Page 30 of Bones
“Are you pregnant?” Sam asked.
“Gods, no.” I couldn’t contain the horror at the thought.
“So what’s goin’ on then, Shortcake?” Sam pushed.
I bit the inside of my cheek hard, refusing to react to the nickname. Trey gave Sam a look, raising an eyebrow, but he didn’t comment either. Gods, I almost missed the Reapers. Sure they were all violent assholes, but at least none of them pestered me like this.
“It’s nothing. This always happens when I haven’t eaten for a long time. I’m fine.”
Sam crossed his arms. “Whad’d’ya mean ‘always’?”
“Gods, will you just let it go?” I snapped.
This time when I pushed past them, they let me, but they both followed me inside. I bit back a scream of frustration.
“Out with it, Shortcake,” Sam threatened. “You’re a part of this crew now, and we need to know why you’re gettin’ sick. Don’t make me get Mac. He gets real pissy when we disrupt his beauty sleep.”
I gave him an incredulous look. What the fuck? Why were they making me talk about this? Were they worried I wouldn’t be able to do my job?
“I can heal just fine,” I snapped. “It’s not gonna affect my work, alright?”
Trey and Sam exchanged a look I didn’t understand.
“We’re not asking just ’cause of that,” Trey said, studying me far too closely. “We’re asking ’cause we want to make sure you’re not sick.”
“I already told you I’m not sick!” I cried, frustrated.
“So explain it then,” Sam demanded.
I glared at them both. They weren’t gonna let it go. I wrapped my arms around myself, ignoring the pain in my shoulder as the stitches stretched.
“Juck didn’t let me eat when I pissed him off. It happened all the fucking time so it’s not a big deal. I know how to deal with it. I just have to eat small amounts of bland shit for a while until my body adjusts and then I’ll befine.”
The silence crackled with tension.
“He starved you when he was mad?” Sam asked.
“It’s not a big deal,” I said again, feeling defensive.
“Itisa big deal,” Trey said, and I flinched at the anger in his voice. “How long would he make you go without food?”
“I dunno. It varied.”
“But long enough that you get sick when you try to eat?”
“I can still work just fine.”
“No, Bones! That’s not what we’re upset about.” Trey let out a frustrated breath. “You never should have been treated like that.”
My throat closed up. I didn’t want to go down that path. Dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. I just had to keep going.
Survive,Wolf agreed.
“Nobody is gonna do that here,” Sam said. “Not while you’re in our crew. What kinda bland food do you need?”
I stared at them, anger creeping back over me. I did not fucking understand them at all. “So torture is fine, but starving somebody isn’t?”
“No torture isnotfine,” Trey snapped.
