Page 100 of Fangs
I threw a glance over my shoulder to see one of Nemo’s top men flagging Mac down. Mac had stopped chasing me, but he stayed in the path, watching me flee as Nemo’s guard rushed toward him. I couldfeelhim trying to get through my mental shield, but I just turned back around and kept running.
I hid out by the wall in a small space I’d discovered between several apple trees, waiting until I heard the rovers leave. It felt childish, but I did not want to see Mac right now. After they left, I stormed back to the clinic. Wolf’s entire crew was inside, and it did not improve my mood. The clinic felt so crowded, and people kept fucking trying to talk to me. I eventually just quit responding, and finally, they went quiet, but they still watched me, tracking me around the clinic until I wanted to scream.
To make matters worse, it was a slow day with few people coming in for healing, and whoever had cleaned up the blood and Madame’s scent had done a meticulous job, leaving little cleaning for me. After an hour, I couldn’t take it any longer and retreated to the loft to scrub the floor just to escape the constant eyes on my skin. I debated pulling the ladder up with me, but that would probably be a step too far. I couldfeelthe questions they were all holding back.
It was almost dinner when the door opened, and Sam walked in. I heard Lee greet him, but I didn’t come down the ladder.
“Where’s Shortcake?” I heard him ask.
“Upstairs,” Lee answered, “in a mood.”
I barely resisted the urge to pour my bucket of dirty water on top of his head.
Sam appeared on the ladder, looking slightly concerned. “Hey,” he said cautiously.
I didn’t answer, continuing to scrub the floor with more force than necessary.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he climbed up into the loft.
“You don’t have to pretend you don’t know everything anymore,” I said without looking at him.
He was quiet for a few breaths. “Mac told you about the radio?”
I didn’t answer, and eventually, he let out a sigh.
“Do you blame him?” he asked quietly, and I knew he was talking about Trey.
“No,” I snapped, which was the truth, and finally looked up at him. “I blame all the rest of you.”
He held my gaze, crossing his thin arms over his chest. “You really think you would’ve reacted well to us sittin’ you down and tellin’ you what we know?”
“What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing lately?” I knew my voice was too loud, and everyone downstairs was probably listening, but I couldn’t stop. “I’ve been makin’ myselfsicktryin’ to figure out how to tell you, and you already fuckin’ knew.”
“Why does that matter?” he argued. “It’s not like we treated you any different.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to know that?” I cried. “How the fuck am I supposed to know Nemo didn’t send a fuckin’ army to rescue me just so he didn’t lose his bargaining chip?”
“What? That’s not why we came for you!”
“And how am I supposed to know that’s not another lie?”
“We never lied to you! We just didn’t bring it up ’cause you didn’t, either!”
“Iwas trying to! I was tryin’ to convince myself it wouldn’t change anything if you all knew!”
“And it didn’t!”
“And that’s exactly what you’dwantme to think! Keep me feelin’ like I’m not a prisoner! Make me believe Ichoseto stay here.”
“For fuck’s sake, Shortcake, that’s not?—”
“Foronce.Foroncein my godsdamned life, I thought maybe I could just be a fuckin’ person and not a fuckin’thingfor other people touse?—”
“No one thinks you’re athing!” Sam’s voice rose angrily. “That’s a pretty far leap to make there?—”
“It’s not aleap, Sam. It’s been my whole fuckin’life!” I shouted. “Do you not remember how we met? Cause I sure as hell do! Are you just pretendin’ I came here of my own free will?”
He winced.
