OL

e taped on their apartment door that morning roared in her mind. And th

ld as an arctic blast whipping past her.

sheet of paper d

was going to get hers

u want to smuggle gu

o engulf her under their crushing weight. No. No, she didn't want to do this. But he didn't have to kno

friend, scanned her.

face and a forced brightness in her tone. Because if she smiled, if she pretended, then

able to pay rent this month. Her mom would not be able to cover it. She was the one who had gotten them into this mess. And the only thing she could be certain of right then was that she had to pay a roof over

ers would think if they learned of this. But she pushed that bit of information out of her mind. It didn't mat

cold metal clasp. Open, closed, open, closed, trying to ca

much going on. Some courier work,

She rubbed her throat, trying to shake the desperation creeping into her voi

ive you the information. You deliver the guns and collect the cash on the loca

ught by the police went around the casino on a far too regular basis? The real possibility of being caught choke

wi

ip of his whiskey. "Okay. It's

ecause this was only half the battle. She wasn't stupid enough

w, his gaze fixed on a message that had lit up his phone. H

uys who were standing just outside the office door. They were t

im, and in a small jerk of his head, he indicated that she w

for the address, the brightly il

she had sunglasses on. But not having them on was just

exchange. Younger teens than she wa

ould

the fly of her jeans. Fumble this, and that was it. Sayonara to the creaking roof over

a giant neon sign b

from this was enough to prevent them from being homeless for the next month. And to lose their home was something that she did not want

firsthand the pain and irreparable harm that lies brought. They could never be a solid base for something good-because lie

rap of her backpack, and she br

he backpack, heavy with the weight of a gun within. With

two blocks away from the address

G

efree air. She did not hurry in spite o

her throat. Her fist gripping the ba

ts tires screeched on the pavement

w moved

The siren le

in her bod

se,

shed out of

wed her

under

osh of cold air as t

ited for their h

ted som

one eyelid ope

erself, she saw a kid in a dark hoodie

nd lowered her gaze to the sidewalk in case th

ay, possibly not that innocent. But sh

a. People all headed to goodness only knows where. But to the cops, she was

she kept it clamped against her hip. What was the punishment for carrying firearms without a permit? The stol

s were counting on her, and spending the night in holding or worse was just not

she remained there with her mouth agape as two m

h