“I want to see Fox.”

Vision stiffened.

“He’s sick,” she said, “He’s not up for visitors.”

Red snapped his fingers at Daisy, throwing a coin at the bar. She poured him a drink.

“How sick? If he’s not working, it’s got to be bad. Doesn’t really explain why you aren’t working, though.”

Vision set her own mug aside, no longer wanting to feel the fuzzy release of ale.

“I’m taking care of him.”

Red snorted, “Yeah, I can see.”

She flushed. Red smiled in a way that made her skin crawl, and patted her wrist.

“It’s alright, I understand. You’re a good girl. You can take care of your brother tonight; it might get him back on his feet faster. We just got intel that Banagher will be here tomorrow though, so if he’s not up and about by then…”

“I’ll be ready,” she said. Her voice sounded pathetically timid to her ears.

Red’s smile widened.

“That’s my girl. By the way, don’t worry; I’ll take care of you if Fox takes a turn for the worst.”

She sat very, very still. Red chuckled to himself and left her alone. Lefty and Fists, who had been watching from further away, trailed him as he left Gretta’s. She looked around for Bones. He was sitting, talking to one of the girls. She felt a flash of indignance, then forced the feeling away. She had more important things to worry about tonight than who Bones spoke to. As much as she’d decided to throw caution to the wind and allow herself to dismiss her fear of him, he hadn’t actually promised her anything. He’d just been kind to her, and smiled when she kissed him.

Glass plopped down in Red’s abandoned seat. He followed her gaze and scowled.

“Is he bothering you?”

She shrugged, turning back to her ale. She didn’t drink it, just swirled it in her glass.

“How’s Fox?”

She shrugged again.

“At least Red will take care of you if something happens,” he said with more than a hint of admiration.

Vision turned on him.

“If he tried to hurt me, would you stop him?”

“What? He wouldn’t.”

“But if he did.”

Glass frowned at her, “Are you feeling okay? You’re being ridiculous. If the stress of the day is getting too much, I can stay with you tonight.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath.

“What about if Bones tried to touch me?”

Glass’ face darkened, “Did he?”

“No,” she said shortly, “But if he did.”

“Well, yeah, I’d stop him. Or Fox would, or Red. I’m always here for you.”

She tilted her head, “Because you love me, or because you love having me?”

“I… what’s the difference?”

“What if Bones touched me because I wanted him to?”

“Stop it,” he snapped, “I know you’re upset but you’re being cruel. You’ll regret it later.”

She laughed, unkindly. Part of her still feared that he might tell Red she’d been seeing someone in the crew but the larger part, the part that feared that her brother might die, that panicked about what the rebels might do to her when they owned her, the part that shrieked blind terror at the thought of Red’s words to her, didn’t care anymore.

“Leave me alone, William.”

He flinched.

“You said my name.”

Then, she stood up, brushed past him and made her way over to where Bones sat with the other girl, Flora. She shooed the girl away and sat in Bones’ lap, while she looked back to where Glass stood with his mouth hanging open. She raised her chin. If she must be owned, and controlled by men like Red, or Arturo, she would no longer be influenced by a lesser man like Glass.