Page 23 of Cyber
My date forgotten, I turned to Cyber. Had he found my daughter? Had he finally fulfilled his promise? I wanted to believe that, but something in his face told me if it had been good news then he would have opened with that.
Both Cyber and Monster were being cagey. Like they didn't know how to tell me something.
“Is she dead?” I whispered the words as the ground started to swallow me up. The pit of despair that I had been fighting for so long threatened to engulf me totally. Numbly, I could feel Cyber’s hands on my arms, steadying me as I swayed. What would I do if they had gone against their promise and killed her? They hadn't given me enough time.
“Iris, babe.”
“Just tell me, Cyber, is my daughter dead?” I was screaming like a wild woman, but I didn't care how many people turned to stare at us. I didn't give two shits if my hysterical outburst was spoiling people's dates. Why should I when my whole world was about to implode?
“Maybe we should go back to Maggie’s before talking about this.”
“Tell me, Cyber,” I broke down into gut wrenching sobs. Turning to him, I clawed at his leather cut, my nails scraping down it.
“Baby, we can't do this here.”
“Tell me!” I screamed.
“A body of a little girl that fits Violet's description was found one state over, Iris. I have a picture but...”
I didn't let him finish. Bending at the waist, I puked all over his boots. My knees buckled and it was only Cyber’s hands on my arms that kept me from going down.
My child was dead.
“I got you, Iris.” Easily, he scooped me up. “Let's get you home.” He paused, his eyes scanning the floor before rising to meet Monster’s. “Can you sort out this little problem?”
Monster nodded. His blonde hair looked more golden by candlelight. It was a strange thing to notice with everything going on, but at that moment Monster looked like an avenging angel.
Cyber was talking about reimbursing the restaurant for the vomit on the carpet, I was almost sure of it. But there was something in the way Monster frowned that made me uneasy. Like I was missing something important.
“Come on, Iris, we can't stay here.”
I nodded silently. I didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever Monster was about to say to my date. I liked him. He was a sweet guy. But Maggie had been right, I wasn't ready for anything more. My focus should have been on my daughter, not on trying to be normal.
Normal was for other women. It wasn't for me.
“Take me home, Cyber.” Closing my eyes, I squeezed out fresh tears that soaked into his t-shirt. “I just want to go home.”
“You got it.” He didn't bother with goodbyes as he stalked between the tables.
I let him carry me. I didn't even raise my head as I heard Monster say, “Let's sit down and have a little chat shall we?”
12
cyber
I had never been happierthat I had borrowed Maggie's truck instead of taking my bike in my life. There was absolutely no way that Iris could have ridden even the short distance back to the house in the state she was in.
She didn't say a word the entire trip back. She just sat there and stared out the window, tears falling silently down her cheeks. I was a jerk for telling her in the restaurant, especially when I wasn't even sure that it was Violet. I should have thought before opening my mouth.
Hell, there were a lot of things I should have done in hindsight.
“Iris?”
Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes glassy in the glow from Maggie's porch lights. She looked like a zombie, totally out of it. She was in shock.
“We’re home.”
She paled even more. Home. Where I would potentially shatter her entire world. Her eyes shifted up to the house. None of the lights were on, but I knew Maggie would be awake and waiting for us.
