Had they thought I was lying about my age or something?
“Loss of time, or no sense of time, is common for a lot of victims who were held captive,” James said while he continued to rub on the blanket over my stomach.
I wasn’t a victim.
“Is Haley Cooper your mother?” Garrett asked.
“The model?” Dr. Chisholm asked.
I nodded.
“We never really got along. I was a bother to her. I left home as soon as I graduated.” With a shaky hand, I wiped my eyes. “I never looked back. I severed all ties.”Eli suggested that I do so.
“I have to ask, Brandon, when you’re released, what do you plan on doing?” Garrett asked.
I had no fucking clue. I wasn’t going back to my mom. At least, I didn’t want to. I could find a friend from high school and crash there until I could get a job.
“I’ll probably find a friend from high school and go from there,” I lied.
“Sweetheart, I know you mentioned that you and your mom didn’t get along, but you need some recovery time. You were captive for three years, sweetheart,” Roz said.
As much as I hated to admit it, I needed a roof and some food until I could find a friend. I nodded at her suggestion and left it at that. Thankfully, they did too. They didn’t ask too much more and before they left, I thanked both of them for finding me. Dr. Chisholm left with Roz and Garrett, leaving me with James.
“You did very well, Brandon. I’m sure your information will help them along with their investigation and the prosecution.”
I nodded.
“Brandon, a friend of mine is dropping some things off for me in about twenty minutes. Will you be alright while I meet him downstairs?”
He was leaving. I couldn’t help but get worked up, and the heart rate monitor started making a faster beeping noise.
“Brandon, I’m not abandoning you. I will be right back, okay?”
“You promise?”
What the fuck was wrong with me? This guy owed me nothing, and I had no right to ask him to promise.
“I promise, Brandon.”
I felt better and began to relax. The stress of talking to the FBI had caught up to me, and I was worn out. All I could think about was the waterboarding. James stayed beside me until his cell phone went off.
“Okay, Brandon, I will be back within fifteen minutes. I promise.”
“Okay. I’ll be here,” I lightly joked.
“Better be,” James said and winked before he left the room.
I leaned back against the pillow and gazed out the window. I could just picture it now. My mom would yell at me and bitch about me laying around. I was lost while I internalized about having to go back to my mom’s, when a knock on the door pulled my attention away from the window. James had left the door to my room open, and standing in the doorframe was an unfamiliar man in a suit with a portfolio. My heart started to pound as I looked at him.
Was this one of Sebastian’s guys?
“Hi, Brandon Cooper?” the man said. Fuck, he knew my name. Why did he know me? How did he know me? I knew for a fact I had never seen this guy before. My memory was so good with faces, but this guy wasn’t ringing a bell.
“Hi,” I managed.
Just over his shoulder, I could see nurses moving around behind the nurses’ station, and I knew the button to press if I needed anything. The man walked into the room and opened his portfolio, pulled out a card, and held it out to me.
Jeffrey H. Arnold, Partner at the Law Office of King & Arnold.
