She stared across the seat at him as he veered off the road out of Kallayee, down the highway for a short spell before deviating again long before Hurton. He navigated a kilometre to a spot behind the hill, out of sight of anything but satellites and wild animals.
He looked serious and there was a smell of desperation in the dirty sweat that clung to his face. The relaxed cunning had gone. There was no playfulness in his voice, no overarching control. Lorcan was probably right in not volunteering to come. The coward.
‘Something needs to be done about him,’ said Ian, staring into the trees beyond.
‘I’ll try to keep him under control.’
‘Try harder. As things stand this is beneficial to both of us. It needs to be kept that way.’
Naiyana nodded. Two kids to keep in order. And a set of unruly neighbours.