All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)(21)

‘Real cynic, you. Actually, Annie, helping your brother does buy me something. It makes me look better to the other men in the family. Maybe the connection to your father puts a little residual shine on me, too. God knows I could use that.’

He was finally making sense. ‘All right.’

‘There’s a good little girl,’ Jacks said, looking me up and down. ‘You ain’t so little any more, cousin.’

‘Thanks for noticing.’ I turned to find my brother. At that moment, an alarm wailed. Lights began to flash, and an official-sounding voice blared through a bullhorn: ‘Everyone out! This establishment is being shut down by order of the New York Police Department and the New York City Department of Health. Patrons must evacuate now! Stragglers will be arrested!’

‘Someone must not have paid off the right person,’ Jacks said to me. ‘Wasn’t like this when Big Leo ran New York.’

I went to find (Little) Leo but I couldn’t see him anywhere and the momentum of the crowd began pushing me towards the exit. It was move or be trampled. I lost Jacks, which was fine with me, and I didn’t see Scarlet or Win either.

Finally, I was outside on the steps where I could breathe again. I took a second to clear my head before looking for Leo. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was one of the slutty girls Leo had been dancing with. Outdoors in the night, she looked more innocent though. ‘You’re the sister, right?’ she asked.

I nodded.

‘Something’s wrong with your brother.’

V. i regret having gone to little egypt

SHE LED ME ACROSS THE steps to the south side of the building, not far from where Natty had been held up a scant four days prior. My brother was writhing on the ground like an insect under a magnifying glass on a sunny day.

‘What’s wrong with him?’ the slutty girl asked. Her voice sounded a bit repulsed, and the only thing that stopped me from shoving her was that she had, at least, been decent enough to come and find me.

‘It’s just a seizure,’ I said. I was about to yell at someone to please protect his head from hitting the unforgiving marble stairs when I noticed someone already was.

Win held Leo’s head in his lap. ‘I know it’s not ideal,’ Win said when he saw me. ‘But we couldn’t get him to a softer surface, and I didn’t want him to bang his head.’

‘Thank you,’ I said.

‘Scarlet spotted him,’ Win told me. ‘She’s looking for you right now.’

I thanked him again.

I took my brother’s hand and squeezed it. ‘I’m here,’ I said. I looked into his eyes. The convulsions had stopped, which meant it was over. He’d had seizures on and off since the accident, though it had been a fairly long time since his last one. I was guessing the blinking lights or the loud music had set it off this time. ‘You’re fine.’

Leo nodded but he didn’t look convinced.

‘Can you walk?’ Win asked him.

‘Yes,’ Leo replied. ‘I think so.’

Win introduced himself as he helped Leo to his feet. ‘I’m Win. I go to school with Anya.’

‘Leo.’

Scarlet rejoined us. ‘Oh God, Annie, I was looking everywhere for you! I’m so glad you found us!’ Scarlet threw her arms around Leo. ‘I was so worried about you,’ she said to my brother. There were tears in her eyes.

‘Don’t worry. I’m fine,’ Leo said to Scarlet. I could tell Leo was embarrassed that Scarlet had seen him that way. ‘It’s nothing.’

‘Well, it sure didn’t look like nothing,’ Scarlet said. ‘Poor Leo.’

‘We should get moving,’ Win said.

He was right. There were cops everywhere and curfew was approaching. Best to be on our way.

Leo’s gait was a bit wobbly so Scarlet stood on one side of him, clutching his arm, and Win on the other. I walked behind them. The slutty girl was nowhere to be seen. Same with Jacks.

Our little caravan was slow and unsteady, and the trip back to the apartment took considerably longer than the trip there. By the time we got back, it was past city curfew, so Win had to call his parents to let them know he was spending the night at my place.

Scarlet went to the bathroom to deal with a few fairly intense blisters from her shoes, and I went to put Leo to bed. I helped him change out of his clothes, which were soiled from the seizure, and into his pyjamas.

‘Goodnight,’ I said, kissing my brother on the forehead. ‘I love you, Leo.’

‘You don’t think Scarlet saw?’ Leo asked as I turned off the light.

‘Saw what?’ I asked.

‘That I . . . peed.’

‘No. I doubt she noticed. And it wasn’t your fault. And even if she did, she loves you, Leo.’

Leo nodded. ‘I’m sorry if I ruined your night, Annie.’

‘Please,’ I said. ‘My night was awful before you even entered the picture. You made things more interesting.’

I popped my head into Natty’s room. Even though she was twelve, she still looked like a baby when she slept.

I went into the bathroom, where Scarlet was applying a bandage to one of her blisters. ‘Before you even say anything, Miss Balanchine, it was totally worth it,’ Scarlet said. ‘I looked completely amazing.’