OF THE NIGHT ∘ Seth Gecko

11 | Righteous

Luckily, Kate doesn't wake up and once the car is parked, I unbuckle my seatbelt only to see that Seth is doing the same. He notices it too and our gazes meet.

"What are you doing?" Seth asks, making me feel like we're strangers and I've just jumped into his car and told him to drive.

Frowning, I reply, "Going to get us what we nee-"

"No," he interrupts me as if it should have been obvious. "I'm going out there."

A slightly amused half smile crosses my lips and I title my head to the side like I'm looking at a child. "No, you're staying here," I say and he raises his eyebrows in a silent question. "You need to stay and watch over Kate and the car."

"You'll manage, Lara Croft," he assures me, giving the same importance to my words as I gave his. Then, he reaches for the door handle and starts opening it.

"I'm serious, Seth," I say and hold his arm before he can get out. He turns around to look at me, frowning. "First of all, you're wanted. Second of all, you stand out like a sore thumb not only because of your suit, but because you look suspicious and you're not friendly. But no one knows who I am and I'll raise no suspicion."

Grumpily, he says, "That's encouraging..." He studies me for a long moment, before adding, "Alright, but make it quick and take your gun with you. No shopping sprees."

Satisfied, I smile and take the envelope that lies between us. Inside is the money that Jacob took for the Fuller family's trip to Mexico, which Kate has agreed to let us use now for whatever we'll need. I take an amount that should be enough and put the rest back. I have wondered about what happened to Tanner and Jacob, yet I don't dare ask and I assume they're dead.

Before going into the small shop, I enter the bathroom. It doesn't smell very good and it looks like no one has cleaned it in two weeks, but it will do. I use the bathroom with caution and once I'm done, I take off the jacket that I've been carrying with me since Richie was rescued. It's dirty with someone's blood and I feel lucky that the weather isn't cold because I won't be missing this layer of clothing. I put the jacket in the trash and stand in front of the mirror. With water and toilet paper, I wipe away the dry blood from different places on my skin, leaving them slightly red from the rubbing.

Once I'm satisfied with how I look - meaning there are no signs to what I've been through aside from my injured cheek - I walk into the shop and remember Seth's words. I try not to waste too much time and as my stomach grumbles hungrily at the sight of food, I start there. It takes me five minutes to take an amount of food that should be enough for three people and find tourist t-shirts of Mexico. The shirts are cheap and a good enough replacement for the dirty shirts we're wearing.

When I walk back towards the car, I'm holding a plastic bag and a map in my hands. Seth waits for me outside, leaning on the vehicle's side. He watched me through the entire way and I try to act like I don't care, but find myself looking away a few times because of the butterflies in my stomach.

Coming to stand next to him, I pull out the biggest t-shirt that bought and offer it to him, saying, "A new shirt. For you." With the way he looks between it and me, you'd think I was giving him that jacket from the garbage. I start laughing. "It's not high-fashion, but it's new and clean. Come on, it's not like you have someone to impress here."

Instead of looking like he doesn't know what I want from him, something changes in the way he looks at me, his gaze feels more intense. "Take a moment and think that over, May."

My smile slowly fades and I lower my gaze to the bag in my hands. I put the shirt back in and try to act normal as I take out a sandwich and a bottle of water, which Seth takes silently. With that, I get back into the car and start eating and drinking.