Of course, when one was brought down, two popped up in its place. It was a lost cause, but his heart was in the right place.
“So what is it that you’re not telling me?” I leaned back in my chair, which made my hand fall from the boy’s head. As if he knew I needed to touch him, Dakota shimmied the pillow on his knees, scooting closer to me where he was back in reach. He was close enough that he could lean against my leg if he wanted to.
“It’s possible he won’t ever be what the world considers a normal human being.”
What was so wrong about that? I lifted an eyebrow in question.
“He’s been trained.” Collin went on, shifting in his chair. “Programmed, more like it, to be what his owner desires at any time. To get him to think for himself will be hard enough, let alone to be someone who isn’t dependent on others will be a huge challenge on top of that.”
“He’s only going to be with me until this case is closed.” Even as I said the words, it felt like a lie.
“If you say so.” Yeah, he didn’t believe my lie, either. “Because of the case, you’ll have to send this pile over to the other agents. They may want to try to track down other dealers. If they are still alive.” He paused, letting the words settle between us. “How’s the kid doing anyhow?”
I sighed before running a hand down my face. With Dakota silent at my side, it was easy to pretend he wasn’t there. Was he even aware we were talking about him?
“Still tired and sore. Won’t tell me when he needs more pain meds. But otherwise, I have no clue.”
“Doesn’t seem like he fears you, so that’s a good start.” Collin looked at the boy, who was slowlyleaning more into my leg as the minutes passed. I wasn’t sure if it was because he trusted me or if he was nearly falling asleep. I wasn’t a betting man, but I assumed it was the latter of the two. “You’ll get some sort of schedule down that works for both of you. Give him tasks to help around the house, like chores. That’s what I did for Emily and Silas. Gave them a purpose.”
Chapter 10
Dakota
As the minutes passed, my mind zoned out. Once my name, the one thing I thought I had control over, had been spoken, my mind blanked out. I didn’t know what was said after that as I forced my lungs to keep working. Something I couldn’t name was swimming to the surface. It made me antsy and unsettled.
I wasn’t settled to begin with, but now that Sir knew my name, I had nothing left that was just mine. Everything had been taken from me one way or another. Until now, my name meant nothing to anyone.
I knew, in the end, it wouldn’t matter to either of these men. It shouldn’t matter to me, either.
I hadn’t realized I was nearly leaning against Sir’s leg until he shifted. His hand left my hair, and my body threatened to fall against his leg. Instead, I forced my body to kneel upright.
Taking in a deep breath, I stared at the floor, not daring to lift my gaze or tune in to what was being spoken.
“Up.” The command was added by a hand to my upper arm. It took a moment for my brain to do as I was told. On unsteady feet, I stood.
How long had I been kneeling?
Glaring at the pillow on the floor, my knees ached as I moved a step, then another. I followed the man who led me from the room.
“Sit.” I was gently led to take a seat on the couch. I sat on the edge, waiting with bated breath for whatever was coming.
“I’m just checking your injuries, kid.” Collin’s voice was right beside me as he sat down.
I didn’t move. Fear swirled through my entire body.
I knew things wouldn’t stay good for long. I wasn’t meant to be taken care of. I wasn’t meant to have an opinion. I was here to serve Sir in whatever way he wished of me.
I couldn’t stop the jerk as something cold surrounded my heart and lungs. Just as quick as itappeared, it was gone. But then, my shirt was lifted up to my armpits. My hands stayed limp in my lap, unsure of if the shirt was to come off or not.
“Bruising is better.” A single finger ran along one of the many scars that covered my torso, but no comment was made about it. Then, the shirt was put back in place.
“He’s on the mend,” Collin said, zipping a bag he had brought in with him.
“Blood results?” Sir’s voice was closer than I expected, but thankfully, this time, I didn’t jump. My heart only picked up speed for a second.
“All clean. Whatever he was drugged with was a concoction of a date rape drug and Viagra. Nothing to worry about dealing with an addiction on top of everything else.”
Sir made some sort of humming noise. My shoulders sagged as thoughts popped into my mind. Did he want me to be dependent on drugs to keep me in line? It wasn’t needed.
