Blurred

Ch.22-Hold Me

"And you're sure this will work?" Angel asked, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Like, ninety percent," I told him, ringing the doorbell. He grunted.

"I was hoping for one hundred."

I shrugged.

The door opened, revealing jus the man I needed to talk to. "Hello," I greeted. Rhys leaned against the door jam, folding his thick arms over his chest as his eyebrows rose beneath a fringe of dark hair.

"Yep, he'll work," Angel agreed.

"Who is this?" Rhys asked, nodding toward the boy at my side.

"Angel," I told him. "Alec's friend."

"Where's Alec?"

"That's what I need your help with. He's missing."

"Missing?"

I nodded.

Rhys sighed, ruffling his hair with his fingers. He glanced over his shoulder once before stepping outside, shutting the door behind him. "So why are you both here?'

"I think he might have gone to find his parents."

"And that's a bad thing because-"

"It just is," I cut him off. "Not enough time to explain. They could be dangerous, and we need man power."

One corner of his mouth edged upward. "So you thought of me?"

"Yes."

"I'm flattered."

I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet impatiently. Time was ticking. "Can you help us or not?"

"Yeah, I'll help you," he said. "But this better not take long because my wife isn't feeling that great and Skyler's in a mood."

"We'll see what we can do," Angel muttered under his breath. Rhys pushed by us and led the way to his car.

"Hold on," I said to Angel, pulling him up short. "You can't come with us."

"Why the hell not?"

"If something is really going wrong, I need you on standby with the cops, just in case."

He seemed off-put at that idea. "That sucks."

"I'm sorry."

"Why don't you get the cops? You're the-I mean I just think it would be better."

I planted my hands on my hips, jutting my chin out. "You were gonna say it was because I'm the girl, right? Well screw you, Angel. Who do you think Alec will respond to better seeing? I know what I'm doing."

He sighed, holding his hands up. "Fine. I'm not in the mood to argue with a girl, especially you. I'll get the cops, and be ready when you call me."

I nodded. "Good. You have a car?"

"Duh."

I rolled my eyes. "Just be ready."

We went our separate ways. I slid into the passenger side seat of Rhys's car and he started the engine. "Where's your friend going?" he asked.

"Somewhere else," I told him, buckling up. "Ready?"

"Let's do this," was his response, and we sped out of his driveway.

~*~

I stared out at the house before me. It was one story, falling apart, looking like the smallest breeze that passed through would end with it on the ground.