Mikki looked away, “I did the best with what I had.”
I brought the girl to the bed and laid her little body down. Vida got into the bed next her and almost instantly the two of them cuddled up closer to each other and went right back to sleep. I walked back to the couch and laid down, I looked at the door and instantly felt more at ease. If any of those fucks tried to come in they would have to go through me first.
Sleep came quicker.
Chapter 6
The next morning I awoke to the best smelling coffee. I opened my eyes and looked around my surroundings. The small main space consisted of the couch and chair, a dining table and the kitchen. The small bathroom was off to the side while the one bedroom was directly behind me. I didn’t see any windows so I guessed were in a basement. The place looked run down, and it was cold, but I could see that Mikki had done everything that she could to make it a home for those girls.
“Good morning, Alex.” Mikki walked over with a cup of coffee and put it down in front of me. “You sure do sleep a lot.”
“I’m tired.” I said gruffly as I reached over to grab the cup.
“Wait, let me take a look at the wound. I want to check on it before you do anything.”
“It’s fine.” I tried to reach for the cup again.
“Alex, stand up.”
“For fucking what? I just told you it was fine!” I said with more anger than I knew I had.
“Alex, you don’t know if you are fine, I don’t know if you are fine. You had a life-threatening wound that needs to be tended to. I know you feel like you can do it all on your own but you don’t have to. I am here. Let me help.” She stared at me until I gave up and stood like she asked.
She poked and prodded at me. She caressed my skin. It was a long time. A long time since anyone touched me, even longer since anyone but Laura touched me. I pulled my shirt down knocking her hand away roughly.
“Are you fucking done?”
“Yeah, it looks good, it’s healing well.” She tried to give me a smile but I didn’t want any of it. I stood up and walked over to the small kitchen. I opened the fridge door and was instantly annoyed, there was jack shit in there. Not even the essentials. No milk, no bread. All she had in there was eggs, sausages, water.
“How the fuck do you expect them to live off this shit.” I asked as I slammed the door to the fridge. “Why don’t you go buy some fucking food?”
“I can’t.” Mikki answered.
“Fuck that, get your shit and go to the store. Those girls need something more than eggs and sausage.” I yelled as I pointed over to the door.
“Don’t you think I fucking know that.” She yelled right back. The wildcat was back. “I know we need food, I know the little girl is malnourished, I know we can’t survive here for much longer. God dammit I know!” She lowered her voice a little, “But everytime I go out it could be the one time we get caught and they take us back. I can’t let that happen. I can’t” She broke down and cried.
Fuck me, I didn’t mean to do that. I am always fucking something up.
I walked over to her and patted her gently on the shoulder. “Look, that was shitty of me, I don’t know your life. I don’t know your problems. I know you are doing your best. I’m just a dumb fuck, don’t mind me.”
She turned around and buried herself into my chest. The still married part of me immediately wanted to push her the fuck off but the small part of me that was missing affection wanted to just wrap her up. I settled somewhere in the middle. I took one arm and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Oh Alex, I am so scared, it feels like this is too big to beat and no matter where we go those bastards will always have one leg up on us. We are just small town girls, we can’t beat this.” She sobbed hard into my chest. She was breaking, I knew the feeling.
“Look, I don’t know what is going down, but” As soon as the thought entered my mind, I could feel the dread starting to creep up. “I’ll help you as much as I can. I’ll do my best to protect you.”
Mikki looked up at me, those big eyes looking at me, then she raised her hand and placed it over my heart. Whatever she felt there, must have reassured her. She smiled and rested her head down on my shoulder. “I believe you.”
I held her awkwardly until she fell asleep and once she did I shuffled her to the couch and grabbed my old shirt that she must have taken off me. She couldn’t have looked in the pockets because the stack of cash was still there. I peeled off a few bills, took her keys, and walked out the door. These girls needed food; it was the least I could do.
An hour later, I walked back in with 5 bags in each hand.
She ran at me as I opened the door, the ice pick in her hand. I stopped before taking even one step forward.
When she saw it was me she dropped the ice pick and tried to take the bags out of my hand. “Are you insane! Don’t you know you are injured! You could give yourself a hernia.” I didn’t let go, instead looked at this woman who was more concerned with the fact that I was going to hurt myself than the fact that I pretty much stole her keys and that I could have been a stranger.
“I got it.”
“I
