𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 ➺ 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐘 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓「𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐍𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒」

𝐎𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

"It's always a pleasure to come into your shop, Arjun. You have such fine pieces, you know?" Carlos drawls out.

"I would love to show you around, but unfortunately, we're closed" RJ tells Mr Singh.

"Oh, come on now, Arjun. Just a quick look around for your best customer, now" Carlos asks but I can tell it's much more than an ask.

"Of course" RJ sighs in defeat.

"Dad, talk to me. You need to talk to us right now" John B practically begs our father.

"John B, we gotta get out of here now" Dad snaps, shoving the rock into John B's arms "Here, here, take this. Take this over to that window. Go, go!"

"We have some fine new pieces" RJ declares as I pick up a chair and guide it to the window as quietly as I can.

"I see that. Mmhm" Carlos hums.

"Easy, easy, easy" Dad warns me as I place it down.

"Trust me, I am trying!" I hiss quietly.

"Shit! It's stuck!" John B huffs, trying to open the window.

"I've always said you have a good eye, Arjun. And I know when someone else has a good eye because I have a good eye too" Carlos tells RJ and John B finds a knife, trying to pry open the window "It takes one to know one, you know"

John B manages to crack off the cover of the window and I thank God in relief.

"Shh!" Dad warns us, we're not out yet.

"I know the young man John B Routledge and his companion Odette Harlow was seen with an older man close to here, and I thought to myself, you know, I thought, 'Why would those three risk coming so close to downtown?' A place with so many eyes" I listen to Carlos speak with sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat.

"All right, coast is clear" John B tells us and my dad pulls me away from the curtain.

"All right, we gotta go" Dad states.

My brother pushes me to the window first and I don't hesitate to use the chair, scrambling out of the window. I hit a bunch of trash on the ground and whine in pain, rolling out the way as my brother comes tumbling out behind me.

Our dad is the last to leave the room, throwing his top half out of the window and forgetting that gravity exists. Consequently his lower half practically flips over as John B and I try to catch him to muffle the sound of the fall as much as we can.

"I gotcha! I gotcha! I gotcha!" John B mumbles in repeat.

"Help out your old man. Help me. Come on" Dad huffs as we help him up.

"Shh! Shh! Dad! Hey!" John B tries to quieten him down.

"Where's the piece?" Dad snaps at us.

"I thought you had it" John B frowns in confusion.

"No!" Dad runs straight back to the window.