Page 13 of Always Love You More

I sling my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll go with you. I want some air.”

He watches me, looking for a sign he knows I’m not going to give him before he turns toward the door.

I grab his arm and mutter, “Thanks.”

“Always,” he answers.

I press the can of Coke against my lip before cracking it open. A cool breeze cuts through the heat as I take a sip.

Billy slides down the side of the building, and I do the same, coming to sit beside him.

“There’s a girl in that car over there,” he says.

I follow his gaze to the beater parked right up front. “So?”

He chokes out a laugh. “I don’t know. We could go say hi. She’s just sitting there.”

I can’t make out much of what she looks like. Her head is bent down, causing her hair to fall over her face. “Go over if you want,” I tell him. “I’m not in the mood to talk.”

He tips his head back, resting it against the wall. “Nah. I’ll hang here.”

A tapping noise fills the silence as he drums his fingers on the side of his Coke can and I let my eyes close, the hot sun beating down on my face.

I don’t get much of a rest before I feel his elbow dig into my side.

“What?” I grunt.

“Marcus,” he mutters.

I blink my eyes open, adjusting to the sudden brightness. Pushing up to my feet, I turn just as Marcus approaches. He looks from me to Billy.

“Your dad needs you for something.”

Billy hesitates until I give him a subtle nod.

Once he’s gone, Marcus says, “I’m taking the new guy out.”

I already know this, so why is he telling me?

“He’s got his kid sister with him. We don’t have time to drop her at home, so I told him she could stay here till we get back. I want you to keep an eye on her.”

I pull my head back. “You want me tobabysit?”

“She’s fifteen, not five.”

I flick my eyes over to the girl in the car. That must be his sister.

“Yeah, okay,” I tell him.

“Good,” he says, patting me on the chest.

Johnny comes up behind him, and Marcus mumbles, “Be back out in a minute.”

He stalks off inside, and Johnny takes his place in front of me, leveling me with a hard stare. “Hear you’re watching out for Sam while I’m gone.”

I nod.

His hand comes down on my shoulder, and my eyes narrow. “If anything happens to her—”