Chapter 10: Red Bow

I went down the steps.

Gage met me at the bottom and wrapped both arms around me, box and all, and lifted me clean off the ground.

He smelled like motor oil and gas station coffee.

"You stink like a dumpster," he said into my hair.

"I was in a dumpster."

He set me down and held me at arm's length.

"Why?"

"For your box."

He looked at the tin under my arm, then up at the hotel, thirty-four stories of glass.

"Who do I need to hit?"

"Nobody."

"Is it him?" He tipped his head at Simon.

Simon came down the last two steps and held out his hand.

"Simon Clancy. I'm the overseer of her father's estate."

Gage looked at the hand for a second, then shook it.

"What's an overseer?"

"The man who writes down what her brother does wrong."

Gage thought about that.

"That a full-time job?"

"Lately," Simon said.

Gage laughed, one loud bark, and something in my chest let go.

Simon gave Gage his card and gave me a long look.

"My team will call you tomorrow. Before they do anything."

"I know."

"Drive safe," he said to Gage. "She hasn't eaten."

"She never does when she's mad," Gage said. "I got Cheetos."

We were over the Massachusetts line before either of us said anything else.

The truck heater only worked on high, so we drove with the windows cracked an inch.

Gage handed me the Cheetos without looking.

I ate the whole bag.

Then I told him everything except the part about dying.

The envelopes. The horse. The lock. The ring in the champagne tower.

"You slapped her?" He sounded delighted. "Win. You hit somebody?"

"Once."

"Mama would've grounded you for a month."

"Mama would've handed me the ice pack after."

He grinned at the road.

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