Black Lies(71)

“You’re at Jillian’s home. She thought this would be a better place to keep you, away from the press or public eye.”

“Untie me.” I try to ask with as much civility as possible, but am certain he hears the expletives behind my tones.

“Not yet. Jillian told me what happened… for our own safety we need to keep you restrained a little longer.” His hand pats my arm as if he is turning down my request for a popsicle, not my God-given right to freedom.

“Let me the f*ck up. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ve done nothing to allow you to restraint me like an animal.” I spat out the words, yanking with all my might at the restraints, feeling claustrophobia swell through me.

“Brant, forget the restraints for a moment. We need to talk.” He returns to his seat, ignoring my personal alarm, pulling a pen out and clicking it open.

I close my eyes and will my muscles to relax, to cease the press of skin against restraint. Envision the motherboard of Laya. The components that connect to make it run. The pieces of nonsense that communicate to breathe life into an inanimate object. Peace. I open my eyes. “Talk.”

“What happened when you blacked out?”

“When?”

“Yesterday. Here. You blacked out in Jillian’s den.”

“It’s not a f*cking den. It’s a formal room designed for uninteresting chitchat. And it couldn’t have been yesterday. Had to be today… I—” I notice the light streaming through the windows. It was yesterday. “Where is Lana? I want to see her.” I need to explain the things I don’t yet know.

“We don’t think you should have any visitors until we figure this out.”

“Excuse me?”

“We don’t think—”

“I heard you. I just can’t believe you would speak to me as if I am a child. I am an adult. I don’t care what you think.”

“Mr. Brant, you’ve been declared incompetent. For the moment, I am your personal physician, unless Jillian appoints another one. And Jillian is your personal representative.”

Oh my God. I’m going to break again. I can feel the creep, can see dots in my vision… “I can’t have been declared incompetent. There is a process involved. Probate court. A psychological examination by a medical practitioner.”

“I am a medical practitioner, Brant. And Jillian had some strings pulled. We have a provisional application in process, which has been approved by a local judge. It will stand until the courts open on Monday. Please relax and let us treat you.”

My brain tries to grab at straws it can’t reach. “I need my medicine,” I gasp. “Please.”

“We are going to hold off on any medication until we see the frequency of your switches.”

“My switches?” My chest hurts. Stress leaning on my chest until I fear it will break.

“Your switches into other personalities. We can’t understand them until we observe them.”

“Other personalities?” So it is true. I need Layana. Need to explain…

BLACK.





Chapter 58


I’ve woken up in f*cking old lady luxury. Lee shifts in the bed, his gaze moving over ornate wallpaper, his mind trying to place where he is. How drunk he got to take home a senior citizen and end up in her bed. Moving his head slowly to the left, he comes face to face with an old bald man. He blinks, the man staring at him like dissection is planned. He tries to sit up and realizes that his hands won’t move, a hard jerk of wrist doing nothing but alerting him to the fact that his arms are sore, like he has struggled for hours.

“Who the f*ck are you?” he snarls.

The man smiles, a patient gesture. “Let’s get your name first. Then I’ll tell you mine.”

“Lee.”

“Lee what?”

Lee frowns, not sure what he is getting at. “Lee Let-Me-The-Fuck-Up-Before-I-Kick-Your-Fucking-Ass.”

Baldy has the guts to laugh. “Oh, that Lee. Nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Finzlesk.”

“Am I under arrest?” Wouldn’t be the first time he’s woken up in a jail cell. Though most jail cells don’t have hardwood floors, twelve-foot ceilings, and framed art.

“No. I’d just like to ask you some questions.”

“How’d I get here?”

“Is that a question you often ask yourself?”