A couple of days later, someone comes in allowing some light, but I can’t see their face. They have a mask on. “Do you know who I am?”
“Dr. Chamberland.” He doesn’t reply. He lifts my arm and sticks the syringe in.
“Don’t. Please,” I moan as the drugs seep into my bloodstream. He walks out and leaves me in darkness again. My stomach cramps with hunger pangs and I’m so thirsty. Who will come for me? Will Phoenix or my father? I shake my head. I can’t remember why I was supposed to get close to Phoenix. Did my father tell me?
Every couple of days, Dr. Chamberland shows up, his face covered and asks me the same questions. Do I know who he is? Do I know who took me? Do I know who I am? Do I know who my husband is? Until one day he comes in and I can’t remember who he is.
“What do you remember?” he asks.
“My name is McKenzie. I’m twenty-three years old. I’ve been kidnapped. But he will come for me. He always comes for me.”
“Why do you think you’re twenty-three?”
I don’t understand the question. “It’s the last time I saw my father. He took me to a party.” Why did he take me to that party? Had he gone to parties before? I think he did, and I hated it, but it seems like I was ready to go. I just don’t remember why.
He doesn’t ask anymore questions, but does give me a sip of water. I want more, but he takes the cup away before I can get more. He leaves and I groan. I’m freezing and the chains are rubbing against the raw skin of my wrists and ankles. My body aches. I’m going to die here. They’re going to forget I’m here and I’m going to die.
This time, it feels like weeks before someone visits me again. I’m shivering so hard I have no control over my muscles. The person grabs my arm and sticks a needle into it. The drugs warm me up a little.
“Do you know who I am?”
I shake my head. A cup is held to my mouth and I greedily drink the water, some of it pouring out of my mouth and into my hair.
“Do you know who I am?” they ask again.
“No,” I croak. I can’t remember anything. Why can’t I remember?
“My name is McKenzie. I’m twenty-three years old. I’ve been kidnapped. But he will come for me. He always comes for me.” I’m not sure how loud I say the words.
“Who kidnapped you?”
I try to think back. Try to remember when I was kidnapped, where I was kidnapped, but I can’t. “I don’t know.” Tears begin to stream down my face. Why can’t I remember?
“Who will come for you?” The tears flow harder.
“No one.”
Chapter 41
Phoenix
Itold McKenzie I didn’t have to be in the room when Dr. Pearl was working with her, but she was insistent. She wanted me in here. Listening to her telling us what happened to her makes me want to kill Dr. Chamberland and my mother all over again.
“McKenzie, it’s time to wake up,” Dr. Pearl says softly. McKenzie’s eyes flutter open and she immediately turns herhead to look at me. She begins crying and I’m next to her in an instant. “I’ll give you two a minute.”
I don’t hear Dr. Pearl leave as I gather Kenz in my arms and hold her tight. She wraps her arms tightly around my neck. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she whispers over and over again.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, love.” I rub my hands up and down her back.
“I remember feeling so guilty. The day I married you, you thought you were forcing me to marry you. I wanted to marry you. I had fantasies about it in high school. But I felt so guilty because you thought you were making me. I knew you were doing it because of the rules. Deep down, I knew you loved me. Or you wouldn’t have gone to those lengths.” I sit back so I can look at her. I wipe her tears away with my thumbs, and she laughs. “Shouldn’t you be licking them away?”
I chuckle and lean forward, licking one. “Happy?”
“I do like when you lick me,” she murmurs and I laugh.
“I like licking you.”
She rests her head on my shoulder and gives me a tentative smile. “Are you mad?”
