“I’m good at what I do, Al. Damn good. And I can’t find a single fu…” His gaze slid to the living room before he rephrased with a quieter, “I can’t find a single freakin’ way the guy’s been able to keep tabs on you and Maddie. Not electronically, anyway. Not unless…”
Liam’s hesitation to say whatever else was on his mind had her mind whirling with all kinds of worst-case scenarios. But the one he presented when he finally spoke again wasn’t even close to being on her imagination’s radar.
“The only other possible way Tommy could be tracking you and Maddie using some type of device is if he somehow managed to get a chip inside you.”
Allison laughed at the ridiculous notion…until she saw the look on Liam’s face.
“Oh, my gosh.” She blinked. “You’re serious.”
“I’ve seen cases where it’s happened.”
Holy crap. He’s actually serious.
“That’s impossible.”
“Is it?” He slid his plate to the side and leaned his elbows on the table before him. “Was there ever a time where you were more vulnerable than normal? You had too much to drink, or?—”
“I never get drunk.”
“Maybe you had some sort of medical procedure, then. Or Maddie. Has she ever undergone any sort of surgeries or extensive dental work? Anything like that?”
“Not here.” A heavy, nauseating ball of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. “But I had to have outpatient surgery on my arm once.” She subconsciously reached for her left wrist, her thumb tracing the scar from where they’d inserted the metal pin. “I broke it during a…fall.” She cleared her throat.
The look in Liam’s eyes told her he knew that last statement wasn’t the case. Allison could also see that he understood she’d only said that to keep Maddie from hearing the truth.
“What do we do?” She whispered softly. “H-How do you even check for something like that?”
“With this.” Liam reached for something on the chair beside him. A second later, he was holding up a flat, grayish-colored wand. “It’s called an EDD, or electronic detection device. It’s like what security uses at concerts or sporting events when you walk through the gate, only a lot more sophisticated. I just need to do a quick sweep of your body, and then we’ll know.”
“Oooh, do we get to play the tickle game now?” Maddie joined them with a slight skip to her step.
“She saw it earlier and asked what it was. I explained it was a tickle detector.”
“Yeah, Mom. You put it close to your body, and it can tell all the spots where you’re ticklish. But only if you laugh, right, Liam?”
“That’s right.”
“Can I go first?”
Liam looked to Allison and waited to see if she was going to give him permission.
“You don’t have to touch her with it, right?”
“Not at all.”
“Please, Mom?”
“Okay.” Allison forced a smile she didn’t feel to appear on her face. “But just the once, though.”
“Yay!”
She watched silently as Liam went over to where Maddie stood, helping the little girl stand shoulder-width apart, arms stretched all the way out to her sides.
This is my life now.
It was so outlandish, Allison nearly laughed at her own disbelief. Seriously, who spent their morning getting checked for possible tracking devices that may or may not have secretly been planted inside their freaking body?
Me and my precious daughter. That’s who.
