Free Galin by Kathi S. Barton Page B

“Why aren’t you going to give me to him? I don’t blame you. I’ve
not been very nice. I’ve been a real bastard to you. I know that now. I should
have…Mom was never good with money. I don’t have a clue why I suddenly expected
her to have a stash for me.”
    “You have been a bastard to me, but I’m
thinking…I should have been there for you. At least given you some clue as to
what was going on with us.” He nodded and she watched a tear roll down his
cheek. “I’m not going to give you to anyone, Kip. You’re my family and all I
have in the world. I love you.”
    “But you could if you wanted to. No one would
blame you, not even me.” She reached for his chin and turned him to her. “I
don’t want to go with him. I don’t know what he is, but I don’t want to go. If
you’ll let me, I’ll try harder to be a better kid for you. I don’t want to be
back in the same place I was before. Not in that kind of house, being without
food or heat. I never…you’ve given me more in this one month than my mom did
for me in all my life. I’m not even sure that she liked me all that much most
of the time. I know she…she told me several times when she was high that she
wished I’d never been born. I sort of forgot that in my being pissed off at
you.”
    Dusty unbuckled her seat belt and slid to
him. When she pulled him into her arms, he started sobbing and begging her to
give him another chance. By the time he was finished crying she’d told him
several thousand times that she loved him. When he leaned back on the seat he
looked like he’d been drained, just as badly as she felt. Her tears, her cries
had felt like they’d been wrenched from her as well.
    They sat there for several minutes before Kip
spoke. She didn’t interrupt him. Dusty simply let him talk. She knew that they
both needed this.
    “She wasn’t a good mom. Not even close. I
think she loved me for the money when it was coming in but…it was mostly the
checks she got every month for me that had her keeping me. And the food stamps.”
Dusty wanted to deny that but didn’t know how. He was right by all accounts. “There
were times when I’d have to steal food just to get a meal. I’ve never been to a
movie or out to eat. Not unless you count the hospital food when she was…when
she was hurt.”
    “I don’t even count hospital food as food
sometimes.” He laughed, which was what she’d hoped for. “We should have a date
night, you and I. A time when we go out and see a movie. I love movies.
Especially when they’re on the big screen. And dinner. I can’t afford a great
big meal, but a burger and some fries a few times a month should be fun, don’t
you think?”
    Nodding, he sat there for several more
minutes just staring out the window. Dusty knew that their relationship was
tedious at best, but she was glad that he’d softened a little to her. When he turned
to her she could see that whatever decision he’d come to was huge.
    “The man who burned me, he’s real, isn’t he?
I mean, I know that I had the burn and all, but he’s real. It wasn’t just a
burn I got and then dreamed something else to cover it.” She nodded, not
wanting to lie to him again. “Will he kill me, you think? Or hurt me really bad?”
    “I don’t know. We’ll have to talk to the
people who do know.” He nodded and looked out the window again. “You have a
protector. Galin. He said he’d keep you safe.”
    “He didn’t that night.” Dusty nodded. “I’m
thinking that if I’m going to be safe, I have to…we have to do it on our own. I
don’t think anybody is going to keep us as safe as we can. Not if we work
together. Be…be a family.”
    “I think you’re right.” They got out of the
car and walked into the high-rise where her business was instead of the pizza
place. She was sure that whatever was in the break room would settle better
than a pizza would about now. She showed him around and was glad for once that
none of the staff