This World is Outrageous { BOOK 2 }

Chapter 11--Casper

"Ridge, we aren't going to kill you." I say.

"Well that's a relief." He has a twang of sarcasm to his tone. "Why do I sense there's a "but" coming?"

"But," I continue.

"There it is." He grumbles. "But what?"

"We can't exactly trust you now, can we?"

"Well I—"

"Let me finish!" I shush him, "if you are indeed a Warrior then what makes us think that you won't lash out again? This time it could be even worse than trying to strangle Bay. It could be you killing one of us. Is it worth having you come along only to put us in more danger than we are already in?" I glance over at Bay.

"We need to be heading to Chillicothe." She picks up where I left off, "we are on a tight schedule. The question of the hour is whether or not you should come with us. All the way from Ohio to New York is a long way to go without transforming to a Warrior again. Do you get where we are coming from? Do you understand our concerns?"

After a few moments of silence he finally replies, choking out each word he speaks. "Yes, I do, but you need me."

"Give us one reason." I raise my brows, "one reason that we need you."

"If I am a Warrior then I can easily get you one place to another, can I not?"

I look over at Bay, raising my brows. I am rather shocked that his argument actually makes sense. "Like an escort?" I say.

He gives a brief nod. "If you need to get to New York then I can help with that! If you get caught due to lack of helmets, I can say that I am escorting you to Master Zedd. Simple as that."

"If?" Bay protests, "Ridge, you don't even have a helmet. Why would they believe you for even a second?"

"Bay is right..." I skim my callused hands over my neck, "but Zachary, Ridge also had a fair point. We need him."

"We do?"

I sigh.

"Then what? He can stay?" Bay mumbles questioningly.

"He'd be essential, yes."

She huffs in frustration. "Fine."

"We need to move then." I tell him as I pull out the white, spherical cuffs that came with the Jotunn suit. I position his hands in front of him before snapping them onto his wrists and seal them shut with my thumbprint. "As for us, Bay." I glance at her, "in order to stay under the radar I suggest that we lose the suits. They'll be looking for two fugitives wearing suits, no doubt. That and we stick out like a sore thumb without helmets."

She pouts. "But it's cold out."

"We will find a shop along the way to Chillicothe."

"Can we wear the suits until then?" She gazes up at me with big, blue eyes.

I furrow my brow and sigh. How could I not cave into her? "Fine, but when we find a clothing store we lose the suits." When did I go soft? I'm not a soft kind of guy.

She smiles, "Okay." She walks out of the demolished building, passing a few of the dying flames with swaying hips.

I look at Ridge who stares right back at me. "Is she normally that seductively flirtatious?" He whispers with raised brows.