Текст книги "Willing Captive "
Автор книги: Belle Aurora
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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 13 страниц)
Turning on the hot water, I sigh.
I gotta get out of here.
***
Coming out of the shower, I wrap the towel around my body as tightly as I can. Walking out of the bathroom, I stare at the door and wonder just how long I would have to myself before the door was thrown open. I decide to do an experiment. I call this experiment Captive Throwdown.
Walking over to the door, I close it, taking my time so as to not make a sound. Once it’s shut, I open the dresser drawers, take out a pair of simple white underwear and a matching plain bra, remove the tags, then step into the panties.
As soon as I reach down to pull the panties up my legs, the door swings open. I see a scowling Nox, but when he sees the position I’m in, his scowl disappears to be replaced with a slightly gaping mouth.
I’m mortified. But the look on his face tells me he’s possibly just as mortified. Maybe more. And I certainly got the results of my experiment. Forcing down my flush to no avail, I clear my throat and check my watch. Nodding with pursed lips, I say clinically, “Forty seconds, give or take. Not bad, Nox.”
Wide-eyed with a furrowed brow, he turns on his heel and walks out of my room, the open door gaping. Not a second later, he returns and closes the door almost to the latch, leaving only an inch open. And I smirk. Pulling my panties all the way up from under the towel, I chuckle.
I guess I won that round.
Chapter Five
Death wish
Lily
Sitting in the library, wearing the biggest, dorkiest smile I can muster, I can confirm that this is heaven. It’s a shame I’ll have to leave here. And soon. Nox says he’s protecting me, but I can’t trust him.
I won’t trust him.
It’s true that I haven’t been treated poorly in the short time I’ve been here, but I can’t help but feel I’m being duped. If he would just let me speak to my father or sister, I wouldn’t have to do what I’m doing.
I take three books off the shelf and go back to my room. During the course of the evening, I take small bits of food and bottled water and stash them in a pillowcase hidden in the depths of my closet.
The time reads 11:51pm when Nox appears at my doorway, checking in as he has been the whole night. I look up at him and force a yawn. “I think I’m going to go to sleep. Today was a long day.”
For a second, he looks apologetic before he nods and says a gruff, “G’night.” He waits until I slide under the covers and switch off the lamp, then he closes the door almost completely. I hear him walk down the hall and I’m bathed in darkness when he turns the hall light off. Now, I just need to be sure to stay awake.
I wait and wait and wait as patiently as I can. Almost an hour passes before I hear footfalls down the hall. I force my breathing to deepen and steady as if I’m asleep just as the door creaks. The door stays open a long while and I hear him sigh before closing the door almost fully again. The sounds of footsteps walking away from my room make my heart skip a beat.
It’s time.
I hop out of bed, and quiet as a mouse, I tiptoe over and reach into the back of the closet for my escape pillowcase. I creep to the doorway and listen.
Nothing. Not a sound. I’m good to go.
I carefully push the door as close to the frame as possible then walk over to the window. I know Nox put me on the second floor for a reason; I’d bet he’d never guess that I was the type to climb trees when I was younger. It’s how I broke my arm when I was younger. It hurt like a bitch. Pushing the window up as slowly as possible, I stick my hand on the mesh bug screen and push. Hard. It pops out with little force and I smirk.
Not very secure for a safe house.
Taking my pillowcase of goodies, I step out onto the ledge and look around.
Gutter, three o’clock.
Shuffling over, my heart races as I take hold of the white painted steel. I’m not exactly fond of heights. I clutch the gutter tightly but my hands sweat so much that I can’t get a good grip.
I wonder what would happen if I fell? Would I land on my feet?
I think that’s a great way to break your feet. You are not a cat. You know this, right?
Hmmm. True. I close my eyes and try to steady myself by taking deep breaths.
It’s now or never. Don’t be a chickenshit, just do it.
Okay. I wipe my hands on my sweats and clasp the gutter again. Lifting one sneaker-covered foot, I check the grip I can get on it. It’s not bad. Not great, either. I start to climb down, chanting softly, “Foot. Hand. Foot. Hand.”
Half way down, I smile when I realize I’m almost there. Just as I mentally cheer, my grip comes loose, my eyes widen and I mouth ‘oh shit.’ Then I fall backwards into air and it almost feels like time stops. Everything passes in slow motion. It takes what feels like hours before my back connects with the ground. The thud rattles my brain. I wheeze and double over.
I’m winded.
Mothertrucker!
Tears blur my vision as my body throbs with pain. The pressure builds in my ears and I gasp when I can finally take in a breath. Shaking my head, I stand on wobbly legs, look around, and then run. I run fast and the heavy pillowcase slaps me on the back with every step I take away from the house. My escape loot suddenly feels heavier and heavier. In a panic, I throw it to the side and run faster.
My heart plummets into my gut when I see a wall in the distance.
A very high wall. Perhaps twelve-feet tall.
Shit!
I run the length of the wall looking for some form of exit. My heart races and my face flushes in aggravation.
No. No. No!
This wasn’t meant to happen! I need to get out of here.
I approach what seems to be the only exit to this house and, fuck my life, it’s manned. Two men inside a small room sit and talk while watching what looks to be a CCTV of some kind. Oh, damn. I didn’t know there would be cameras here. I hadn’t factored that in. I stand and run in the opposite direction toward the back of the house. It takes about four minutes in a full sprint. This house is damn big.
I’m sweating, I’m frustrated, and I’m about to give up when angels sing in my ear. A gate. There’s a damn gate! Thank you, Jesus!
Smiling big, I place my hands on the lever handle and push down.
Clunk
Shit! No! NO!
The effing gate is locked! My throat clogs and I choke out a sob, while pressing down the lever hard and fast repeatedly as if that’ll somehow make it unlock. Tears fall down my face and I nod in resolve. Only one thing to do now.
Climb the wall.
Lifting my foot high to the lever handle of the gate, I let out a yelp when something grips my ponytail tight as well as the waist of my pants and drags me backwards. Reaching up, I hold onto the strong hand that still holds my ponytail firmly. I’m being dragged along like a freakin’ dog. My mouth opens and filth spews out, “Let go of me, you fucker! I knew you were full of shit! Protecting me, my ass!”
Suddenly, I’m thrown by my hair onto the porch. My scalp throbs. I look up and I almost wish I hadn’t. A fuming Nox stands in front of me. Through gritted teeth, he hisses, “Get in the fuckin’ house, Lily.”
Standing on unsteady legs, I stand as tall as I can and whisper shakily, “No.”
“Get in the house.” His cheek tics.
A little stronger, I repeat myself, “No.” My voice strained.
The veins in his neck bulge when he roars, “Get in the fucking house!”
My entire body jerks in shock and I shut my eyes tightly. Bringing my balled fists up to my temples, I screech, “No! You can’t make me!”
My nose tingles and I hate myself for wanting to feel the sweet release of the tears that are stuck behind my closed eyes.
A soft hand gently squeezes my shoulder. I hear Boo tell Nox, “Go on. I’ll take her inside.”
Boo’s hands gently pry my fists away from my head. She coos, “Come on, Deedee. Let’s go up to your room and have a little talk.”
I’m devastated. I just want to go home. I choke on a sob, “I want to talk to my dad.”
Boo nods, “Okay. Let me talk to Nox. I’ll do my best, but,” she looks around cautiously, “you’ve seen him. If he says no, it means no.”
Putting her arm around my waist, she guides me up the stairs and into my room. I’m too exhausted to argue and let her lead me gently but firmly. Once we reach my room, I throw myself on the bed dramatically and she chuckles, “So, you went all MacGyver, huh?”
My top lip twitches and I have the insane urge to burst into laughter. I explain, “No way. If I were MacGyver, I totally would’ve gotten away. MacGyver is badass.”
Boo walks around the bed and lays on it next to me. “You know, I had the biggest crush on MacGyver when I was younger. I don’t know whether it was his wittiness or that silky blonde mullet, but,” she sighs, “I really had it bad for him.”
My twitch turns into a smile, “Although the silky mullet is mighty tempting, I think it was his scrappiness I liked most.”
Boo blinks. “Scrappiness? What the hell is scrappiness?”
I roll my eyes at her. “Oh, c’mon! He could use anything normal and make it extraordinary. He was scrappy!”
Her brows rise and she nods. “Scrappy. I like it.”
We fall into an awkward silence. I stare at her while she stares at me. Not able to stand the silence any longer, I blurt out, “I’m not sorry I ran. I’ll do it again and again ‘til I speak to my father. It’s a simple request, and if you’re really protecting me, then it shouldn’t be an issue.”
Boo looks apologetic. “I’m sorry, Deedee. It’s not my choice. And I know it means nothing to you, but I promise you that there’s no one better to protect you than Nox. I’ve worked with my fair share of people and he has the best success rate, regardless of the mission.”
I stare her down. “What would you do if you were me?”
Her eyes sparkle as she smiles slyly. “I’d run.”
Wow. I’m completely stunned by her honesty. She opens her mouth to speak when she looks past me and quickly sits up. She moves to stand by the bed and I look up at her. “He’s behind me, isn’t he?”
She doesn’t say a thing but she looks sorry. Without a word, she leaves me lying on the bed with Nox at the door. He doesn’t say a word and neither do I. I refuse to turn around and look at him. The silence becomes thicker and thicker until I hear a loud thump followed by creaking. My curiosity gets the better of me and I turn.
I don’t believe it!
He’s brought up a rocking chair and maneuvers it in a way that completely blocks the doorway. He sits down, rocking himself gently and remains silent. His cool eyes dare me to protest.
Oh, you mothertrucker!
The message is clear.
I’ve lost what little freedom I had after my little stunt. My eyes narrow and I spit, “I hate your guts.”
Nox nods slowly. “Good. That’ll make my job easier.” My eyes turn to slits and he says cheerfully with a cruel smirk, “Goodnight, Delilah. Sweet dreams.”
Lifting his hand, he flicks the light switch and I throw up the covers and lay underneath them, making as much noise as I can to note my displeasure. Sitting up, I grit my teeth and give my pillows the beating of their lives. Throwing my head back down with a whoosh, I stare up at the ceiling and silently imagine what I’d like to do to Nox right now.
The rocking chair squeaks for a millisecond and I find my opening. “Sssshhhh!”
Nox sighs, “Go to sleep, Lily.”
I silently scoff. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Yes, I can.”
“No, you can’t. You think you can but you can’t. It’s an illusion.”
And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The rocking chair creaks to a halt and he states, “You need to grow the fuck up, lady. Stop acting like a goddamn child.”
Immediately, I hiss, “You leave me no choice! I don’t know if a thing you say is true and I really don’t feel like I’m being protected right now. I’m going crazy not knowing about my family. If you’d even let me call my sister-”
He cuts me off, “Not happening.”
“I’ll sneak out again.”
“Then you’ll sleep with me from now on. Good luck with the whole spy-versus-spy thing.”
Well shit. I don’t want Nox to be my bed buddy.
Silence envelops us both. The dark is comforting. Just as my mind wanders, Nox asks quietly, “Do you have a death wish?” I don’t answer and he goes on, “Someone wants you dead and your father paid a lot of money to make sure you’d stay safe. So I relax a little around you because, hey, you seem decent. And you try to sneak out, creepin’ around like a fucking secret agent and doing a really shitty job of it, too.”
My mind is stuck on the part where he thinks I’m decent.
He sighs wearily, “Do you have any idea what could’ve happened? Do you know what happens if you die?” My eyes water. I don’t say a word but Nox implores, “Think of the consequences for fuck sake. Think of your family. How would they feel?”
Tears streak past my temples. Nox asks quietly, “Do you know what it would do to me?”
My heart skips a beat.
I quietly cry. I just want to forget about this whole thing. Maybe if I go to sleep, I’ll wake up at home and this will have all just been a dream, like Dorothy returning from Oz.
He clears his throat. “Never lost someone on my watch before. If something happened to you, I’d spend the rest of my life wondering what I could’ve done differently, that would’ve kept you alive. Wounds like that…wounds to the heart…they leave ugly scars that never fade.” Then he almost whispers, “I’m sorry I pulled your hair. I panicked and I did what I had to keep you from making a huge mistake. Your safety is everything.” Clearing his throat once more, he states, “It won’t happen again. Get some sleep.”
It’s then that I make the decision to never run away from Nox.
Using the sleeve of my sweatshirt, I wipe away my tears and snot and settle deeper into the bed. I breathe deeply and exhale slowly.
I fall asleep thinking I’m going to do what I can to make the best of this situation.
***
I wake feeling awful. My face is puffy and my eyes are sore. I’m sure they’re a nice shade of red to match my mortification about last night’s stunt.
Turning, I look to the door and see that Nox is gone.
Good. That would’ve been creepy to wake up to.
Staying in bed seems like a good idea. I pull the covers up over my head and lay in my little cocoon of make believe. In this cocoon, I can be anywhere I want. Anywhere in the world. Hell, I won’t even restrict myself to the world! Neverland, Wonderland, and the moon are all great places too.
All those places sound good but my mind keeps taking me back to my family.
The covers fly off of me and Rock stands there scowling down at me with both hands on his hips. “Anyone ever told you you’re nuts?”
I nod slowly in agreement and his face softens marginally. “Well, you are. Fucking mamaluko. Don’t even think about doing that again, Lily. It was a shithead move.” Running a hand through his hair, he sighs then asks, “Hungry?”
Not in the slightest.
Sliding out of bed, I put on the robe that hangs at the back of my door and I walk with Rock down to the kitchen to find Boo already behind the stove making scrambled eggs. I haven’t eaten much in the last two days and I know I should be hungry but I’m really not. I’m sure this has something to do with the events of the last few days. The thought of doing something so mundane like enjoying a meal makes my stomach turn. Boo turns and smiles, “Hey D, just making some breakfast. I know you’ve gotta be hungry.”
Not wanting an argument, I simply nod and she fills a plate with eggs, bacon, and toast. It looks great but I pick at it.
It’s freakin’ bacon. I love bacon.
I look up in time to see Rock and Boo having a silent conversation with their eyes. They both turn to me and immediately know they’re busted. Rock urges softly, “C’mon, Lily. Eat, babe.”
Moving food around with my fork, I make a show of forcing a small amount of eggs into my mouth. The eggs are soft and easy to swallow. I fear the bacon won’t go down as easily. Pushing my plate forward, I whisper, “Please, excuse me.” Without waiting for an answer, I stand on weak legs and take the long walk back up to my room.
Being happy here is going to be harder than I thought. I make a stop at the library and hope that my love of all things books will help me out of this hard time. Choosing some classics, I hold them tight to my chest and walk back to my room.
When I step out into the hall, I see Nox at the opposite end. We both stop walking and stare each other down. He eyes the books I clutch to my chest as if they were made of solid gold. I lower my chin to my chest and walk to my room. Being petty, I shut the door with a light slam. My smartass retort already planned, I wait for an angry Nox to throw it open with threats of breaking it down.
But he never comes.
***
Nox
How I could fuck up a job so quickly is beyond me.
“You fucked up, bro.” I look up to find the doorway to my office filled with two-hundred pounds of stupid. “Shouldn’t have put your hands on her.”
I know this. I shouldn’t have. I fucked up. Bad. When you got trust issues with your protected, you got issues. Period. Not being able to stay silent any longer, I type away at my laptop and tell him distractedly, “I apologized already.”
Rock pushes off from the doorframe and sits in the chair across from me. “You didn’t see her this morning, man. She’s thinking about it. Thinking too much. Why not let her speak to her dad for a minute? Or the sister? Fuck, even her mom! Just give her something.” I glare at my friend as he appeals, “Anything, man. She’s fallin’ apart.”
Rock has sisters, and being Italian , he was extremely protective of them. He hates to see a woman in pain of any kind. You would never guess it to look at him but the guy wears his heart on his sleeve. We met on the day of my first mission. It was his first mission, too. When he introduced himself to me, I thought he was gonna be useless. No way could a guy that smiles and jokes as much as he does be a valuable ally on the field.
How wrong was I?
Not fifteen minutes in, we’re under attack and the other members of our unit are dropping like flies. For a spilt second, I panicked and lowered my weapon to look at the destruction surrounding me. By the time I realized I had someone at my back, it was too late. I threw my arms up in surrender when the guy was taken out.
By Rock.
Never seen someone do a complete one eighty like that. I swear he’s got multiple personalities. He can be your best friend, your worst enemy, a philosopher, and a comedian all rolled into one.
Rock urges, “C’mon, man. It’s just a phone call.”
Typing away, I throw him an aloof, “Not happening.”
Shaking his head, obviously disappointed in me, he stands and leaves my office. As soon as he leaves, I lean back in my chair with a sigh.
Should’ve never taken this job.
Chapter Six
Miserable
Lily
Three days. It’s been three days since my escape attempt and I’m beginning to feel like a caged animal. Well, that’s not true. Not entirely true anyway.
I feel like that white, glowing alien from the movie ‘Cocoon: The Return’, who gets taken to that lab by the ocean and gets tested, but because he’s taken so far away from what’s normal to him, his health starts to decline and he loses his glow.
Yeah. That’s a pretty accurate explanation.
I’m an Antarean who’s lost its glow.
I haven’t been able to stomach much more than a handful of food each day. I’m depressed. I know it. It’s like going from one prison to another. Transferred, really. I feel weak. And alone. And not at all myself. Being helpless is a shitty feeling. The smallest things become overwhelming.
Nox comes to my room each night, places the rocking chair in my doorway, and watches me sleep. As if I’m going to try to escape again. I don’t have the energy to even try.
I’m so very tired.
Rock and Boo take turns trying to get me to eat. I can see they’re worried. I wish I cared enough to do it to make them happy. At least they treat me like a human. Not like Nox. He treats me like a prisoner.
It’s hard not to laugh around Rock. He’s such a clown. He always has a joke to tell or is doing something so seriously ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh at him. Last night, he tried to dry his socks in the microwave.
Yeah.
Then Boo yelled at him. She told him the oven works better.
Yeah.
I have no idea who I’m living with.
They aren’t exactly bad people. Now that my fear of them has worn off, I can see they aren’t all bad. They’re determined, though. Since the night I tried to run and Boo had that little talk with me about there being no better person to protect me than Nox, I’ve been torn.
My head tells me not to trust them, but my heart begs me to take a chance. I haven’t had friends in a long time. And hanging out with Rock and Boo…it almost feels like friendship.
Nox lurks in the shadows of the background. A ghostly figure of apparent protection. Boo and Rock force me out of my room and into the living room to watch TV with them. And there he’ll be, sitting at the breakfast bar, typing away on his laptop, looking over at us when he thinks no one is watching.
But I’m watching. Always watching.
What the hell is his deal?
Boo and Rock will talk, well, they’ll argue and I’ll listen, while Nox peers over at us through furrowed brows. They always try to include me in their conversations…well, arguments, but I don’t have a lot to say these days.
Nox bumped into me yesterday and I teetered, he steadied me by placing his large hands on my hips. I muttered quietly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” And he looked at me like I’d lost my damn mind. Sometimes, I think it might be true.
Losing my mind, that is – very slowly.
So, here I am, lying in bed at two in the afternoon, trying not to misplace any more of my already fading mind. Not even reading is helping.
My stomach is in a constant clench, my body rigid, my head pounding, my teeth gritted. Tension has me strung tighter than a bow.
A knock on the doorframe brings me out of my head space. Lifting my head quickly, my vision swirls and I place a hand to my forehead to steady myself. Shaking my head a little, I see Boo stand there wearing a worried expression. “You okay, Deedee?”
“Fine, thanks. Just a little tired.” I answer quietly.
“Not sleeping well?”
Sleep? What is that? Running a hand through my knotted hair, I say, “Ah, no. Not so much. What’s up?”
Boo holds out a plate stacked with sandwiches, potato chips and fruit on it. It looks great but my stomach immediately tightens. Looks like this will be another wasted meal.
Smiling a completely forced smile, I tell her, “Thank you. It looks great.”
I don’t want to be mean to Boo; she’s only ever been nice to me, and even though I resent being kept here, she doesn’t deserve my bitchiness. Standing, I take the plate with a smile and put it on the nightstand. Her face falls as she questions, “You’re not hungry? You haven’t eaten much the last few days. Maybe eating would help your fatigue.”
Still wearing a strained smile, I lie, “Yeah. Sure. I’ll eat soon. Thanks again.”
Opening a book, I don’t look back up. I hear her leave and my body eases slightly. Not five minutes pass when Nox appears at my door, scowling.
Stomping over to the nightstand, he takes the plate and thrusts it under my chin. “Eat.”
I mentally sigh. I don’t want to deal with him right now. Taking the plate, I utter politely, “Thank you, but I’m not very hungry right now. I’ll eat later.”
“Bullshit.”
My head snaps up. “I beg your pardon?”
He leans down closer to me. “I said bullshit.” Not sure what to say, I lower my head back to my book and pretend to read. Nox goes on, “I get that you’re not very hungry. That’s fine. Actually quite normal in this situation. But I call bullshit on this change of attitude. What’s with all the pleases and thank yous? That’s not the fiery girl I met a week ago, and it sure as hell is not the girl I had under surveillance. What happened to her?” My body tenses further. Nox leans down and asks quietly, “Where’d she go, Lily?”
Suddenly angry, I whisper through curled lips, “You broke her, Nox. Happy now?”
My anger fades and is replaced with humiliation when he answers, “Hell no, she was a fucking hoot. This pitiful version of her makes me mad. I don’t like this Lily, bring back the old one. You know? The strong one.”
Dropping my book, I ball my fists tightly by my sides.
Nox spots it and says, “There she is. Just gotta figure out how to get her to stay with us because,” he scoffs, “polite Lily blows. She’s the type who wants a pity party. She’s the type who refuses to eat or get mad, or join us here in the real world.” Just when I think I couldn’t get angrier, I’m proved wrong when his lips touch the shell of my ear and he whispers, “She’s pathetic.”
It all happens in slow motion.
My hand slides under the plate and flings it upward. The sandwich, fruit and potato chips fly through the air and I watch with wide eyes as they hit Nox in the chest, neck, and stomach. My mouth forms an O and I start to apologize until I see his smirk.
This is no ordinary smirk.
This smirk is victorious.
Jumping up on the bed, my lips part and the last three days of compressed hatred eject out of my mouth. “You pulled my hair! No! Not only did you pull my hair, but you dragged me back to the house by my ponytail like I was a freaking dog on a lead!” Pointing to my pillow, I screech, “I haven’t slept in three days, Nox! Do you know what that does to a person?” I pace on my bed. “You were all like, ‘I’m sorry, it won’t happen again’ and just expected me to let it go. I’ve never had a man touch me in anger and you just blew it off like it was nothing. Know what I say to that, Nox?” Turning to face him, I bend at the waist and shriek in his face, “Fuck you! That’s what I say to that! Take your goddamn sorry and shove it up your ass.” Straightening, I hold my arms out by my sides. “Oh, but you’ll have to remove the stick you have up there first to make room.”
My eyes widen and I lift my index finger. “Oh! And you know what I’ve also figured out?” Nox stares at me, completely void of any emotion. I go on, “Having someone watch you while you sleep is creepy! Not creepy, but…” I wiggle my fingers in the air in front of me. “…creepy!”
Nox continues to watch me through a steady gaze. Panting, I straighten once more and mutter hoarsely, “I’m going insane here, Nox. It would really help if you’d just let me be.”
Realizing I’ve expelled what little energy I had left, my knees shake and just as they buckle, I reach out to grip his shoulders. At the very same time, he reaches forward and grasps my waist tight. When he looks down to see his fingers almost touching, he frowns at my obvious loss of weight. “Gotta eat something. Anything, Lily. You tell me what you think you could eat and I’ll fix it for ya.”
Suddenly queasy, my hold loosens on his shoulders. I blink rapidly, trying in vain to see through the bright white spots that blind me. My ears block with pressure, my breathing shallows, and I shiver. I quickly respond, “I don’t think you could get it here in time.” My body weakens and tilts sideways as I slur, “Catch me. ‘Kay?”
***
Nox
Holding Lily in my arms and feeling the weight of her, or lack of weight, I’m suddenly ashamed of myself.
Damn it to hell. I let this go on too long. Should’ve stopped it sooner.
I saw the exact moment the light switched off. The moment she lost consciousness. And she knew it was coming too. “Catch me. ‘Kay?”
Looking down at her pale, drawn, and ashy face, I shake my head in frustration and fight the urge to growl. Her long, dark lashes rest on her cheeks, and it takes just about all I have to stop myself from running my thumb over her pink, pouty lips.
Trouble. I knew you’d be trouble, missy.
Clearly, this is all her fault. If she would just learn to do what she’s told and tried for a goddamned second to think rationally, none of this would’ve happened. When she wakes up, we’re having a serious talk.
Oh yeah, it’s all her fault. She’s a petrified young woman with a simple request of speaking to someone she trusts and she’s the issue. You’re losing your touch, man, acting like a mall cop on a power trip.
Me? I’m doing everything I can to keep her safe and this is my fault?
Keeping her safe isn’t enough. She’s not like you. She’s fragile. A girl needs more than just being told to trust. You gotta show her you’re willing to compromise. Meet her in the middle.
Meet her in the middle. Compromise. I’m not sure I can do that.
What would you do if you were her?
Run. Run like hell. And I’d hurt whoever got in my way.
The dull throb in my temples being a sure sign of an oncoming migraine, I carry Lily bridal style out of her room, down the hall into the west wing, and stop in front of the very last door.
My door. My room.
Hesitation stalls me. This might not be the best idea but she’s my responsibility. I need to keep her somewhere I can keep an eye on her. Somewhere I can babysit and work at the same time. Holding her tight with one arm, I open the door to my bedroom and walk Lily’s limp body inside. Gently as I can, I lay her down on my bed and she moans softly.
A good sign. She’ll be awake again soon.
Picking up the two-way radio by my bed, I press the button and call into it, “Vito, I got a situation here. Where’s Boo?”
As I release the speak button, a trilling noise sounds and I wait. A beep followed by, “Yo, what kinda situation we talkin’ about here? Boo’s around. I’ll find her.”
Running a hand down my face, I tell him quietly, “Lily. She fainted.”
Immediately, the two-way sounds and an amused Vito probes, “What the hell d’you do to her, Nox? She’s just a girl, man. You probably scared her to death.”
Vito’s young. He still doesn’t quite grasp the authority thing yet. Picking up the two-way, being extra careful to not crush it in my hand, I growl, “Find Boo. Now.”
Still clearly amused, Vito signs off with, “Sir, yes, sir.”
A minute passes and I realize I haven’t moved an inch. Placing my hands on my hips, I turn to view the little woman in my bed and mutter to myself, “Knew you’d be trouble.”
***
Lily
Groaning, I roll myself into a tighter ball, trying in vain to find some relief from the aching.
Aching. All over.
Every muscle in my body feels too tight, and moving even the slightest bit, painfully stretches me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I breathe rapidly. I feel like I’m going to be sick, but that can’t be right. I haven’t eaten more than an orange in two days. What could I possibly throw up?
