But even that gave way to fear as the exchange between him and my captors became increasingly violent. Now, it’s like a black fog has settled on my brain and I have no clue what’s going on.
“Please, please, please,” I sob the word over and over again into David’s chest as he carries me out of the dim building and into the light. “Please, please, please.” I hiccup and cough out the word between racking sobs. I don’t even know what I’m pleading for. Safety? Security? Sanity? All of these things seem far away and unattainable right now.
“Lilly, it’s okay, I’m here,” David murmurs into my ear. I cling to his neck, tightening my grip around it, trying to find comfort in the strength of his broad chest. I hear a car door open and then David tries to put me down in the backseat of a large black escalade. But I can’t let go of him.
“Lilly, you need to let go. It’s okay now. Just let go and then I can get in after you.” I shake my head, unable to speak.
“Okay, we’ll do it your way,” he says. He gathers me back up in his arms. “Mike can you watch her head, please?” I hear Mike’s response, and their exchange, as if it’s on another planet.
My eyes remain screwed shut, shutting out the sunlight and the ugly, violent world around me. I just feel David’s chest, close against me, and the jostling movement as he carefully climbs into the backseat, still carrying me in his arms. For a split second, I feel a hand on top of my head. I realize dumbly that it must be Mike’s, guarding me from potentially bumping my head as David awkwardly maneuvers us both into the backseat.
The car door slams after us and we start moving. I’m still clinging to David’s neck and my sobs are quieting, but I can’t stop the tears from streaming down my face. Meanwhile David still has me bundled in his arms. The front of his shirt is soaked with my tears.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here,” he murmurs the words into my hair. I can feel his breath on my head, a warm breeze of comfort. His arm muscles, taut, encircle me. But they can’t protect me from the dangerous world out there. Today’s events have made that clearer than ever before.
As we drive, I slowly open my eyes and peer up. David is looking down at me, his face painted with concern.
“Hey.” He gives me a squeeze as our eyes met. “You okay?”
I nod, struggling to sit up and scramble off of his lap.
“Here.” He pulls a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and hands it to me. I glance quickly in the rearview mirror. Mike is politely staring straight ahead, averting his gaze, not taking his eyes from the road.
I blow my nose and wipe the tears from my face, trying to make myself somewhat presentable. Outside the car window, the stretch of desert is gradually giving way to the outskirts of the city. The familiar skyline of the Vegas strip lies ahead.
“You’re okay.” David reaches over and squeezes my knee gently. It’s meant to be reassuring but I flinch at his touch. He withdraws his hand immediately. “You’re going to be okay,” he repeats the words.
I simply nod, avoiding his inquisitive gaze, and keep my eyes peeled out the window. My brain is still trying to process what just happened, and I feel slow and stupid as I recount the afternoon’s events in my mind.
“What will happen to them?” I whisper.
“Tony and Bobby? They’re done here. You won’t have to worry about them again. Ever.”
I nod. I know I should be upset but in this moment I only feel relief.
“You heard Mickey,” David goes on. “If my people hadn’t done the job, his would have.”
I shrug, beyond caring.
“It’s for the best, Lilly.” David doesn’t say anything further and we fall into silence in the back seat. My mind is racing. I feel like I’m going mad, but I remind myself that it’s over now. David is here and I’m safe. I’m trying to rationalize this whole thing, to compute it, but I can’t. This is not a normal thing. This is not something that ordinary people experience. I don’t know how to feel. I don’t have a reason to be scared anymore, but I’m scared that someone…anyone…can be that way to another person. Evil people. They can take everything you are, and everything