Free Splintered by Dean Murray Page B

of
it is drugs that will just have to be destroyed, but we can
probably recover most of our money out of the cars and the
yacht."
    Donovan nodded. He might not have felt leaving
the girls in Jenny's care was the best option but he knew I trusted
him to make it work. He'd set up the appropriate safeguards to help
ensure the girls had a chance at a normal life going
forward.
    "Very good, Master Alec. I'll talk to our factor in Atlanta.
He can make arrangements to liquidate the assets."

Chapter 13
    "I'm glad you're still coming,
Adri."
    "You mean despite Jasmin having nearly ripped
my head off when I disagreed with her?"
    I deserved Rachel's crestfallen look. I really
was trying not to overreact to my fight with Jasmin, but it was
hard. Funny how the threat of imminent violence could turn the
normal spats into something you couldn't just blow off an hour
later.
    "She's just concerned. She's much closer to the
infighting that Alec protects you and me from."
    I thought about challenging Rachel's
belief in Jasmin's rationality, but it wouldn't change her mind and
I didn't want to hurt her feelings. She was too kind-hearted to
deserve that kind of venom.
    "So Jasmin and I don't see eye to eye. That
doesn't mean I'm going to leave her high and dry. Ben was pretty
adamant about wanting the two of us there tonight to help defuse
any awkwardness. It's not like she tortures kitties or anything, so
if I can be there for her I will be."
    "Problems, honey?"
    Of course Mom came downstairs to catch the very
last of the conversation. Thankfully I was getting good at avoiding
references to anything out of the ordinary.
    "No, Mom. Just the usual teenage girl drama.
Jasmin and I had a spat the other day, but she's hoping to catch
the eye of one of the boys in school so we're going to meet him at
the Funcade."
    I'd satisfied her with the first few words. By
the time I finished up my explanation she was already thinking
about some new location.
    "Okay, sweetie. Have fun, but don't
stay out too late. It's a school night after all."
    "Sure thing, Mom."
    The Funcade was the only non-boozing hangout in
Sanctuary. It consisted of a collection of arcade games, air hockey
and foosball tables. There were a few other games and a limited
menu, but it wasn't much to brag about. On the plus side, the fact
that there wasn't any alcohol served there meant that my mom hadn't
freaked out when I'd told her we wanted to go there. It was truly
amazing how Mom could be completely disconnected from the world at
large and still know which places were least likely to get me in
trouble.
    Jasmin was waiting for us in one corner of the
parking lot, car door open and music blaring. She nodded at me as I
climbed out of Rachel's yellow VW Bug.
    "Thanks for coming."
    "Just because we had a fight doesn't mean I'm
going to smash your dreams."
    "Thanks all the same."
    She stretched, allowing the white tank top to
reveal a dark expanse of taut stomach. Honestly, I still didn't
understand why that wasn't all it took to have Ben following her
around like a homing pigeon.
    "Feels good to be able to just hang around in
town without worrying about getting jumped by the other
pack."
    Rachel laughed. "Right, like you
ever let that stop you before."
    "Sure, but there's a difference
between doing something and doing it while not having to worry
about when it's going to bite you on the butt."
    We turned and started walking. The steps up to
the front door had yellow tape on one side. As we got closer it
became evident why. There was bare metal rebar where they'd carted
away some of the concrete. It seemed kind of dangerous to me. Tape
or no tape.
    Jasmin led us up to the door and then paused as
if unsure how to proceed. Rachel smiled and stepped around her to
get the door. Once we were inside it was easy to spot Ben. He was
off at one of the tables, an order of deep fried mushrooms in front
of him while he played on the game system he'd been fixing the last
time I'd talked to him.
    "Hey,