****
“The militia group will be in Salt Lake City in March, promoting their survivalist camp. We have just over two months to prepare,” Delilah announced early in January. We need to know everything about them before we go in so we can get our cover story straight and set up back stories. We need new IDs, bank records, everything. These guys do background checks on everyone who signs up for the course.”
“Can you do this?” Boone asked trying to suppress his laughter. “You are going to have to ugly yourself up a bit. No one would believe you are a survivalist.”
“If I have to go without lipstick, you need to scruff it up a bit. Your hair is too short, and you need to grow out your beard.”
“Remember, no designer jeans and no silk tops. And you are going to have to give up your red lacey bra.”
“But I thought you liked my bra,” Delilah replied biting her bottom lip.
Boone blushed and dropped his eyes to the ground. Despite their feelings for one another, their physical relationship had remained virtuous and innocent.
“I thought so,” Delilah smiled lustfully.
“And those long nails...,” Boone started.
“Oh shit,” Delilah scowled. “This could be a problem.”
“Just cut them,” Boone snapped. “They will grow back.”
“These aren’t real,” Delilah confessed. “You do not want to see my real nails.”
“Short, splitting, unmanicured nails are exactly what we need, Angel.”
Delilah paused searching for the words which would explain her distress. “I will have to show you,” she whispered with shame and embarrassment. “It happened when I was about sixteen. It was the first time a boy showed interest in me. Daddy intervened, not in person, but by guaranteeing I could always protect myself.”
“I do not understand,” Boone replied, his eyes narrowing by the second.
“You think I am perfect. You think I am an angel. But I am not. Sometimes Daddy can be cruel.” Delilah turned away from Boone to hide her fear. She was afraid he would scream and run once she revealed her most horrible secret. Delilah pulled the fake nail off her right index finger. “I am a monster,” she whispered as she turned and held out her hand.
“Talons?” Boone asked surprised.
“For protection,” Delilah repeated.
For the first time, Boone realized Delilah was not perfect. And she had just shared a secret which had caused her extreme anxiety. Boone was not repulsed by the talons, but he was surprised. It took Boone a few moments to recover. Seeing the talons caused Boone to fear the identity of Delilah's father. He tried to suppress the thought that only an evil being would bestow talons onto his daughter. Delilah's father was supposed to be a good person, not evil.
“We will figure something out. Claim it is a birth defect, like webbed toes,” Boone suggested after finding his voice. “It is not so bad. In the meantime, you set up the fake identities, and I will get us some new clothes; nothing with a designer label. We need to get everything we will need and start wearing the clothes, scuff them up and whatnot. I will go into town and buy what we need.”
Delilah laughed. “You love driving your new SUV, don’t you?”
“Okay, okay,” Boone confessed. “Daddy does have good taste in vehicles. It is so much more fun to drive than my old one. It is got all the bells and whistles. Remind me to thank him sometime.”
“I am sure he already knows,” Delilah laughed again.