“I’m sure, if you ask for some like mine, they would give you what you ask for.” Raine gave the suggestion. “I’m sure the only reason mine are different is because of the size. I’m taller than any of you—”
Milly tugged on the waistband of her pants. “Wider, too.”
Raine twisted her hips away from Milly’s grasp.
“I was about to say that.” Raine forced a small laugh from her throat, not wanting the older women, or Milly, to see how hurt she was at the comment. While Raine didn’t care how Milly treated her, she had learned that the older women would also face the repercussions of Milly’s dissatisfaction.
None of the elderly women had the medications they had been on before the bombings and, while none of them had a medical crisis so far, Raine lived in fear that Milly would cause one by the derogatory way they would be treated because of something she hadn’t done or given to Milly.
“Stop it, Milly.” Lucas furiously stepped in sideways between them. “You might be used to ignoring me about how you treat Raine, but God help you if you do anything to jeopardize me getting Piper back. Not even that fucking vault will prevent me from tearing you apart.”
Lucas’ threat didn’t have Milly backing down. “Perhaps Raine is right. I’ll wait until I get to know them better before I ask. Exactly how close have you become with Skars? Or is that too embarrassing for you to answer?”
She desperately tried not to blush at Milly’s intrusiveness. “I have my room,” Raine tried to skirt through revealing how intimate she and Skars had been. “And we just ate before he brought me here. He told me I have been asleep for two days, so you all have probably spent more time with him than I have. Have you all eaten?”
Hoping the other women would help her change the focus of the conversation, she gave them a beseeching look.
It was Lucas who came to her aide.
“They made sure we’ve been fed anytime we ask. The food is good, just different.”
Raine nodded in agreement. “I had to make myself stop from asking for more of the trippe, and the purple doths that tasted like potatoes were really good also.”
Too late, she realized she had screwed up for going into details about what she had eaten. From their expressions, they had been given something different.
It only took Milly a heartbeat to voice her dissatisfaction. “Must be nice. Our food consists of smoothies, or our choice of three different types of soups. Lucas, you should make them aware you and I have our own teeth, and we can chew our food.”
Raine’s anger soared when Brinn had to blink back her hurt tears.
“That was needlessly cruel of you. When Skars comes back, I’ll make sure to tell him that you aren’t happy with what you’ve been given, Milly, and the others aren’t the ones complaining to me about anything.”
Biting down on her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, she glared at Milly until the woman grabbed Lucas’ arm, pretending to be frightened of her.
Familiar with Milly’s tactics of manipulation, she didn’t let it faze her this time. Everyone in the group was aware of Brinn’s inability to eat certain foods because the dentures she wore required adhesive, and it wasn’t like they could run to the store and get it for the woman. Raine had searched fruitlessly herself to find the adhesive in places that none of the others had the stomach to search.
“Already trying to start some shit, aren’t you?” Milly snapped out like a stinging whip. “Do you want to get us in trouble? Anytime something good happens to us, you can’t stop until you shit on it and make it useless to everyone else.”
“I’m the troublemaker?” Raine could only stare at Milly in consternation. Well, at least she was taking a break from being called a jinx. At least that one she was more deserving of.
If not for leaving the other women and Lucas, who seemed about to blow a gasket, she would have asked for one of the Vikings to take her back to her room.
Linking her hand with Brinn and Silvia, she walked them back to where they had been sitting before she had arrived. “How is your room?”
Silvia gave Brinn a heartening smile. “Brinn and I are sharing one, Lucas and Milly each have their own, and the rest are sharing. Skars told us this morning when his brother arrives tonight, we’ll be moved onto his ship.”
Seeing the worry, Raine sought to reassure her. “Did Skars tell you he’s only doing it because his brother has healers? He’s worried about you.” She might have over-exaggerated Skars’ concern, Raine thought guiltily, but it was for a good cause. Actually, two good causes. One to reassure the women, and the other was to ruin the rest of Milly’s day.