Chapter 26

“If you think Nicky put his hands on anyone else to harm them, you’re wrong, Justice. I guarantee it,” Dawn told me.

I met her eye to eye, “I’ll keep that in mind,” then did the same to Nicky. “Let’s step outside a minute. You obviously don’t mind the heat.” I touched the open front of the neon orange hoodie. “This thing’s pretty heavy.”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever.” I turned Nicky in that direction, and then followed him to the exit, summoning Preston with the tilt of my head.

Together, the three of us convened on the sidewalk, leaving Dawn and Archie inside.

“You don’t like Archie much, huh?”

“He gets everything he wants, just because he’s…because his parents died.”

“You wish Dawn would let you work here?”

“It’s not just that.”

“What is it, then?” Preston asked.

“Who’s he?”