Page 13 of Waiting For A Girl Like You
Toby wiped his nose, blood smearing across his face as he heaved. They were losing him, and this interview wouldn’t last much longer. The guards stayed where they were, not offering Toby help. They were following their orders perfectly, but only because Fairweather money was lining their pockets.
“She hates Evie as much as I love her. Say you’re lying.” Toby rocked in the metal chair. “Say you’re lying. Please. Say you’re lying!”
With his unnatural rage building again, Ben turned the laptop to face only him, and Simone used the moment to sneak away, unable to watch any longer. She went to stand in the room’s corner, keeping her back to them as her shoulders shook with silent tears.
“You keep sayingshe.” Ben filled the screen, making himself the only thing Toby could see. “Are you talking about Kristina? Michael’s sister? Is that who we’re talking about?”
Michael Sinclair’s sister and nephew had been captured during a raid executed directly before Zanmi sent their women. As Haven and Samuel’s home had been surrounded, Sinclair had used the distraction to free his nephew, but had been unable to get to his sister. Kristina Scherer continued to sit in an undisclosed location, a place so secure even Liam and Dr. Cohen weren’t privy to the information.
“Who isshe, Toby?” Ben asked again, his tone one Rowan had heard a million times in boardrooms and negotiations. “Is it Kristina?”
“I don’t know who that is,” Toby whimpered. “Why do you keep asking me that?”
“We’re losing him,” Liam aimed the quiet assessment at his father. “It’s time.”
“Kristina is Michael Sinclair’s sister,” Ben explained to Toby while Liam went to speak quietly to Samuel. “She was arrestedfor—”
“What the fuck does Mike have to do with this?” Toby screamed, reaching a frantic state where the demon inside stood ready and prepared to decimate the enemy. Saliva and blood sputtered from his lips while his coloring seeped into an unnatural shade of purple. “Tell me what that bastard has done.”
“How do you know Michael Sinclair?” Ben held his hand up, refusing to let anyone else over until he had his answer. “You want me to tell you about Evie? Tell me about Sinclair.”
All at once, Toby quieted. Like a switch had been flipped, his head tilted to the side as he absorbed every angle and weakness, a predator preparing to strike. “You’re a fucking liar.”
Ben didn’t bother to deny anything. “How do you know Michael Sinclair?”
“I already told you.” Tobias Miller lunged forward, half lying on the table to hiss directly at the camera. “He’s my family.”
“No, he’s not. I’m your family.”
Maniacal laughter spilled out of Toby. Mouth wide and eyes wild, he roared with deranged glee. “Well, sometimes the family God gives you isn’t the one you’re meant to keep. Isn’t that what we say?” Toby shouted as he tried to see past Ben. “Isn’t that what Devon said, Mama SiSi? That we were your family? That you would always protect us and take care of us?”
In the corner, Simone covered her ears, tears streaming down her face. Jamison hurried over to wrap her in her arms, holding the woman who raised her as a sob tore loose.
“I was your family, Mama SiSi.” Toby’s smile only grew when he heard Simone’s pain. Giving his bloody lips an exaggerated lick, he winked at Ben. “CeCe was your family.”
“Samuel,” Dr. Cohen whispered. “We need to get this back on track.”
Remaining quiet the entire time, Samuel watched Rowan’s screen. “This doesn’t feel right.”
Firmly pressed back against her husband’s chest, Evie turned in his embrace to rest a hand on Samuel’s cheek. Her pregnant belly hindered her from getting too close, and she teetered up on her tiptoes to look him in the eye. “I can do this. Trust me.”
“Every ounce of trust I have is in you,” Samuel whispered his reply, although a little louder than before. “But this is insane.”
“Samuel, you know she can do it.” Liam came over to lead Evie to the table, but Samuel refused to let go of his wife. Rowan couldn’t blame him. He was a hair’s breadth away from losing his shit entirely, and he couldn’t imagine what Samuel was going through. “It’s time.”
Ben stood abruptly, which only made Toby laugh. Samuel’s father was about as happy with this next part as Samuel was, yet understood it had to be done.
“Give me a fucking minute,” Samuel snarled when Liam tried to take Evie by the hand again. He spoke at full volume, and the mic picked up his words. “This is probably a waste of time.”
Hearing Samuel’s voice, Toby’s sadistic smile widened until it consumed his face. “Sammy?”
No one spoke, and the room waited to see what Samuel would do.
“Come on, Sammy,” Toby taunted in a singsong voice. “Come talk to me.”
Evie turned around, and with a calming breath, she tried to take a step, but Samuel stopped her. “No,” she whispered. “This is for me to do.”
“Sammy, Sammy, bo-bammy. Banana-fana fo-fammy.” Toby slouched in his chair, dropping his head back as if bored. “Fee-fi-mo-mammy. Sammy.”
