Concealed in the Shadows (Book #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Hey. Can we chat?" Cy asks me as he pushes himself off the brick wall outside of the shower commune. His serious demeanor causes me déjà vu to when Crewe made a similar request yesterday during target practice at the safe house.

"Yeah. Sure," I answer, concern growing in me. "We need towels," I tell Crewe, who still leans against the wall where he was waiting with his brother for Evvie and me to finish up.

My sister and I had secured new clothing that suffices, and were able to rinse our gear some before the timer on the shower ran out, but we didn't have anything to dry ourselves off with, or wrap our wet clothes in. We took turns using a pair of jeans to towel off.

The brothers must have fashioned something similar, or perhaps they always have a towel and a fresh set of clothes set aside in the showering station. I didn't see either of them grab clothing for themselves from the storehouse where we got our necessities, but now they each wear blue jeans and clean, crisp tees. 

"Oh, sorry," Crewe says. "Evvie, will you join me to pick out a couple of towels?" Crewe doesn't ask my permission to leave with my sister, and I try to mask my unease about separating from her. This is the first time I have to trust a Sheridan with Evvie's care without the immediacy of my presence. Distrust still lingers in me, much because I can never be confident that anyone can take better care of my sister than I can. But Crewe is not just anyone among the Sheridans, or seeksman even. He's the one who dove to protect me as the bullets whizzed by. I need to trust him. I need to believe that he would protect Evvie with his life if it came to that.

He is already walking back toward the parking area and storehouse by the time I decide it's okay with me for her to go. Evvie doesn't ask my permission either, or put any kind of weight to the moment, as she skips away at Crewe's side, asking him questions.

"What's going on?" I ask Cy as I wring cold water from my wet, wavy hair. Cy watches as I squeeze and comb my hair with my fingers. He's been watching me for years, but I suppose he's never seen me fresh and clean or wearing jeans with my hair down. I usually only let it down at bedtime. Another few minutes to air dry and I'll be out of patience with it and putting it up.

"Crewe and I were talking," Cy starts, finding my eyes. "We were thinking a different plan might be safer for tonight."

"Like what?" I ask Cy. Maybe I'm too preoccupied with untangling my hair, because I'm lost in the conversation already. Had we already discussed and determined a plan for tonight? There have been so many pressing plans made in such a short time span, that it's becoming hard to keep track of what we have talked about.

"It's not smart for us to be on the outskirts of town tonight. Crewe realized that'll be a red flag that we are the ones they're hunting. We don't think the BOTs know any one residence from another here, but just to be safe, we want to avoid our place too."

"That makes sense." I have no objection so far, but I have a premonition that there are more stipulations to come that I may be unhappy with. Why else would he have asked to talk, not before removing Evvie from the scene, rather than just doing so?

"So where will we go?" I ask him. He scratches at his damp locks, beginning to resemble the light, shiny color the sun has bleached his hair to be.

"That's the other thing. Crewe thinks we should split up." There's the key. The sweeter, younger brother was sent to convey Crewe's intention. I suppose Crewe hopes that I would be more trusting and open to the idea coming from his friendly and widely loved brother. "We don't have to split up entirely, but we don't want the two of you or the two of us to be together. The four of us can't stay together. You see the reason in that, right?"