That one landed.
He nods once. “Then I’ll fix it.”
“Not take it apart?”
“Fix it.”
“And I keep my phone.”
Sophie says, “Wildcat needs to check it first.”
“My old phone?”
“Any phone.”
“I don’t want men going through it.”
“I can sit with Wildcat while he checks for tracking and spyware,” Sophie says. “You can watch.”
I nod slowly.
That feels fair.
Strange, but fair.
“And August stays with me,” I say.
Derby’s brow furrows. “Where else would he stay?”
“I don’t know.” My voice sharpens before I can stop it. “People keep saying safe like it means separating me from him.”
The room goes still.
Derby’s expression goes flat, but not angry at me. Angry for me, maybe.
“Nobody takes your kid,” he says.
I want to believe him.
God, I want to.
Sophie comes closer. “Nobody here takes your child from you.”
My throat works. “Jeremy will try.”
“Yes,” she says. “He will.”
No softening.
No lie.
“And if I look bad because I stay at Derby’s house?”
Whiskey’s voice comes from the hall. “Then we make Jeremy look worse.”
I jump.
Derby turns. “Does nobody in this place understand hallways ain’t conference rooms?”