I’m not even frustrated that I’m avoiding every thought of what my future holds or what freaky effect Eian has on me. I’ve been dealing with healing and figuring out what I gotta do to get back to feeling a hundred percent.
Duffy, Rory, and Mac are here every day, and with my head-in-the-sand act, I think I’m even coming to think of them as friends. They’re encouraging when I go do my laps around the clinic, and they help out a lot—probably too much—with Maggie. They love playing with her as much as I do.
Best of all, none of them have pushed me to talk about the bomb they dropped on me after they told me how theybecame Eian’s family. I’ve been so successful at lying to myself, that it comes as a genuine surprise when the doctor lets me know I’m free to go home, as long as I come back in two weeks for a checkup.
In less than thirty minutes, Rory and Mac come back into the room with one very neutral expression and one happy smile.
“The car’s all loaded,” Mac announces. “I spent two hours yesterday figuring out how to latch on the damn seat for Maggie, but it’s all done now, so we’re ready to put her in. I also parked it stupidly close to the clinic’s entrance so no one will see either of you walk out.”
I open my mouth and almost ask why anyone would bother looking for me, but then... well, I guess my time as an ostrich has come to a sad end.
“Thank you, Mac,” I manage to say through my rapidly closing throat.
As soon as I pull Maggie up off the play mat someone bought for her, Rory folds it and shoves it into a big reusable bag, then she goes over to Duffy and places her hand on his back just in case he needs help.
He’s been doing his laps around the clinic too, and it’s obvious he’s been ready to go home for a few days at least, but the fact that they’re all still here just to keep an eye on me is another thing I’ve been avoiding.
He did tell me how he got hurt—jumping out of a third-floor window to beat up a guy seems a little extreme, but apparently he had it coming. I didn’t ask why, but apparently, on top of the worst concussion ever, Duffy broke his leg. They put screws in and whatnot, and I heard the doctor tell him how he did a lot of the healing while he was in his coma.
It’s just frustrating enough for me to let out a huff that he’s walking with more certainty than me as we make our way to the exit.
“I think he’s gotta be another species,” I mumble to Maggie, who’s happy as can be in my arms. She has one of her teething toys in her mouth, but her wide hazel eyes are looking around at everything.
They’re all waiting for me by the door, but when I get there, Mac nods at me, then tilts his head to the side.
“I put her seat in the back. You’re going to go out with me, with Rory and me walking next to you, and get right in. Let’s deal with buckling her in once the doors are closed, okay?”
“Ye-yeah,” I stutter.
It’s too real now, too daunting.
There are real people out there who want to kidnap me again, or kill me. People who can’t ever know my real name—if they haven’t found it already—or that I have a daughter.
I cover the back of Maggie’s head with my hand then go stand between Rory and Mac as instructed. The whole thing probably takes less than a minute, but I’m hyperaware of every movement I make, every shift of their bodies.
I buckle Maggie in quickly enough, once I find the three parts to clasp onto the thingy. “We’re ready here,” I call to the front where Mac’s in the driver’s seat and Rory’s riding shotgun. Duffy is sprawled in the left middle seat with his legs stretched toward the other seat.
I can see Mac’s eyes in the rearview mirror and how they crinkle with a smile.
“We got the one who had the best ratings. I hope it’s okay?”
It takes me a second to realize he’s talking about Maggie’s seat.
“Oh, yeah. Uh, it’s great.”
Why do I feel the need to reassure the—I’m sure—very deadly mafioso? Who the hell knows, and right now isn’t the time for such questions.
Rory puts on some music but turns down the volume so as not to disturb anyone, almost like elevator music, and I... well, I look at Maggie. For the half-hour drive I stare at her,offer her different teething toys from the diaper bag Duffy set at my feet... Then when she falls asleep, I just keep on staring at her perfect face, and I don’t look out the window even once.
I’m sure I’m going to be able to figure out where we’re going eventually, but there’s no need to speed that headache up.
When the SUV stops, and doesn’t move for two minutes, though, I have to look up.
I see a tall brick wall spanning what seems like a whole block, and in front of the car, there’s an ornate iron gate that starts to open just then. As the car moves forward, I see a huge expansive garden with different trees and flowerbeds, then a... well, a mansion appears.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but a beautiful home with turn of the century architecture wasn’t it. It’s made of the same brick as the outer wall of the property, and has more than eighteen square windows just on the front side.
It might be an oversized square but it’s almost charming in its simplicity. And simple doesn’t mean small, not at all. I can’t even imagine how many rooms there are in this place.
