Page 8 of The Monsters Within

“Val isn’t my mother. She’s Amber’s mother,” I muttered, searching out Cash. I needed him.

“Do you think a mother can’t love more than one child?”

“I’m not her child.”

“Val took you in when you were eleven years old. You don’t think she sees you as her child?”

I looked down at my shoes. “She used to,” I confessed.

“When did she stop?”

“When she found her real daughter. That’s when she forgot about me.”

I stood from my chair and walked away. I needed Cash. I couldn’t take it anymore. My skin crawled with the mutterings of the monsters as they tried to wake.

When he saw me, he ran to me. Pulling me into his arms, he asked, “Are you ok?”

“No. I don’t want to talk to her.”

“Would you rather talk to Haizley?” he asked, searching my eyes.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone. You make the monsters quiet. I don’t need anyone else.”

“Baby, I can’t be with you every second. I wish I could. I don’t want to just keep the monsters quiet, Rosie. I want you to kill the fucking things. You can’t do that unless you talk about it.”

I knew he was right. When we rescued women and children, we had them talk to someone. They started with Harmony. Then, if they needed more, she would refer them to someone else when we placed them in their new home.

“I can’t do any more today.”

“Ok, Rosie. Let me talk to Mellie.”

I waited while he spoke to Dr. Jefferson. Their words appeared heated, with Dr. Jefferson shaking her head and Cash doing most of the talking.

“Hey, Rosebud.” I turned at my brother’s voice.

“Hi.” I smiled up at him. He was so tall. Almost as tall as Cash. I wondered if he got that from our dad. Cash knew who our dad was. But I hadn’t asked.

Did I want to know?

Would it change anything?

We didn’t even know if he knew about us. Thorne was right when he said Mom tried to keep people from knowing we were there. But she never told us why.

“Can we spend some time together?”

I turned to look at Cash. He was done speaking to Dr. Jefferson and headed our way. When he reached us, he pulled me back against him.

“What’s up, Mimic?”

“I want to spend time with my sister,” he answered.

“What do you think, Rosie?”

“I think I’d like that.”

Cash took my hand and brought it to his lips. “Go spend time with your brother.”

“She doesn’t need your permission,” Thorne snapped.