Page 12 of Violent Little Thing

The Undoing

DELILAH

I used to think making it through the seven a.m. rush at the coffee shop without messing up an order was exhilarating. Turns out, I didn’t know what that word meant. Because whatever feeling took over me when I pulled that trigger at breakfast surpassed exhilarating and was damn near euphoric.

Euphoric enough to make me eat more than the fruit Ms. Agnes put on my plate for breakfast. It’s the first time I’ve had an appetite since being here and I didn’t miss the joy on her face when I finished the stack of pancakes she served me.

After breakfast, my restlessness led me to the back yard.

Past the rose bushes and to the edge of the pool before I went back inside to grab a blanket from the living room to use as a barrier between my dress and the earth.

Because the possibility of a grass stain is more upsetting than the smattering of red dots already set into the lilac fabric.

The tinkling of Titus’ collar is a prelude to his nose nudging my cheek before he settles on the blanket beside me.

Expectation and admiration shine brightly in his eyes as he watches me, and it’s second nature to reach out and massage his shiny coat.

If things were different, I would almost believe this is what peace feels like.

My lips twitch at the crimson stain on the skirt of my sundress as I pull my knees to my chest. I don’t let the smile bloom because as long as I’m in this man’s possession, he’s winning and there’s nothing to smile about.

But if I deserve hell, Adonis deserves that new nick on his shoulder.

I hadn’t accounted for the recoil after pulling the trigger, but it wasn’t bad for my first try.

The odds of him being arrogant enough to leave another gun unattended in my presence are slim.

But if he does, at least I know what to expect and that I need to adjust my grip to give him more than a shallow wound next time.

Next time.

Another twitch of my lips almost makes me feel guilty for cuddling with Titus. I despise his owner, and he seems oblivious to the fact. Either that, or his loyalty lies with whoever is giving him belly rubs at the moment.

As I run my hand over the underside of his stomach, my fingers tingle with the memory of the metal grazing my palm. A second later, my throat burns at the memory of his forearm slamming into my neck.

Yeah, exhilarating .

I stretch out on my back and turn my face toward the sun, letting my eyes slip shut and imagine the days in my near future when this is all behind me. Whether it’s delusion or denial, I don’t care. I have to believe I’ll be out of here soon.

Until then, I’ll enjoy the sun on my face and the peace that comes with knowing I’m at least giving my captor a run for his money.

Rubbing my fingertips against the ache on my forehead, I release a breath.

I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a headache.

Indigo always made me a peppermint tea whenever the pain was too bad.

Granted, the tea never cured the headaches, but the splash of honey in each cup was as sweet as knowing somebody cared enough to try. I wonder what she’s doing right now.

Full of clouds and blue, the sky captures my attention until I forget about this morning and all I can remember is this moment. I always believed my soul resides in the clouds; it’s so much safer up there.

It’s not a windy day, but the trees still quiver. Ms. Agnes says they’re aspen trees. They bow with a dramatic whoosh, surrendering to the subtle breeze rippling through their branches. All I can hear is the rustle of green leaves and the world is quiet.

Quiet.

Quiet.

Quiet.

I must doze off because the next time I open my eyes, I’m still outside in the grass. Titus is gone and so is the sunlight. But only because Victor is blocking it.

I’ve gotten used to his existence on the peripheral, making sure I don’t wander too far. Peeking through one eye to soothe the persistent throbbing in my skull, I wait for him to explain why he’s so close.

“Hello, Victor.”

“Ms. Delilah.” His nod in my direction is polite as ever. Then he reaches into his breast pocket and my refurbished cell phone is gripped in his huge palm. “Mr. Samson wanted me to give you this. ”

Too quickly, I sit up from my lounging blanket and accept the device with trembling fingers.

The black square affixed to the back makes me look up at the man beside me.

“What’s this?” It looks like those battery packs they sell in the mall, but something tells me it isn’t. My voice goes playful. “It’s not like a tracker or something is it?”

When Victor simply stares at me, my stomach drops to my toes even as I click the side panel to turn it on.

Sixty-seven notifications from Indigo in the past two hours.

Four voicemails from the coffee shop.

And three notifications from my language-learning app begging me to come back and restore my streak.

I thumb through it all, not noticing Victor’s absence until the glare on my screen becomes too much.

First, I open my text thread with Indigo and send a message.

Me: I kinda ruined your dress. Promise to buy you a new one

Indi: Lilah!

Indi: I don’t give a damn about that dress. Where are you? Are you okay? I’ve been stressed the hell out

Me: I’m okay, Indi. I promise. I just got caught up

Indi: what does that mean?

Me: I let the days get away from me. But I’m okay .

I look around to see where Victor is. Not that it matters since he can read everything I’m typing right now.

Indi: Do you know I filed two missing persons reports? I went to the station for an update on the first one and they acted like they didn’t know what I was talking about

Me: That’s weird.

Indi: Exactly what I said so I stood there until they let me file another one.

I laugh. A real, genuine laugh from the depths of my soul.

Because I knew those sixty-seven notifications weren’t even half of the picture.

Indigo Carmine has never played about me from the second we met.

The problem is, she’s no match for the man who took me, and I refuse to get her caught up in this.

I may go to hell for gaslighting her, but I don’t want her on their radar. If Adonis has the power to make a missing person’s report disappear, I don’t want to test what he can do to a woman he thinks is a nuisance.

Me: No more reports, Indi. I told you I’m good

Indi: I won’t believe you until you come home or at least FaceTime me .

My eyes dart around the backyard and land on Victor. Again.

Choosing the second-best option, I lift the phone to my lips and send a voice note to quiet her concern.

Indi: How do I know that’s not an AI voice simulator?

Me: Indigo, please *crying laughing emoji*

Indi:

Indi: I’ll drop it for now but if you’re not back home in the next week, I’m coming to find you.

There’s nothing I can type in time before she sends another message.

Indi: Did a billionaire sweep you off your feet or something? I went to the cafe. They said you hadn’t been at work either.

Me: I’ll explain later.

Indi: Yeah, okay .

Exhaling, I thumb over to the messaging app the cafe uses and hold my breath as I look through the thread with my manager.

Destiny: Hey, Delilah. Just checking in after your no show this morning. Everything good?

The next morning a similar message appeared.

Yesterday was supposed to be my day off.

Then there was this morning’s message. From me. Telling them I quit and wouldn’t be back at the cafe.

My fingers dig into the bezel of my phone until pain shoots to my wrists and I snap out of it.

Who sent this? Adonis or Victor? The text is colder than anything I would have written. Especially to the boss who put it all on the line for me to get hired.

“I like you, Delilah. You’re bubbly and you know how to talk to people,” Destiny says with a smile. “I’ll tell you what, if you can get your ID squared away and a background check from the sheriff’s office by the end of this week, I’ll put you on the schedule for a trial run. Sound good?”

The middle-aged woman’s kind words have me fisting the hem of my button up to contain my excitement as I nod. “Yes, that sounds more than good. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Destiny’s smile doesn’t slip as she nods. “Great. I’ll see you Friday morning then. Take care. ”

“Thank you, Destiny. See you Friday.”

A muted squeal leaves me when I’m on the sidewalk.

I did it. I fucking did it. I got a job.

I don’t care that for the next three days, I have to walk in zigzags around Wildwood gathering documents.

I don’t care that I’ll be walking thirty minutes a day to work until I have enough for a bus pass.

None of it matters because it’s one step closer to the independence I’ve craved my whole life.

The night before I start, Indigo makes me her favorite ramen with all the fixings to celebrate and tells me she can give me a new haircut to celebrate my new job if I want…

Wetness on my cheek and the emotion clutching my heart pulls me back to the present.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I swipe the tears from my face and stand, only to collide with Victor.

He doesn’t say anything, but the handkerchief extended in my direction says everything.

My voice is hollow and raw. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

My soles only sink into the grass twice before Victor makes an announcement at my back.

“Mr. Samson will be expecting you downstairs for dinner at seven tonight.”

I don’t acknowledge his announcement or the fact that I can feel him two steps behind me as I stomp through the house back to my suite.

Victor posts up on the wall opposite my room and I slam the door before face-planting on the bed.

Then I unlock my phone to read the last message from Destiny and cry all over again.

Destiny: Hey, Lilah. Look, I hope everything’s good with you. I wish you had at least told us you wanted to quit. No hard feelings. We loved having you here and wish you the best with whatever you have up next. I know you’ll shine wherever you go. I’ll stop putting you on the schedule. Be good.

Just like that. The independence I’d fought for is gone.

Maybe it’s nothing to Adonis, but it’s all I had.