could be a trap for all I know. I won’t put her in danger.
“Please. I need to know if she’s okay. She saved my life. Have you seen her?”
“Yeah, you’re talking about Natasha.”
“Natasha,” he says as if testing the name on his lips.
“Yeah, she was safe the last time I saw her.”
There’s a long pause before he replies in a low voice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I breathe before I close my eyes.
No telling when they’ll return to torture me more. The restlessness is a part of their plan to break me, they never stay away for too long. If I can rest for a little while, maybe I can sleep the hunger and pain away.
Don’t break, Roni. You’re going to make it through this.
Chapter 8
Misery
John
Pushing a hand through my hair, I head out of the bar. It’s time for me to call it a night. It’s been a long day.
First, there was that call from Nellie’s ex. She’s only been home for four months, but it’s like old times. I remember the cute little kid that would run around with Bean, I was protective of her back then too.
That call had me boiling mad. “Piece of shit,” I mutter to myself as I think about it.
I make my way to my car thinking of all the ways I want to torture that asshole apart. I’m at the driver’s side door when my phone rings. I pull it from my pocket and growl.
The second reason it’s been the day from hell. Missy won’t stop calling. She knows she has me by the balls. I’m going to answer. Why?
Well, that’s the next thing that has me wondering how the hell I got myself into all of this. Last week she called me sobbing. I was in the middle of a case and I couldn’t take the time to find out what the hell was going on.
The next time my phone rang it was her new roommate freaking out as she screamed that she didn’t know what to do. Missy had swallowed a bottle of pills. Yup, she tried to kill herself.
“Hello,” I answer the phone, trying my best not to allow my annoyance to show through.
I still can’t believe she tried to kill herself. I’d told her to give me an hour and I’d call her once I was done with work. It hadn’t been fifteen minutes before that next call came in.
I know she’s been unstable, but I never thought she would take it that far. Now I’m walking on eggshells to keep her from harming herself again and I’m miserable. It’s starting to feel like I can’t breathe.
“Hey,” Missy replies. “Are you still out with your brothers?”
I roll my eyes at the bitter way she says that. When she’d asked to come along, I’d danced right out of that. Nellie had been all of our priority.
Missy would have made the night about her. It’s something I’ve learned about her that I hate. We could be in a conversation about cats and somehow the cats would remind her of something she wants or needs.
Not a greater need or want than the topic in discussion. It comes off odd and egotistically at times. Most times to be honest.
“Actually, I’m heading home. I’m exhausted,” I reply. “How are you feeling?”
“Lonely, I was hoping you could come over and hold me again. You know like the night you brought me home,” she says hopefully.
I’m enabling this behavior. I know I am, but the guilt I feel won’t allow me not to do anything I can to make sure she’s safe, mentally and physically. As I climb into my car and start it, I prepare myself for an even longer night.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I murmur.
Once I end the call with Missy, I stare straight ahead, unseeing. I’m like a bottle ready to explode. The lid is ready to pop right off.
My thoughts race. I’m seriously trying not to be a dick, but something about her suicide attempt was off as well. God, I hate feeling like I’m making all this up because I don’t want to be with her.
“This has to end soon,” I mumble to myself.
Roni
“You know who I am?” the tall man says.
He’s handsome. Lighter than me and my mommy, with pretty light brown eyes. His nose looks like mine.
I squeeze the teddy bear he gave me to my chest before answering the question. Looking up into his eyes, I nod. He squats in front of me, coming down to eye level.