shirley. I promise.”
Shirley waved me off. “River, get your life together and make it a good one. That’s the only payback I need.” She smiled at me and stood. “I have to get back to work. I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”
As soon as Shirley left the room, I dragged my feet across the tile floor to Bob’s office. I didn’t lock the door this time since Shirley would need to wake me, and I left the light on. I cured up on the couch and drifted off into a fitful sleep.
Chapter Four
I felt hands on my shoulders, shaking me. The touch was much gentler than I was used to.
I detected a soft voice. “River, wake up.”
I bolted upright, nearly smacking Shirley on the head with mine.
“It’s all right, doll. It’s just me.” Shirley sat down on the couch near my feet, her kind eyes assessing me. “How ya feelin’?”
“Like I got my ass beat last night.” I stretched, my body creaking and groaning. I ran my fingers through my hair, making a half-assed attempt to manage the tangles.
“While you were sleeping, Ed and I gathered up a few necessities for you.”
I frowned, not understanding what she was referring to.
“Here.” Shirley handed me a plastic grocery bag.
I rifled through it, tears welling in my eyes. A brush, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, tampons, an iPod, charger, headphones, and a disposable phone.
“Shirley,” I whispered, my tone heavy with gratitude.
“And this.” She took my hand and turned it palm up. Shirley placed a small wad of bills in it. “Now listen to me, young lady. You keep the phone and bills in your pocket, or better yet, your bra. That way, if you lose your bag, you still have a way to call me and money to eat with. Do you understand?”
I gulped, attempting to clear the lump in my throat. No one had ever been this kind, much less given a shit about what happened to me. Unable to form words, I threw my arms around Shirley’s neck and clung to her.
“It’s going to be all right, River.” She patted my back.
I released her and nodded, even though I couldn’t believe what she’d said.
“My number is programmed into the phone. You have an hour of prepaid minutes so use it wisely. Texts are cheaper than calling, so send me one and let me know when you’re at the shelter.”
“I will.” Tears pricked my eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you enough.”
Shirley waved me off. “If I had a daughter, and she was in your shoes, I would hope a kindhearted person would help her out, too. Pay it forward. You got it?” Shirley tucked strands of my brown hair behind my ear and smiled as she patted my cheek gently.
“One more thing,” Ed said as he strolled into the room. He approached me and held out his hand. “Keep this on your person, not in your bag.”
I frowned and took the knife from him.
“Do you know how to open it safely?” Ed asked, compassion in his eyes.
“Yeah, Dan had a knife. Not like this one, but it folded.” I carefully opened it, the blade locking into place. “This is … wow.”
“It’s a Spyderco Matriarch 2 with a three-and-a-half inch and reverse S blade.”
I arched an eyebrow at him.
“It will protect you.” Ed smiled at me. “I need to know you’ll have a chance if those fuckers come after you.”
“Yeah, me too. I’ll make sure I can easily reach it if needed.” It wouldn’t fit in my shoe, but I could put the money and knife in my bra. Even if it bulged a little, my sweatshirt was baggy enough to conceal it.
“Keep us updated, kid. And good luck.” Ed gave me a brief salute, winked at Shirley, then left Bob’s office.
