Page 61 of Sigma
“Not terribly,” I admit.
He frowns. “What does that mean?”
“A couple scratches,” I fib.
It was a lot worse than that. Deep cuts on my hand and chest, and he ripped up my back and also shoulders when he sprinted across me. I’ve shifted twice and there’s still painless but colorful bruising on my back.
“You could’ve come and asked,” I quip.
“Don’t see the keys there,” he says, eyes flitting to the empty nail they’re generally hung on.
Where are they? My eyes scan the floor and I don’t see them.
“One sec,” I look around outside the building. No sign of them.
I grab my phone and open a group text string with Linc, Joel, and the phone number they gave me for the patrol team.
One of you put the keys to Jared’s restraints in your pocket?
I get multiple responses within seconds. None of them have the keys.
I text Dad to ask if he has the keys.
He reads my message.
And I wait.
I wait and wait and he’s not replying, so fuck it, I storm out onto the old water tower road and can see the two vehicles parked a ways away. My temper hasn’t simmered in the slightest by the time I get to Dad’s car.
He’s got music on, he’s reclined in the driver’s seat, there’s a cooler bag on the passenger seat, and his phone is in a cradle attached to a vent. There’s a camera feed open of the camera showing outside the bunker.
I hold my hand out.
He looks at my open hand, looks up at my face, and then scoffs.
I wiggle my fingers.
Dad reclines his seat further and puts his sunglasses on, folding his arms over his chest.
I know one thing – he’s showing me where my stubborn streak came from.
“Dad,” I warn.
He sighs, then hits the button to force his seat upright before he leans over and opens the glove box, pulling the keys from it and dropping them in my palm.
I turn to leave.
“Cicely.”
I turn back around.
“Almost threw them away. Anything like that happens again, I’ll throw that asshole into a pit he’ll never come back from.”
“What did you say to him yesterday?”
“I asked him if he could guarantee he wouldn’t harm you. He said he couldn’t. I told him he should fuck off and leave you be. He said he would if he could. That’s not a guy who’s willing to do whatever he can do to put you first, baby girl. He’s too fuckin’ broken to do that.”
“That’s why we have to help him, Dad. Don’t you trust Fate? You of all people, who Fate blessed twice, first with Mom and now with Kathleen?”
