The rejection was clear. Rubi held up his hands. “Just tell me what you need, brother.”
Already distracted, Locke placed an oxygen mask over Viktor’s face. “A banana. Or one of those snack bars the kids have.”
“That’s all you want?”
“Yeah.” Locke rubbed at his ear with a shaky hand. “And some water.”
“On it.”
Rubi backed up.
Decoy stayed. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing.” Locke checked Viktor’s pulse. Bent low to examine his face. “Help me clean him up?”
Decoy shot me an uneasy glance. “What about you?”
“I’m fine.”
He wasn’t. As beautiful as Locke always was to me, right now, he was a devastating mess, jaw set in pain, eyes heavy with trauma, his entire face drawn in exhaustion.
Rubi came back with supplies. He handed them over and beckoned me away.
Outside, he gripped my shoulders. “I’ve seen this before. That superhero ain’t standing down until he’s saved the world, so we’re gonna have to improvise.”
“Improvise?”
“Sister, he’s locked and loaded in firefighter mode. He’s not going to leave Viktor until he knows he’s okay or someone cleverer than us comes home to take over.”
“He needs help.”
“Yup. So help him where he sits cos that stubborn motherfucker ain’t moving.”
Rubi stepped away with a burner phone pressed to his ear. Mine was still in my bra. Still vibrating and beeping with unanswered calls.
Nash. I yanked it out as another call rang out. Hit him right back but the line was busy, and the pull to be with Locke was so potent it hurt.
Help him where he sits.
I slipped back inside as Decoy was dressing Viktor in dry clothes.
Locke sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, gaze still trained on Viktor, though his eyes had grown heavier. An empty water bottle lay beside him with the wrapper of a cereal bar that couldn’t have touched the sides.
I cleared the rubbish away and came back to squat in front of him. “Hi.”
Locke blinked and finally seemed to truly see me. “Hi.”
“Do you want more to eat?”
“Can’t. Has to be slow.”
“What does?”
Viktor moved, resisting Decoy’s efforts.
Locke sat up and caught his flailing arm. “Easy. You’re safe here.”
Viktor stilled again.