Page 40 of Deception

We played Uno for the next hour, Sofie winning every game. By the end, she’d warmed up to me and was consoling me when I pretended to be upset about losing.

A knock sounded on the office door, and an unfamiliar guy came in. He wore the same tactical gear that everyone but Freya and Sofie seemed to be wearing.

I had to admit, they looked impressive. And I could picture Lucius here.

“Dalton,” Gunner greeted the new guy, then pointed to me. “This is Everleigh. Can you get her set up? And I want eyes on her at all times.”

Not sure what that meant but going along with it for now, I stood up. “Thanks so much for taking my mind off everything.” I waved at Sofie. “I want a rematch, little lady.”

She giggled again and held her hand out. “Deal.”

I took her little hand in mine, surprised that someone her age would shake on a deal.

Freya got up as well. “Make a list of what you need for the next few weeks, and I’ll get it for you.”

I knew this wasn’t just going to be for one week. “That’s a very generous offer that I’ll take you up on. Thank you.”

She waved me off. “I know what it’s like to be stuck in a place with only the basics.”

I smiled at her, the first genuine one I’d managed in a while. “I appreciate it.” I turned to Gunner, who seemed to be deep in thought. “Thanks for all your help.”

He nodded at me, and I left with Dalton. We drove about an hour out of the city, and since I’d never been to Illinois, I had no idea where we ended up. It was a nondescript small town with a row of shops and not much else.

We eventually stopped in front of a cute little house on the outskirts of town.

Dalton showed me to my room, dropping my bag inside. “Someone will stay with you while you’re here. But there are cameras on the outside and in the living room and kitchen. I’ll take first shift, and then we’ll rotate. Yell if you need anything.”

“Can I call my friend and parents?”

Dalton nodded and pulled out a cell phone. “This is a secure line.”

I accepted the phone and dialed Thea’s number. Lucius had given me my phone back but asked me not to use it for a while, so I hadn’t spoken to anyone since I left Guyana.

She picked up on the fourth ring. “This is Thea.”

“Thea,” I pushed out, my voice shaky.

“Everleigh, is that you?”

“Yes.” I took a deep breath. “I’m back in the States.”

“I was so worried about you. I even reported you missing, but nobody took me seriously. After all, you took an extended leave from work to go on vacation. Are you okay? What happened? And why didn’t you call? You promised.”

“I’m safe, and I’ll be home soon.”

Home. The word didn’t have the same meaning as it used to.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too. I promise we’ll talk as soon as I’m back.”

Her breath hitched. “You better.”

“Love you, Thea.”

“Love you too. Don’t wait too long to call me again.”

We hung up, and I dialed my parents.

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