Love's Cruel Redemption (The Ghost Bird #12)(35)

I Spy




I listened to the first class bell when students were in the hallways trying to get to where they needed to go. It was odd not to be shuffling off to a classroom. Homeroom would only take a short time. Victor kept an eye on Mr. Hendricks and gave me an earpiece.

Dr. Green had hung up on us by then. Mr. Blackbourne took over, coming back to where we were at the piano. “Mr. North and Mr. Luke Taylor,” he said, “I need you both following Ms. Johnson from this point on. Make sure to be nearby at all times during school. We’ll set up a rotation. Keep us in touch. I want to know who follows her.”

Luke and North immediately headed for the door. No questions. The efficiency of the team always impressed me. I’d gotten to admire when Mr. Blackbourne used their formal names. It wasn’t just that Southern culture, what I heard from people when we were out. It showed exactly how much he respected other people. The others did similarly on occasion, and always did so for him.

“Mr. Coleman, let’s put you with Dr. Green. I don’t want anyone on our team alone. Join his classes.”

Gabriel clapped his hands together. “Yeah! Time to learn some Japanese.” He pointed a finger at Victor’s face. “Going to catch up with you.”

“Good luck,” Victor said with a smirk.

As Gabriel was walking out, Mr. Blackbourne turned to the rest of us. “Mr. Korba,” he said. He paused, and then pressed a finger to his chin.

“Shouldn’t he come with me?” I asked. “I need someone with me, and we’re already dating here, aren’t we?”

“I was going to go with you,” Kota said. “But...”

“I’ve got her,” Silas said. “We’re just walking around between classes. Better if I go.”

Kota pressed his lips together and nodded. “Watch her back.”

“Watch mine,” Silas said.

We were given ear pieces, and Victor tested the volume levels.

Before we left, Mr. Blackbourne was speaking with Nathan.

“I think you’ll be going with me,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “We’ll keep to the main offices.”

Nathan gazed a few times my way while I was being outfitted with the ear piece but he nodded in agreement with Mr. Blackbourne.

I found it difficult to focus after noticing it. I felt he needed to talk. When he hugged me after he arrived, somehow it made me feel better. Like he had a plan to help with Erica and he was just doing what he had to but that everything would be okay.

Still, I sensed something was off. I couldn’t place it. It wasn’t in every look. It was just a feeling.

???

Later, Silas and I were standing together just outside the office. Silas had his back to the wall. He still wore the jacket but it was open. The tie was knotted now. I faced him, talking to him, hopefully seeming to other people like this was not staged.

I kept looking at my uniform. The skirt was keeping me warm where it covered, but my legs were cold. The building seemed chilly to me. Everything was in gray tones except the patch, and that kept catching my eye for some reason, like the spot of color was something off in the clothing.

Silas reached out, picking up my chin from looking down at my outfit again. “I can’t tell if you like it or hate it, but you’re fussing with it a lot.”

“Getting used to it, I think.”

“Hopefully you won’t need to wear it, unless you want, for too long. Took a while to get used to a uniform for me, too. But we do this right, we won’t have to continue to wear them.” He smirked. “But I won’t complain if you keep the skirt.”

Heat radiated through my cheeks. He didn’t often comment on my clothes, not as much as the others, but he always let me know the pieces he absolutely liked.

Maybe I’d wear the skirt more...

Silas started up talking about the weather in hushed tones. He sometimes looked behind me, toward the office. On occasion, students walked by, either in from the front door to head into the office, or out from homeroom in the same direction. Some of them gazed our way but then seemed more interest in me wearing the outfit than in what we were actually doing.

“When he steps out, I’ll signal,” he said. “You ready?”

I nodded. My job was pretty simple. The worst possibility was he’d get mad, walk over and say something. Or try to call me into his office.

But I wasn’t allowed to go. Not that I’d want to.

It comforted me a bit. Before when I dealt with Mr. Hendricks, so much felt out of my control. Now I knew what the others knew. I felt confidence now. We were in control of the situation. I wasn’t at risk.

It made a huge difference to me.

“By the way, I’m sorry about what I said in there,” Silas said quietly.

I looked up at him. His attention had turned to me. “What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t thinking about you,” he said. “I mean not...I thought you all meant that we should all move in together right away.”

“You don’t want to?”

“I want to,” he said. “But my dad...With my brother gone, I’m all that’s left right now.”

“Oh,” I said. Things had been so horrible for Charlie with his wife dying and now his oldest son away from him, in therapy. And I knew he missed Greece. “I’d forgotten about Luke and North, too. With them and Uncle...”