Page 149 of Death is Familiar

As I laid myself back on the hospital bed, my stomach continuing to flutter, Todd offered another reassurance, “I don’t know everything that has happened, Delilah. But I do know whatever it is you went through wasn’t easy. And I’ll be here when you are ready to talk about it.”

My guard was lowering. I could feel it. Sarcasm, with a hint of violence, was required to keep me from going completely soft. “The only talk I’m ready to have is with that doctor,” I grumbled, as I hiked the blanket up toward my throat. “If she makes any more swamp-related comments, I’m kicking her in the teeth.”

The corner of Todd’s mouth lifted. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

35

Todd wouldn’t stop staring at my neck. Like it made him visibly angry. The teen at the restaurant hadn’t looked too bothered by it, but perhaps my outfit had been enough of an attention grabber that they hadn’t paid much attention to anything else. In either case, sharing my tale with Todd, started with my neck. That I wore a collar for my own protection since the last person they’d held in my position had taken things into her own hands and my captors didn’t want a repeat performance.

I most definitely did not tell him it was a shock collar, or what I’d done to escape. I was making enough admissions for one day as it was, and I didn’t want him to feel any worse for not taking a bigger part in my rescue.

As I continued with my story, I confirmed I’d been held by the Seal. And only admitted, when questioned, that I’d been kept underground in a cell. That I’d lied about the medical questions asked of me. That the Seal thought I was precisely what I wanted them to be—a key. And that I placed the blame for my predicament on Mads, who Todd confirmed was still very much in custody and had been questioned ad nauseum about my disappearance.

Ignoring the venture into my pit, and the waking visions of Imaginary Todd, I told him about Warden White and Madame. Gave him physical descriptions, and more than a couple unsavory descriptors when it came to the bitch—sorry, I meant the heartless-sadistic-control-freak-wench who wanted to hold me in captivity until I produced the Seal’s equivalent to a golden egg.

But my stomach plummeted once I got to the subject of Three. I didn’t say her name, because it was a subject tied to my own identity that I only wanted to broach once, and now was not the time. Instead, I told Todd about the woman raised in captivity, how she was a child in a woman’s body, how she’d consistently sing about the Seal’s prophecy, how she too had a large scar on her face, and how she never once questioned her role.

“Please tell me she came with us. That she’s in another room.” The plummeting in my stomach deepened, hoping to all hope that my memory was a hallucination rather than reality.

“What do you mean?”

“Wasn’t there someone else with me?” Panick struck my chest. “When you picked me up?”

He shook his head. “You were the only person I saw, Delilah.”

“Oh my god, I’m such a bad person!” I flipped my feet over the side of the bed. “We have to go get her, I just left her in the woods! She’s never been out before.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Like hell I’m not, I convinced her to come with me, and I just left her! I’m such a bad person.”

“No, no, you’re not bad.”

“She was so annoying. I couldn’t take it anymore. And I just left her!”

“Was the woman with you in the parking lot?”

“Yes, she was with me in the trees, and I just left her there wearing bright pink pants and a stupid Venice sweater!” I don’t know why but that somehow made me feel worse.

Oh my god, I’m such a horrible, selfish, person.

Todd placed a warm hand on both of my knees, keeping me in place as he typed something into his phone. It buzzed almost immediately, then he tucked it away. “There. Handled.”

I must’ve understood him wrong. “What?”

“Fawzy and Thruppy are headed to check out a tip about a woman with a scar on her face. I gave them the coordinates where I picked you up.” I was about to voice my worry about my situation being made public, how I’d asked Todd to be the only one involved—until I’d concocted a plan—but he continued, “As far as they’re concerned, they’re still looking for you. Not the woman-child.”

“But—”

“No buts.” Todd didn’t give me an inch to argue. “They will find her. They will handle it.”

“But—”

“This is their job, Delilah.” He was firm, his tone final. “So do us all a big favor by… Not. Getting. Your. Ass. Out. Of. Bed. Not everything rests on you.”

“Oh.” Maybe it was that easy. “Okay then.”

But it didn’t make what I’d done any less horrible. And if Three wasn’t okay, the guilt was going to eat me alive.