“Are you okay?”
“Does she look okay?”
“Millie, what happened? We’ve been worried about you.”
She smiled into the laptop screen as everyone tried to speak over each other. “Hi, everyone.”
Spike had moved out of screenshot after setting the laptop up for her.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Spain asked. “Why haven’t you answered our calls?”
“And where are you?” Mrs. Larsen asked.
They all started talking at once and she frowned, trying to work out who to answer first.
“Quiet,” Spike demanded without raising his
voice.
To her shock, they all acquiesced. Well, except for Mr. Spain. But that was to be expected when he couldn’t hear anything.
“What’s going on? What?”
Spike turned the laptop so he was looking at them all.
“It’s that young man. What was his name?” Mrs. Spain said as though Spike wasn’t sitting right there. “Pike?”
“No, it’s Mike,” Mrs. Lancaster said.
“Spike!” yelled Mr. Spain, surprisingly getting it right for once.
“Quiet, you old coot,” Mrs. Spain scolded. “Young man, where has our Millie gone? What have you done to her? If you’ve hurt her, we’ll make sure you pay.”
“Millie is fine. She’s in the hospital but she is well. I am caring for her.”
She let out a sigh when he didn’t tell them the full truth. The last thing she wanted was to cause them stress.
“You’re taking care of her?” Reverend Pat demanded.
“I am.”
“You better be,” Andrey threatened. “Or I come cut off your dick.”
“I’m good,” she called out. She wasn’t sure, but she thought Andrey might have ties to the Russian mafia.
Spike turned the laptop back around and she smiled at everyone. “I’m fine. Spike is taking very good care of me. Promise. Sorry I worried you. Tell me how everyone is back home.”
That distracted them and she settled in to listen to the gossip she’d already heard last time they spoke. Gradually, her eyes started to grow heavy-lidded.
“Millie needs a nap now,” Spike said abruptly. “Say goodbye, Millie.”
She forced her eyes open. “Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“Say goodbye,” he said more sternly.
She sighed but knew he wasn’t going to budge. “Bye all.”
Everyone waved off and she frowned at Spike. “I was still talking.