BOOK 3 of the ORPHIC Series
CHURLISH
/ˈCHərliSH/
marked by a lack of civility.
~~~~~
Lucille 'Lucy' Opal Baker finds herself in the 21 century sporting the title of Aunt while lugging along h...
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"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."
Ikeja, Nigeria March, 2016
KLAUSE DROVE SILENTLY, HIS eyes focused on the road ahead. Brock sat in the passenger's seat besides him, having removed all of his gear, which lay strewn across the middle seat. Lucy sat in the seat behind Klause while James sat behind Brock. They had exchanged vehicles, driving to the warehouse in a police car, before exiting with a black BMW. It was quiet, the soft rumbling of the engine thrumming beneath their feet.
Lucy's eyes flicked across the neighborhood of Ikeja, people turning into blurry figures as the car darted past them. She drummed her fingers against the door, the pitter-patting of her fingertips drowned out by Alpine's snores.
"You're pissed." Brock said to break the awkward silence.
Lucy snapped her eyes away from the window, meeting Brock's gaze as he watched her observantly. She ran her tongue along her teeth, before silently turning back to look through the glass.
James glanced between them, pursing his lips as he tried to decide on what to say. He knew Lucy was angered by Rumlow's presence and bothered by the absence of Jack. He didn't understand why Rumlow had gone into the field by himself.
"You can't blame all that shit on me, Verfall." He suddenly said. "Winter kept comin' back to me. He came to me knowing exactly how much shit I tolerate."
James's shoulders drew inwards, guilt flicking between his eyes. His knee shook rapidly with nerves as Alpine pressed her head against his hand.
Lucy clenched her jaw.
"How dare you?" She pressed. "You told me it had happened once and—"
Brock raised an eyebrow.
"And you brushed it off. You don't feel bad for doin' that?" He interrupted. "Besides that was in—what, October? I hadn't been lying. He'd only come once. After I gave him what he wanted, I told him to back off. But he didn't back off, did he?"
Lucy felt guilt swell in her chest and she pressed the feeling away. He was trying to blame her and the little sprinkle of it in his phrases made it seamless; if she hadn't known Henry for so long, she wouldn't have caught it.
After all, he was a master at manipulation.
Brock's eyes narrowed as he turned back to face forwards.
