weird things to happen during this day in this weird week, this is definitely the weirdest.
“Hurry up,” she hissed. “We still have to text Sophie and Teresa our location. They won’t give us privacy forever.”
Right. Of course. It was gratifying to be able to rely on such a cool-headed leader in times of crisis. He hit 1-1-2 and in a low voice reported a kidnapping (it wasn’t, technically, but it would get the cops moving), unlawful detainment, and threats of felony assault. As he started to elaborate, Lillith chimed in, “Imi stanno spaventando, penso che abbiano delle pistole! E non riesco a trovare mia madre!”*
“Nice touch,” he said admiringly.
“And almost the truth.” She took the phone back and began texting. “They’re bad, but I don’t think they have guns. There are really, really unpleasant consequences if you’re carrying here, and I doubt any of them has a permit. Which lands them in a ton of trouble. They don’t have a Second Amendment here.” She chewed her lip. “At least not about that.”
Rake at last shook off his stunned apathy. “This is fucking incredible!” he whisper-shouted. “You’ve had the—and also the—you’ve literally had everything the whole time? All week?” He reached out and tugged the hem of her shirt back down; it was what she’d worn the day they’d met: I’M MY OWN SAFE SPACE!
“Jesus Christ!” he praised/hissed. “The whole time? No wonder you were always offering to buy me gelato!”
“See why turning me down was dumb?”
“I didn’t know you had ten grand on you! Wait, why did you have ten grand on you?”
Before she could answer, there was a brisk rap on the door. “How’s she doing?”
“Oh my God, the diarrhea and vomit are everywhere! Get a mop! Two mops! And the smell! Maybe you should get in here and help!”
“Pass.”
“See?” she said smugly. “We make a good team.”
“Yes, but that’s not news.”
“Yes, but I get the feeling you’re the type who needs to actually see something up close before you’ll believe it. It’s why I was glad when you got sick.”
“Um. What?”
“So I could take care of you. I know finding out about me was a nasty shock.” Before he could protest, she cut him off. “But I thought if I was quiet … and helpful…” All at once, the preternaturally self-possessed child had trouble looking him in the eye. “If I did that, then maybe you wouldn’t think it’d be hard to take care of me. You know. If I tried to take care of you.”
His eyes stung. Fucking allergies. Which had only now developed. “That’s—that’s not your responsibility, hon.”
“It’s not about responsibility.” Then, abruptly: “Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?”
“When you got mad at that man who tried to kidnap me? When you said I was your daughter?”
“You heard that?”
“Well. Thin doors. And you were kinda screaming. Especially when you called them a ‘grubby brigade of fucksticks.’”
“Probably shouldn’t quote me when I’m throwing around words like fucksticks, and yeah, Lillith, I did mean it. Of course I did.” He knelt and put his hands on her slender shoulders. “I know I’m a poor substitute for your mom and that you must think I’m a flighty, selfish jackass.…”
“I don’t think you’re flighty.”
“But you’re mine. Like I’m yours.” He hesitated, wondering if now was the time to mention that Blake might actually be her father. He ultimately held off because (1) time and place—they were still in the clutches of the bad guys, after all, and speaking of, he really should get back to Delaney, and (2) it didn’t fucking matter if Blake’s sperm got there first. Lillith was his child. End of discussion. “And that’s always going to—”
“Doing okay in there? Do you two, uh, need anything?”
“Will you just give me a minute?” he shouted. Christ. No sense of decorum at all. “We’ll figure it out,” he finished. “All of it. Because we’re a team now. Which reminds me, another team member has been alone with the bad guys long enough—”
“Exactly long enough,” Lillith agreed. “Here.” She pressed a slender dark tube into his hand. He blinked down at it, then with a snap of his wrist the telescoping baton tripled in length. “Don’t worry. Those are legal here. So’s pepper spray, but there wasn’t room for that in my belly bag.”
“I feel so safe with you,” he said with absolute sincerity. “Now keep back. Daddy has to go give the bad guy a concussion.”
“I’m not calling you Daddy.”
“Noted. Keep out of the way regardless.”
Fifty-one
Well, that escalated quickly.
Rake had