"I can walk."
"I doubt it." King hooked an arm beneath my knees and tucked another behind my back.
He lifted me like I weighed nothing, and after two days without food and water, that is how I felt. Regardless. I didn't want anything from King or Lettie.
Besides, I'd seen King's reaction to the reflection room antics. King couldn't be in much better condition than me.
Daniel and Joshua entered the room.
Daniel said, "I've got her, King. Sorry. I forgot to turn off the routine before you went in."
Well, that answered the question about who was monitoring me.
"She's my wife."
King stood with me in his arms. He swayed as he reached full height. Daniel put out a hand to steady him.
"You're white as a sheet, King. You'll never make it up the stairs. Teela is already injured and weak. She can't afford another fall.
"Please, bro, let me do this for you."
With a nod, King handed me off to Daniel.
Joshua took off his jacket and covered my nudity. I sighed with relief. The weight of the garment felt like security after so much uncertainty.
"Be careful with her," Joshua said. "Keep her arms tucked in close to her. That wrist must be tender. I'll reset it upstairs. I've got an IV waiting. She needs hydration and pain relief.
I needed to leave this house.
Anya was waiting for us on the main floor. She was leaning against the doorframe, looking bored. "I don't see what the fuss is all about. My mom sent me to my room for a week once. No one treated me like an injured princess."
Josh said, "Don't speak about things you don't understand, Anya."
"What did I say? Teela is obviously faking it for the attention."
Daniel said, "Get out of my way, Anya."
Anya straightened. "And if I don't?"
King nodded to Min, who was standing in the shadows.
Min stepped forward. "Mrs. Heavenly, this way, please." He motioned for her to step aside.
Anya didn't budge.
Min looked to King for permission. With a nod, he got it. Min grasped Anya and physically moved her out of the way while she struggled. Her voice rose decibel by decibel until Josh shut her down.
"Quiet," Josh commanded. "Don't make me take the keys to the convertible."
"Josh, you wouldn't."
"Try me."
Daniel skirted Anya and continued up the main staircase to the second floor.
Lettie stood in the doorway to her bedroom. "I see you didn't waste any time getting her out."
Lettie strolled toward me. I couldn't help but shrink back, curling into Daniel's burly body. After all that had happened, I had no idea why I thought Daniel might protect me, but I was in no condition to protect myself. I was barely hanging into consciousness.
The old woman grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her. "Count yourself lucky, girl. I was ready to hook you up to an IV and leave you in there for a week—a month—if needed. Whatever it took to knock that defiance out of you.
"Nobody, and I mean nobody, disrespects me or my sons."
She let go of my jaw with a shove that whipped my head back.
"Get her out of my sight before I change my mind. And, King, remind Teela dinner is at seven tonight. I've arranged to have it catered this once, but she's expected to join us at the table."
I was already shaking my head before Lettie had turned her back on me. The last thing I wanted to do was sit down at a table across from this woman and make polite conversation.
As soon as we were in the bedroom that I shared with King, King had a nightgown waiting for me. Daniel sat me on the edge of the bed. King helped me in the gown before Josh inserted an IV. I was so out of it that I couldn't work up the energy to care when the need pierced my flesh.
All I really wanted was for everyone to leave and let me sleep. Daniel left first, but Josh was busy giving me a brief exam.
The meds Josh put in the IV for pain relief kicked in quickly. I dozed off while Josh was still examining my wrist.
"Teela."
"Teela."
A wet cloth wiped my brow.
I didn't want to wake up. The bed was soft. No lights on, lights off bullshit. And the blankets shielded my body from the whole everybody is watching thing.
"Teela, Mom is expecting us. You've got thirty minutes to shower and change. Do you need my help? I've already removed the IV."
My eyelids fluttered open. They felt heavy. I had to concentrate to force them open. King sat on the bed next to me. The IV bag hanging next to the bed was empty.
Lettie was expecting me. The old Teela would have rushed to comply. The new one, not so much.
I took my time sitting up. My head was in a fog from the drugs and lack of solid sleep, but my wrist felt better.
"Do you need my help?" King asked again.
"No." I didn't want anything from King.
King nodded and moved away from the bed.
I blew out a deep breath before swinging my legs over the side of the bed. So far, so good. I could do this.
And I could do it until I'd spent a few minutes in a hot shower.
I felt lightheaded and nauseous. I rinsed quickly, stumbling to exit the shower before emptying my stomach in the toilet.
I felt hungover, only ten times worse. What magic elixir did Josh put in that IV bag?
King tapped at the door. "Ten minutes."
That wasn't going to happen. I emptied my stomach again while holding my wet hair out of the way. At this rate, I would only make it downstairs in ten minutes while wearing a nightgown and carrying a trash can to puke in.
King knocked again. He didn't wait for an answer before cracking the door open and thrusting a stack of clothes at me.
"Seven minutes."
He wouldn't give up. Didn't he see I was sick? Even if he couldn't see it, surely the smell and sounds of retching should clue him in.
I dry-heaved one more time. Behind me, the faucet came on. A little while later, King pressed a wet cloth into my palm.
"Clean up. We have to go."
"And if I don't?"
"Don't ask."
I nodded. I was too weak to fight tonight, so I tied my wet hair up in a knot at the back of my head. The baggy jeans and sweatshirt provided by King took no time to put on, but I was shaking and exhausted by the time I was done.
King waited for me at the bedroom door. We never went anywhere together.
I wasn't foolish enough to think King had suddenly grown a heart. It was more likely he was my prison guard, responsible for ensuring I finished playing out whatever scene Lettie had cooked up for me this time.
So be it. I could give her this one. If I had my way, it would be her last.
King put an arm around my waist to support me. I twisted away.
"I can do this."
The next thing I knew, I was in his arms again.
"Be still. We don't have all night."
King rushed down the hall and stairs. We arrived in the dining room after everyone else was seated. King let me down at my usual seat.
"You're late," Lettie announced.
"Teela is sick to her stomach," King said as he took his place at the foot of the table. "This once, it is forgivable, Mother."
Mother and son had a stare-down while I gaped in silence. King had spoken up on my behalf. I couldn't recall him ever doing that before.
Thing Two tugged at my sleeve. "Auntie Teela, I'll eat your vegetables tonight." He tapped a blank space on his plate.
Tears welled in my eyes at his kindness. The little boy's willingness to volunteer to eat vegetables was a huge sacrifice on his part.
"Aw, thank you." I nodded to Ben's empty seat. "Where's your uncle?"
"He's away on a school trip. He couldn't take me. I asked."
At least one of the Heavenly men didn't see me naked. It was a small victory, but it was something.
Dinner was made up of Chinese and Thai dishes, something I didn't know how to prepare. At any other time, I would have considered the meal a real treat. Tonight, though, I stuck to egg drop soup and a couple of shrimp that Thing Two shared from his plate.
Lettie let her fork clatter to her plate before turning her attention to me. "Nothing has changed, Teela. I've hired girls to clean up tonight, but bright and early tomorrow, I expect you to resume your chores. No excuses. No back talk. You feel me?"
I nodded.
I wasn't opposed to pulling my weight as long as I remained under Lettie's roof. What I opposed was staying under her roof.
"If I'm excused," I said, "I'll return to my room."
I need some time alone to prepare for taking a giant step toward taking back control of my life.