Folsom (End of Men, #1)(42)

The boy nods. Folsom steps closer to Laticus and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Do you understand?”

Laticus nods solemnly. “I understand.”

“Swear it.”

“I swear,” Laticus answers.

They clutch hands.

“We have to get back to the party,” Folsom says, stepping back. “Don’t forget, Gwen and Kasper…anyone else is probably working for the governor. That includes your new friend—” He looks at me.

“Charity,” I finish.

Laticus’ face pales and his Adam’s apple bobs up and down. “Right,” he says.

My heart hurts for him. I put my hand on his back. “I’ll walk you back.”

When we get back to the Villanova property, women are milling out on the front lawn, most likely searching for Folsom. I let him off a little further down than where my car was parked and he goes back the way of the lake. I park and walk barefoot to the house, hearing whispers wondering where Folsom is, and someone calling out that they see him. The crowd rushes to that voice and laughter rings out; it was a prank to see how fast the ladies would move. I go inside and Sophia is the first one I see. I groan.

“Where is he?” she says, face flushed.

“He’s outside.” I shrug like he’s been out there all along.

She gets in my face, towering over me. “You’ve had your chance, now let the rest of us enjoy him. Why can’t it be enough for you that you’re having the boy of the Red Region? You’re the most selfish person I know.”

“Now that I know what I know, a boy is the last thing I’d wish on a mother,” I tell her, opening the door and walking back out.

Folsom comes around the front of the house, surrounded by a flock of women. He makes eye contact with me, and Sophia huffs beside me. The smile suddenly freezes on his face as he looks at me. I blink at him, wondering what in the world is going on. The women who surround him turn to follow his gaze, their eyes landing on me. And then one of them starts to scream.

“Call an ambulance! Call an ambulance.”

I shake my head, confused. Folsom looks down at my skirt and I do the same, my eyes growing large. My skirt has twisted around—the back of it now almost all of the way to the front—and there is a small stain of blood seeping through the pale pink silk. I reach down to touch it and my fingers come away wet. When I look up, he’s walking briskly toward me across the grass, as people pour out of the house to see what the commotion is about. Then Folsom is in front of me; he’s the only one. He scoops me up just as I hear the wail of the siren. I look over his shoulder to where my sister is still standing. The look on her face can only be described as hopeful.





TWENTY-ONE





FOLSOM


They take her from my arms and close the ambulance doors in my face. It all happens so quickly, me handing Gwen to the medic, the panic in her eyes. I want to go with her, but they shake their heads, one of them pushing me down when I try to climb in. As they’re driving away, lights flashing, her mother runs toward me, holding her dress above her ankles.

“Did they take her? Is she all right?” Diana’s hands reach out to me frantically.

I squeeze her hand. “Do you have a car?”

She nods, her eyes filling with tears.

“Let’s go.”

She leads me briskly toward the side of the house where Governor Petite’s driver has parked the car. The driver is nowhere to be seen.

“I should tell Pandora,” she says, looking around.

“Fuck Pandora,” I say, getting in the driver’s seat. She nods like it’s decided and climbs into the passenger’s seat.

Diana directs me to the hospital, bracing herself against the dashboard as I disregard every traffic law in the Red Region. We park the car and run toward the emergency room doors. Had Sophia really been smiling when I picked Gwen up and carried her to the ambulance? I can’t wipe the image from my head. My God, what is wrong with these women?

“Gwen Allison.” Her mother says when we walk up to the desk. “They should have brought her in a few minutes ago. She was…is pregnant.” She wrings her hands while she waits.

“She hasn’t been brought here,” the nurse says. “We’d know Miss Allison if we saw her.”

“They must have taken her to the Genome Y lab,” I say to Diana.

We run for the car. My Silverbook has not stopped buzzing since we left the party and it occurs to me that it could be Gwen. I switch off the idle mode before we turn out of the parking lot and glance at the screen.

“Gwen?” I say when we connect.

Gwen’s voice fills the car and Diana lets out a cry.

“Folsom, are you with my mom?”

I glance at Diana. “Yeah, she’s right next to me. We’re on our way to you now.”

“They have me at Genome Y…”

“We know. Are you okay?”

“I haven’t seen the doctor yet, just got here. I’m worried.” Tears fill her voice and Diana whimpers.

“We’ll be right there, Gwen. We’re coming.”

I fight with the guard at the gate for ten minutes before Gwen calls Corinne and she lets us through.

“And here I was thinking you got special treatment by being a man,” Diana says half-jokingly.