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Going into his bathroom, I glance at myself in the mirror and cringe at the state of my sex-tangled hair, feeling sore all over and overwhelmingly alone. As I brush my hair and teeth, I glance at the phone. He hasn’t sent me another text, which annoys and worries me.
It’s enough for me to be bold and rip his T-shirt off. Lifting the phone into the air, I angle it downward to take a picture of myself like how I saw Florence do before sending it to guys she wanted attention from. It’s more complicated than it looks, and takes me a few tries to get one that isn’t blurry. When I look at it, I cringe at my own desperation. Though I guess it’s not too bad for my first ever and last naked selfie.
Attaching it to a message, I send it to him. I’m excited about his reaction when I put the phone back on the counter as I get dressed into a sweatshirt and jogging bottoms. The phone vibrates as I pull up the pants, and I quickly pick it up.
MILTON:Heidi.
I smile. I can hear him saying my name in that roughened voice, even in text.
ME:Yes?
Slipping the phone into my pocket and putting on my shoes, I open the door and poke my head out. All’s quiet. There isn’t a soul in sight as I close the door and go down the hallway toward the stairs. Still no sound, but I can smell food, making my stomach growl.
As I walk into the kitchen, I feel awkward when I find an older woman by the stove and a giant man over by the sink. They both turn in unison to look at me, and it’s the woman who steps forward first. “Good morning, Miss Adams.”
“Oh—you can just call me Heidi.” I’m far from my comfort zone, wishing Milton were here to make this less embarrassing.
“Of course.” She nods politely with a smile. “My name is Hilary. I’m the cook and housekeeper. And this is my husband, Peter.” She gestures to the tall man with snow-white hair and tired, wrinkled eyes. “He’ll be the caretaker and is a man of few words. Don’t let it offend you.”
Peter grunts, and Hilary gives him a teasing smile, though I sense her adoration. My nerves ease. Maybe it’s because of how normal they seem when everything else feels chaotic. And there are no uniforms, thank God.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say.
“Now that the greetings are out of the way, would you like—”
“You’re on the first patrol while I install the cameras.” Two men suddenly barrel through the kitchen, wearing nothing but black. They stop when they see me, though I already guess they’re security by the guns strapped to their belts and the earpieces.
“Ma’am,” the older one says to me, easily in his forties. “I’m Barnes. Head of security.”
“Oh—”
“And this is Cole.” I glance at Cole, who is significantly younger than Barnes. He’s in his late twenties, with eyes darting all over the kitchen. It’s like he expects an attack at any moment. He looks at me briefly and offers a tight smile, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. Not in any way unfriendly, but like he’s looking through me rather thanatme. “Anyway, we’ll have this place locked down in no time. You’ll be safe here—”
There’s the sound of a bark, and two large German Shepherds gallop inside. Hilary sighs at the dirt they’ve tracked on the floor, but I can’t help sinking to my knees as the largest of the two sniffs me and licks my face. I’m mesmerized as I stroke the dog’s head while the other sits and stares at me.
“Are these yours?” I ask Barnes.
“No, they’re Mr. Hood’s.” Now Milton’s text makes sense. These are his other gifts—his dogs. He’d mentioned having them briefly. “The one you’re stroking is Blue. And this is his sister, Bea.” He pats the sitting dog on the head, who lets out a low growl and looks like she wants to bite his hand.
Shuffling closer to her, she seems more cautious than her overexcited brother. Not easily trusting, I’m guessing. Keeping my voice soft, I say, “Hi, beautiful girl.”
She moves forward. Like her brother, she sniffs me first. She doesn’t attack, which is a good thing. Maybe they can smell Milton on me?
Reaching up to my hand, Barnes stiffens as I stroke her. But she doesn’t growl like she did at him or bite, and her fur is soft as I continue petting her.
“They like you,” Barnes muses. “They don’t like a lot of people. Especially Bea. She can be quite vicious when she wants to be.”
She nuzzles into my hand, and I’m already in love with her deep brown eyes. The same as Blue’s. “She’s just misunderstood.”
“They’re good guard dogs,” Barnes adds, making it feel like I’m in a military operation. Is this even necessary?
Picking up on my uneasiness, Hilary steps forward. “Heidi has to eat now. Mr. Hood’s orders.”
With a courteous nod, Barnes and Cole leave. Peter, who has said nothing all this time, whistles, and both dogs go to him. Walking out the back door, he takes them outside into the garden.
“Now, Heidi.” Hilary turns to me, light blue eyes kind and welcoming like she was here all along and I’m the one just arriving. “Now that it’s just us two women, I want to tell you that anything you need, I’m here. We’re all in this for the long haul. Nothing is too much.”
The long haul.
