“You didn’t give me much of a fucking choice,” she snaps.
Chuckling, I grin as I continue to look down at her. “I guess I didn’t. But we needed a way to get you here, and I have a feeling you weren’t going to hop in the pickup truck willingly.”
“Damn straight.”
“Now we have a couple ways to play this. You can stay here, in this room, but not tied to this chair, until this shit is handled with Garcia. Nobody will bother you. You’ll be fed and watered, but you won’t be free while we handle him.”
“Or?”
It’s my turn to press my lips into a thin line. Theorisn’t something I really want to do to her. I don’t think it’s nice, and it puts her at risk with her abuser.
“When was the last time you saw him, truthfully?”
With zero hesitation, she opens her mouth and tells me. “Five months and three days ago.”
“I don’t like theorbecause it uses you as bait, and I don’t think you should be in that position. You’ve been through enough.”
Her lips curve up into a smile. It’s fucking devious, and I’m pretty sure I should be scared of her right about now.
“Will he ever be able to get to me again by the time you’re done with him?”
Her question makes me smile this time. “Never.”
“Use me.”
MILLIE
I’m tossing and turning. I’m not sure what I’m feeling, but what I know I’m not doing is sleeping. I’m so tired, overly tired, and maybe that’s my issue. I want to sleep. I could cry. I want to sleep so badly, but I can’t.
I’m worried about Axton. I’m worried about Bennet being an asshole at work. I’m worried about everything and nothing all at once. Hell, I don’t know what I’m worried about. I feel irrationally anxious. Maybe I just need to physically see Axton, to touch him and kiss him and know that he’s okay.
Rolling onto my back, I kick my covers off my body and stare at the ceiling. I’m not sure what to do. If I leave the bedroom, Scar is in the living room. I don’t really know him, and I don’t want to walk around while he’s on the couch trying to sleep.
Turning my head, I realize that I’m alone in bed, which means Heidi is somewhere else. I know for a fact she fell asleep next to me, but I don’t remember her getting up, which means I slept for at least long enough for that to happen.
We had a talk before we went to sleep, and since we’re going to be here for a couple of years, we both decided it would be best to rent a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. It would give us each our space and also the safety of living together.
I’m going to talk to the building's management to see if they have one they can move us into. It would make things a hell ofa lot easier than finding a whole new building. That’s what I’m doing when it opens today and I’m up and around.
Sitting up, I reach for my phone, resting my back against the headboard. It’s only seven in the morning. It’s going to be another long freaking night if I don’t sleep. I’m going to be zombified soon.
I don’t have any missed calls or notifications on my phone, something that annoys me. Axton hasn’t even attempted to get ahold of me. He promised he’d come here. As I think about his promise, I can’t help but wonder if something went wrong.
Maybe he’s had a setback or something. Should I call Lainey and ask if he’s okay? Shaking my head, I decide against that. I don’t want to be that girl… and by that girl, I mean my eighteen-year-old, insecure self.
I can’t even begin to remember the number of times I hunted Axton down back then. I’m sure it crossed the line into stalking. If I were to really think about it, but I’m not going to do that.
It’s too embarrassing.
So I sit in bed, leaning against the headboard, though I can’t look at my phone for another minute. I place it on the nightstand next to me and turn on my small bedroom television. This apartment came partially furnished, and televisions were part of the package, which I was good with because I really didn’t want to mess with trying to hang TVs on the walls.
I push the Netflix button on the remote control and wait for it to get into the program, then search for something to watch. I decide on something I’ve seen a million times in hopes that it will put me to sleep, since I won’t be interested in seeing what happens, considering I could probably quote the whole show line by line—Gilmore Girls.
Settling back in bed, I rest my head against the pillow and roll onto my side, pulling the blankets up to my chin in hopes itwill feel a bit cocoon-like. I don’t know when I fall asleep, but I do eventually.
A noise startles me what feels like seconds later. I sit straight up and press my hand to my chest as my breathing comes out in quick pants. My eyes scan the room, and I know they’re wild, but I’m trying to figure out what woke me up when the bedroom door opens.
Then I let out an exhale of relief at the sight of the person standing in the doorway.
