Page 21 of My Little Doe
I climbed out of the car, and Benji stood at the door, eyes locked onto me. Two figures walked out of the front door and stood watching the five of us. Joseph and Daniel were already standing around the car, all of them watching me.
As I looked at the figures on the porch, I recognized Ravik—and then the other one. The man from the gas station. The one who'd stared at my stomach.
“Who’s the guy next to your dad?” I asked Benji.
“My uncle—mom’s brother, why?”
“I’ve seen him before.”
We continued walking to the porch. Quinnlyn walked close behind me like before, though his hand wasn’t pressed into my back. The two men stood on the porch, arms crossed, eyes locked onto me. We walked up the sidewalk and onto the stairs.
“Where do you want her?” Benji asked.
“The room at the end of the hall upstairs. It's been outfitted for her," he said, clearing his throat.
Benji sighed. “Across from Daxyn’s—”
“He’s not staying here,” Ravik said, cutting off Benji.
“And my role in this?” Quinnlyn asked.
“You’ll stay with her day and night—”
“Excuse me… Sir,” Quinnlyn said, cutting him off.
“I didn’t stutter. There is plenty of room for both of you,” Ravik said.
“I have a fucking life. I shouldn't have to—” He stopped, exhaled hard through his nose. "Fine. But I’m tired of cleaning up yourmesses.”
Ravik’s hand connected with the side of Quinnlyn’s face. It whipped to the side, and he stumbled back.
“That is why you have been given this task, because you’re disrespectful and need to earn your place,” Ravik said.
“One day…” Quinnlyn said, barely above a whisper.
“One day what?” Ravik said, “you think you will lead, but you won’t, not while I stand here alive.”
Quinnlyn nodded slowly, staring at him. His hands clenched tight, the veins in the side of his neck pulsed.
“What about in a week and a half, when the moon is at its peak? Do you want me to stay in the room with her?” Quinnlyn finally said, breaking the awkward silence.
“Of course not. Someone will relieve you then, and on day one of waxing crescent,” he said.
I wasn’t sure what any of that meant. Why did he care about the full moon and the first day the moon starts to show light after a new moon?
“So, you want me to live with her? Why can’t Daxyn do this? Not trying to be disrespectful again, but it’s his child. I presume it’s one of the reasons why she’s being moved here,” Quinnlyn said.
“You know the answer to this. Now, Benji, take them to their room, and Quinnlyn?” Ravik said.
“Yes, sir?” Quinnlyn said. He was using manners, but there was a sense of loathing in his tone.
“I don’t want her out of the room for the next few weeks while we test things out, and if it comes to that, you don’t leave her side, and Quinnlyn—don’t question me again,” Ravik said.
He nodded before Benji walked into the house, and the two of us followed along. As we walked through the door, there was a set of stairs that went up and another set that went down. We went up the grey carpeted stairs. We turned right and headed down the hall,passing three doors, one on the right and two on the left. At the end of the hall, there were two more doors, across from each other. We went into the right room, and as I passed through the doorway, I noticed that there were two latches that could be padlocked. The doorknob had double-key entries, locking from either inside or outside. As we walked in, the room was large. There was a bed in the center, and at the far wall, there were three doors, spread out.
“Here is your new home,” Benji said.
“An upgraded cell, yay me,” I told him.
