As though calling me on my bullshit, the handsome asshole from the porch steps inside, breezing past my shoulder close enough that the draught he creates lifts the ends of my hair.
I inhale a little longer than necessary.Weak-ass.
Darla’s gaze tracks him halfway up the stairs before she pins me with a no-nonsense glare, dragging out her one-word response. “Right.”
“Yeah,” I deflect. “Didn’t really work out all that great when I found him out there.” I jerk my chin toward the room behind her. “How are the others?”
“Nandi’s sleeping for now. The Kid’s happy, huddled with Kathy, and Kyra, the girlfriend they brought in to talk to us, took Mila upstairs to sort out a shower—try and freshen her up some.”
“And you?”
She shrugs, glancing to the open door leading to the dark yard. “Still waiting for the madness of all of this to sink in, I guess. My brain doesn’t want to believe it was that easy. That all we needed to do was wait, and some weird version of a white knight would show up to save us.”
“I know.” I fold my arms, gripping my elbows. “It does seem ridiculously easy.”
She sighs, gaze roaming the few pictures hung on the paneled walls. “They seem genuine, though.”
“That’s always the problem, isn’t it?”
A small smile tugs one side of her mouth. “I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. At this point my nervous system would feel vindicated if some assholes with guns came blasting through the door. All this calm care makes me feel weirded out.”
I jerk my head, indicating she should follow and then head back to the porch.
The grilled cheese sits untouched.
“Get some air with me.” I take a seat in one of the timber chairs and lift the plate of food. “I get a feeling tomorrow’s going to be one hell of a long day.”
“You mean today?” She adjusts a cushion on the chair beside mine and then shakes her head at the piece I offer her. “I’m good. You have it.”
I set it back on the table, thoughts rampant as I stare at the endless fields surrounding the house. We passed no more thana handful of small properties after turning down this road; the signage indicates it ends when it meets the river. I’ve never been anywhere in Minnesota until now; my knowledge of the state is limited to a stale basement and an outlaw motorcycle club headquarters.Quite the intrepid traveler, aren’t I?
“Do you find it strange that we’re, like, not freaking out or anything?” Darla asks. “Shouldn’t we all be begging to go home? Panicked about our families?”
“Maybe it’s shock.”
“Or maybe we’ve all got serious mental health issues.”
I smile.Doesn’t everyone?“You got anyone to go home to?”
She stares out into the surrounding farmland a beat before answering. “No one that matters.”
I stare at the grilled cheese, hungering for a bite. “What will you do after this?”
Darla shrugs, glancing down the driveway to where men are posted at the gate, hidden in the night. “I’ve been thinking about that since we got here, and I figure if I ever wanted to start over and reinvent myself—redirect my course in life—then now’s the best time. You know?”
“Makes sense.” Wish I could do the same. Disappear off grid to some pretty cabin on the water and spend my days lost in fantasy worlds.
But unlike Darla, I’ve got family and a place to live waiting for me. I’m just not allowed back yet.
“Do you know much about Kathy?” I ask.
“Nope.” Darla pulls her feet onto the edge of the chair, hugging her knees. “She got picked up before me. Was already there when they pushed me in the van.”
“How’d they get you? Promise you work?”
She shakes her head. “Said they knew someone who needed a housemate. Promised cheap accommodation while I looked for work.”
“Oh.”
