Free Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn Page B

counter. “Sasha, the keeper will sleep on the couch tonight. Can you take Ava to her bunk and keep an eye on her?” Sasha gave me one last glare, then gathered the blanket tighter around Ava and easily scooped her off the couch, carrying her toward the cluster of bunks.
    Julian lingered a look after the two of them. “As much as you seem to be protective of your mindreading friend,” he said, “my sister is currently in the hands of that monster Kestrel, so you can perhaps understand my urgency to not wait around while issuing invitations. I’d rather not have to chase you all over Jackertown either. I can understand that you don’t want to go near Kestrel again, but I thought… I thought we would have more common cause than we apparently do.”
    He paused to wipe his hands on his neatly pressed pants. “In the morning, you can return to rooking in the suburbs and pretending you’re merely a waitress in a diner, serving closed-minded readers their pie.” The distaste in his voice seemed to emanate from him.
    Did I hear him right? “You’re not going to force me to help you?”
    “It was never my intention to force you into anything, keeper.” He massaged his temple with two fingers and stared at the floor. “But I’m not going to send one of my mages to shepherd you and your pet reader through Jackertown at night.” He nodded to the slumped-over figure of Raf. “He’ll be safer here. In the morning, Mr. Molloy can escort you both back to the suburbs.”
    “Now wait just a minute,” said Molloy, his voice low. “What about the plan? I don’t care much for the lass, but she’s a key part of it. You can’t just let her…” Molloy drifted off, looking confused but innocent, like a small child. As if he had lost his train of thought and couldn’t find it again. “Then again, maybe there’s no rush. There must be a way we can figure a plan that will work without the lass. Can’t put my finger on it, though.”
    My eyebrows hiked up. I glanced at Julian, but he didn’t acknowledge Molloy, merely tapped his fingers to his lips. I jacked into Molloy’s mind and he didn’t even notice me at first, he was so swirled around in his own confused thoughts. Finally, he realized I was there and pushed me back out.
    Hinckley hopped off the couch and stepped up to Molloy. “Do you want me to take him, boss?”
    “Take me where?” Molloy asked. “I’m fine right where I am, mate.”
    “No, I’ve got him.” Julian waved Hinckley off in an absentminded way.
    Hinckley glanced in my direction. “So, what’s the plan?” he asked Julian.
    “We’ll make new plans in the morning,” Julian said. “You can turn in if you’d like.” Hinckley shrugged, snagged an apple from the kitchen, then strode to the back of the factory.
    “Yes, plans in the morning sounds right enough,” Molloy said. “Meanwhile, I’ve got a raging hunger. What have you got for food here, Julian?”
    I stepped out of Molloy’s path as he ambled to the kitchen in search of a snack. What kind of jacker was Julian? He seemed to get others to do his jacking for him, and when I pushed into his mind, it was a horror show—something I never wanted to do again. Yet he was doing something to Molloy.
    Julian strolled over to Myrtle, who was softly tapping her fingers on the table next to Raf. “Thank you for your assistance, Myrtle. I’ll contact you on the short comm in the morning, when we have an idea of our next step.”
    Myrtle flicked a look to me. “I think I’ll stay a while,” she said. “Maybe have some tea.” She got up to join Molloy, who was rummaging through cabinets in the kitchen.
    “What did you do to Molloy?” I asked Julian in a hushed voice.
    Julian followed my gaze. “I didn’t think you cared much for Mr. Molloy. He’s not injured in any way, just… calmer. His instincts are quieted so that his strongest urge right now is to get a snack.” Julian tilted his head to tap the base of his skull where it