I turn my attention back to my plate, not trusting myself to speak. From the corner of my eye, I catch Todd staring at us, then looking down at his own plate piled high with beef tacos. When I glance up again, Roman is watching Todd with a barely concealed smirk.
* * *
After dinner, I wander through the unfamiliar corridors of the clubhouse, trying to avoid both Roman and the curious stares of the club members. The building is larger than I expected, with hallways branching off in different directions and rooms serving purposes I can only guess at. I finally find the common room, a large space with worn leather couches, pool tables, and a massive TV mounted on one wall. Todd sits alone on one of the couches, staring at nothing, his hands clasped loosely between his knees.
I hesitate in the doorway for a moment before crossing to join him. He looks up when I sit down, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. The bruise around his eye has darkened, making him look as if he’s been in a bar fight.
“This has been a very strange day,” Todd says, his voice quiet.
I can’t help but laugh at the understatement. “That it has.”
We sit in silence for a moment before Todd shifts, turning slightly to face me.
“There’s really no chance of getting out of here without someone finding out, is there?” he asks, in a tone of voice that says he already knows the answer.
I shake my head. “No. Dragon, he runs a tight ship. And they’re on high alert because of the threat right now.”
Todd sighs, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “Is this what it was like before? When you were married to Roman?”
“No,” I have to admit. “No, this club is strange. This situation is strange even by normal standards.”
I think back to my time with the Devil’s Rejects, how Roman kept me separate from club business, how I lived in a bubble of ignorance until it was shattered by my kidnapping. Being in the center of everything like this is entirely new territory.
“What kind of danger could you possibly be in?” Todd asks, his forehead creased in confusion. “You’ve been divorced from Roman for years.”
I chew on my lower lip, weighing how much to tell him. “It seems like a member of his former club holds a grudge against me,” I finally say, the explanation sounding weak even to my own ears.
Todd stares at me, his expression shifting between concern and disbelief. “That sounds…”
“Crazy?” I offer. “I know.”
He hesitates, his gaze shifting to the doorway and then back to me. “That man I saw earlier. When you told me about when you were kidnapped before, you mentioned the man who did it was tall with blonde hair and green eyes. Is that…was that…?”
“That’s Dragon,” I explain. “He’s not the man who kidnapped me.”
“Oh, good.” Todd looks relieved, and some of the tension leaves his shoulders.
“He’s the twin brother of the man who kidnapped me.”
“Ah,” Todd looks a little uncertain now.
Before I can stop myself, I add, “Demon — the man who kidnapped me — is around somewhere too.”
Todd’s body goes rigid again, his eyes widening. “And you don’t want to find a way to call the police?” The words come out strained with disbelief.
I consider his question seriously. Do I want to involve the police? A month ago, I would have said yes without hesitation. But now, knowing what I know, seeing Roman again, understanding more of what happened two years ago…
“No,” I say slowly, “I don’t think so.”
Todd looks at me as if I’ve grown a second head, but he doesn’t push the issue. “Okay,” he says simply.
We sit in silence again. I can practically hear the wheels turning in Todd’s mind as he processes everything. He’s analytical, logical, and so different from Roman, who operates purely on instinct.
“Can I ask you something?” Todd says after a long moment.
“Of course.”
He clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably. “When I arrived earlier. You were holding hands with Roman.”