Page 13 of Keeping Lilith
Did he, though? If he wasn’t busy, he had time to think and dwell on what he’d done and what he hadn’t done. But a break did sound appealing. He hadn’t had one since he’d joined the FBI a couple of years ago. But also, the thought of taking that time away from the office had him breaking out in a cold sweat.
What if, while he wasn’t there, a lead came in for a new organization, and they missed something important? Something that he recognized as a sign that this group of people weren’t just a club who shared the same interest, but were actually something more sinister?
Not that he believed he was better than the profilers in the FBI. He wasn’t, but he did have the insight they didn’t. “I don’t know, Mac. What if you need me?”
Great, he sounded like a whiney child. Maybe he should take a break.
“As your boss, I’m telling you, I don’t want to see you in the office until next Monday. Everything will still be there when you get back.”
Arguing was pointless. Heck, every other person in the world would be jumping for joy at being told to have a seven-day vacation. “I hear you, but if you need anything, call me.”
“You know I will. Enjoy your break.” Mac disconnected the call without saying goodbye, his usualmodis operandi.
Julian tossed his phone on the couch beside him. He had a few days to himself now. What was he going to do?
Perhaps he could use his time off to help Lilith acclimate back into society. Julian scoffed out loud at that. No way would she want him near her. She’d made that abundantly clear. But he wouldn’t abandon her. He’d done it once before. He wouldn’t do it again.
Chapter Seven
The soundsof people moving through the house had Lilith tossing back the covers and standing. Sleep had been elusive. The bed was firm and comfortable. The sheets soft against her skin. The low hum of the air conditioner. All sensations and sounds she wasn’t used to. The bed she’d laid on at the compound had been hard, and all she’d had to cover her was a scratchy blanket and a sheet that would be better off burned than covering a person’s body.
Her stomach grumbled, reminding her she’d refused Cass’s offer of food the previous evening. After she’d taken a shower and washed her hair three times, she hadn’t wanted to face the people who’d opened their home to her.
It was extremely rude of her, but she hoped they’d understand that she needed time to get used to being in a house that had glass in the windows. Air conditioning. A place that didn’t have the lingering scent of her body odor clinging to the air.
She couldn’t hide in her room all day. She was used to staying busy. But today was the start of her new life, and Lilith had nothing to do. But she couldn’t stay here and impose on Cass and Irish’s generosity.
Walking over to the pile of clothes, she rummaged through, until she picked out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Whoever had told Cass her size had been pretty spot on. They fit her well, if not a little loose around the waist. Women like her hadn’t been allowed big servings of food on the compound. After a while, her body had gotten used to the minimal amount she ate, and the extra weight she’d gained while living by herself fell away. Now that she was out, she should learn to cook. Another reason money had been tight was because her skills in the kitchen were non-existent, so she’d survived by ordering out most nights. She would buy enough to last her a few nights, but it all added up. Or the cook at the diner she’d worked at would save her a plate of the day’s special on the nights she worked there.
Did anyone question her whereabouts when she hadn’t turned up for her shifts at her jobs? Or did they just think she’d decided she wouldn’t work there anymore?
“What does it matter?” she muttered out loud. “This time will be different.”
If she kept saying those five words enough,she may believe it herself.
Satisfied with her appearance, she opened the door and followed her nose to the kitchen, where Irish stood at the stove. He turned to her when she paused in the doorway.
“Morning. How do you like your eggs? Sunny side up, over easy, or over hard?”
Lilith stared at him, words lodged in her throat. In her whole life, she’d never seen a man cooking in his own home. She’d gone from a cult where women did everything, to living by herself where she did everything, to living in another cult where—you guessed it—women did everything.
“Umm, I don’t know.”
Irish’s brow furrowed, and she stepped back a little. This was a man you didn’t mess with. “You don’t like eggs?”
Lilith shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s just, I don’t know what you mean when you say that. The only eggs I’ve ever had are scrambled. And then they were always watery and disgusting, so I never ate them.”
“I can do scrambled for you if you’d prefer. And I promise you they won’t be watery.” He smiled, and his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the fierce man, and in its place was someone she felt she could trust. Which was totally unusual because she didn’t trust easily.
“No, I don’t want you to go to any trouble. I’ll have whatever style of egg you eat.”
“Trust me, Irish will give you whatever you want. He loves to cook.” Cass walked into the room, straight to her husband, who hooked an arm around her waist and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was gentle and sweet, and Lilith looked away. Again, she’d never seen this open affection between a man and a woman. Her parents hadn’t acted that way toward each other. She could count on one hand the amount of times they kissed each other. Unless they did it when she wasn’t near them.
“I don’t love to cook. I do it because I have to eat, and breakfast is the only meal I cook,” he grumbled.
Cass laughed and sat down at the table. “Come sit, Lilith. Can I get you something to drink? Orange juice? Coffee? Water? Milk?”
Were these people for real? Yes, she was being a little cynical, but after what she’d been through, could she be blamed if she didn’t trust what she was seeing?