Mom was out there. She was talking to Jax, the man who had checked into their hostel yesterday. Something about him made Able nervous, although Mali liked him a lot. Of course, what could you expect from a little sister? Mali wasn't old enough to understand that Jax was dangerous, maybe as dangerous as their father had been. But what could you expect from a three-year-old…at seven, he knew better. "What are they talking about?" Mali whispered, biting her thumbnail nervously. Able sighed in disgust. Mali never seemed to understand anything. It was almost scary how much she didn't know about the world. If he wasn't around to take care of her… But he would always take care of her, he reminded himself. He was the man of their family now. Mali and mom needed his protection, something he'd better not forget. "You have to be quiet and listen," he whispered back. "I'll explain everything later, but I want to hear what they're saying. If you keep talking we'll miss everything." Mom was speaking now.
