22: Grandma Ella

When they're inside, the grandma gestured for JJ to sit on the only chair in the room. The teenage girl nodded, and did as ask. Meanwhile, the baby was holding on to her shirt like it's a life line.

His other arm was hugging the Rubik's cube. Its edges were digging into his flesh, but he didn't care. One look at the old woman, and Jay could tell that she's about to lecture them.

Well, time to watch the unskippable cutscene.

"What happened?" The grandma still sounded soft, and her eyes shined with sympathy even under the dim yellow light.

"A robbery in your motel room. They wanted to kill us, so we disposed of them." JJ kept her voice even, and her words concise. "My husband will pay for any damages, but we won't be staying here any longer. Do you know another place with more security?"

"You want a place where you can bribe people into silence." The old woman nodded, yet she didn't answer any of those questions. "What happens when you run out of money?"

That's the thing. As long as JJ is with them, they won't run out of money.

The teenage girl took a while to piece together her answer without revealing her true powers. The tone of her voice didn't change when she spoke, "It will not be a problem. My husband will find a job by then."

"I heard what he called you out there." The wheelchair creaked as the old woman came closer towards them. "It's safe to talk in here. Do you want an escape? I can help you."

JJ immediately responded by shaking her head. "You can help us by giving us names of a few trustworthy places to rent."

"Oh, my dear girl." The grandma let out a sigh. Her eyes looked Jay for a second before she faced the teenage girl again. "You don't have a wedding ring."

Jay felt the nervousness as his female caretaker shifted in her seat.

"Yet you call each other husband and wife. I understand if you sold the ring a long time ago so you could come into this city. I was in your shoes once." Grandma Ella seemed to be recalling some unpleasant memories, but she kept talking. "If he hurts you in any way, don't be afraid to leave. I will help you hide and start all over again. Your child will be better off without a father than a having an abusive one."

"No." JJ stood up from the little chair, startling Jay for a second.

Grandma Ella's intentions were pure, but that doesn't apply to their situation right now. The Red King is a wanted man, and if the public finds out about who JJ and Kaon really are, they won't be safe either. His two caregivers stay together because they have secrets to keep, and no matter how much they argue and cuss at each other, at the end of the day, they will sleep on the same bed.

"I understand if you feel that your child should grow up with both parents—" The grandma's words were cut off as JJ sat down on the chair again.

"I trust him, and he trusts me." The teenage girl hugged Jay tighter to her chest, and the transmigrator couldn't help but melt into her warmth. "And we cuss at each other a lot. We need to work on less cussing for our son. Now do you know another place that we can rent? It's alrighty if you're not willing to give us to your competitors. My husband is paying for the damages, but we are still leaving."

The old woman nodded her head in defeat. She knew she can't change JJ's mind, but she can hope. "You know where to find me when you need to take my offer again, Verena."

For a second there, Jay forgot that his female caretaker introduced herself as "Verena" to the grandma while they were in her bakery.

"Thanks. If you have nothing else to say, I have something to tell you." JJ's shoulders relaxed a little, and her eyes moved to the door. "We have reasons to think that your dear daughter worked with the robbers. Please look into that. We will not sue nor ask for compensation if that is the case, but I fear for your safety, too."

After her piece was said, the teenage girl stood up and walked to the door. Jay turned his head to look at the old woman, only to see her smiling softly at them, as if she's proud.

"Thank you, dear." The grandma nodded again, and she gave the transmigrator a wave of her hand before the door was slammed.

Back in the lobby, Morgan pulled her gun on the Red King again, but the teenage boy just looked like he's tired. There's two silvers on the receptionist's desk, yet the gun was still pointing at his male caregiver's head.

"Is your gun broken again? You should get it to a professional." JJ asked as she walked pass the receptionist. "Darling, let's go."

The Red king nodded, and he turned around to head to the door. That's one thing you should never do when you have a gun pointing at you, but when Morgan pulled the trigger, a clicking sound was heard and nothing else, followed by the receptionist's angry growling.

Cold air hit the baby's face once they're out in the open, and if Jay remembered correctly, it's around one in the morning now. How are they going to get a place to rest at this hour?

"You did get anything useful from the old hag?" The Red King asked as he took the baby from her hands.

His partner shook her head, and she pulled the map out of her backpack. Under the dim street light, Jay saw a few places circled on the map.

"There should be a few more shady neighborhoods like this around this part of the city." JJ mumbled as she spinned a pen in between her fingers. "More secured places need documents, and we don't have any of those. Living out of the city is also an option if we have transportation."

"We can tryna buy a car." The Red King chipped in. "Where do you wanna live outside the city? At Armani's?"

"How about the house with the bunker? The one on the mountain?" The teenage girl began walking, and Jay honestly doesn't know what they're doing.

Now that he thinks about it, being a baby when you're a real baby must be so confusing. For example, you wake up, and your parents take you to strange places. You can't understand what your parents are saying, so it's always one strange thing after another without any coherent explanations.

Shit, is that why babies cry so much?

Jay shouldn't go down that rabbit hole. For now, he's just let the couple take him where they wherever they want to go. Usually, they discuss their plans in front of the baby, but right now, they're just giving each other quick eye contacts, and that's enough for them to decide a direction to walk to.

The transmigrator counted the steps until they reached a busier part of the neighborhood where night workers put on a show for their potential customers. People, both drunk and not drunk, would look at the couple with the baby like they're aliens. Jay wouldn't call this place a red light district, but it's close enough.

Eventually, JJ directed them to a hotel where they lobby is livelier. No one questioned why there were blood stains on their clothes, and the receptionist gave them a room after a few minutes.