by Ella Miles
“I’m so sorry,” Langston runs over and unties my ankles and wrists while staring at my face where he slapped me.
“I had to make it look real. I’ll go get some ice.”
“No, I’m fine. I can handle a slap. I’m just thankful he didn’t ask you to do more.”
We both still, knowing how far Julian could have asked Langston to go. He could have had him whip me, or even rape me. And short of telling the truth, that Langston is on our side and not Julian’s, there was nothing we could have done.
We both know it—how close we came.
“I’ll do everything I can to protect you; you know that, right?” Langston says.
“Yes, I do.”
“The good news is that Zeke’s alive. Let’s focus on that.”
“Except we can’t focus on that. They are coming here. We have to unlock my memories, find the box, and destroy it. Our time has run out.”
Langston runs his hand through his blonde hair. “Unlocking your memory isn’t something we can rush. We’ve tried everything. I don’t think there is anything left to try.”
I tilt my head. “We haven’t tried everything.”
His eyes narrow as he tries to make sense of my words. “You’re right; we haven’t. You killed someone you loved. You did it to protect the world, but you still did it.”
“I’m not going to kill anyone I love, not again.”
I stand up and walk out of the room, through the door to the back deck, needing some fresh air. I know what Langston is going to suggest, and I’m not doing it.
Langston gives me a minute before he steps out onto the deck and leans against the railing next to me as we both look out at the garden below.
“We don’t have a choice.”
“I’m not going to kill you in hopes that I might remember.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
I bite my lip as I rack my brain for any idea other than killing Langston.
“We should think about where I might have hidden it. What choices I had available to me at the time. Send someone to search in those places if we can’t look ourselves.”
Langston turns around and leans his elbows on the railing. “Okay, you were in your early twenties. What resources did you have? How much money did you have available to you?”
“I didn’t have much money.”
He nods. “That’s good. Then it’s probably still in Florida somewhere. Or St. Kitts, where you met Julian and your ex-husband?”
I frown.
“What?” His brows furrow.
“I didn’t have money. But my best friend, Nora, had endless amounts of money.”
“Okay, but would she have lent you money?”
I nod. “It gets worse.”
“How could it get worse?”
“Nora has her pilot’s license. She owned a private plane. She could have flown me anywhere.”
Langston stares, his eyes widen.
I could have hidden it anywhere. Literally, anywhere.
“Nora,” we both say at the same time.
We run back inside and grab my cell phone. I dial Nora’s number.
“Pick up, pick up,” I mutter. I know her and Beckett are in charge of keeping the twins safe. Calling her on a phone that might be traceable is dangerous for them, but not finding the box first is more dangerous.
“Siren, what is it? What’s wrong?” Nora answers.
I exhale a breath as Langston stares me nervously.
“I need to ask you an important question.”
“Okay, what is it?”
“Do you remember back when I made a trip to Miami just before my parents died?”
“Yes, I remember. You were so despondent afterward. You wouldn’t talk about it. And then shortly after you got married.”
She remembers. Thank goodness.
“Do you remember me asking you to fly me anywhere or borrow any money? Maybe I asked you to fly me somewhere after Miami or right after I returned to the island?”
“No, you couldn’t have asked me to fly anywhere. I didn’t get my pilot’s license until the following spring.”
Dammit.
“What about money? Do you remember me asking you to borrow any money?”
Nora sighs. “I wish you would have asked to borrow money. But you never did, you hated being a burden.”
I run my hand through my hair as I sink down in the chair. I was so hopeful that Nora would be able to give us a clue, but once again, I come up empty.
“Can you remember me talking about hiding something? About a trip somewhere? A new security box I purchased? Anything like that?”
“I wish I could, but you didn’t talk much during that time. You started down a bad path, and then you found Hugo. And then everything else spiraled after that.”
There’s a pause.
“You don’t remember that time, do you?” Nora asks.
“No, that’s what Langston was trying to do, spark my memories.”
I’m about to hang up the phone when Nora says, “I don’t know if this helps at all, but I do remember something weird that happened a year later.”
I sit up, hopeful.
“I was talking about all the places I wanted to go for my birthday and trying to convince you to go with me. I mentioned that we should go to Scotland, and the look you gave me was like all the blood had been sucked out of you.
“I asked you if you had you been there before. You said no, but your reaction was wrong. You shouldn’t have had that strong of a reaction. We never talked about it. But we also never traveled to Scotland.”
“Scotland,” I repeat.
“I don’t know if it’s helpful, but maybe start there. Something bad happened there.”
“Thank you, Nora. I want to ask how you are doing, but I shouldn’t know anything about where you are or how you’re doing. It would put you at risk. Tell Beckett that I called and to make sure your phone isn’t traced.”
“Ugh, I can’t stand Beckett.”
I frown. “I thought you had the hots for him.”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t the most insufferable know-it-all, who even wants to lecture me on how to take care of two little ones.”
I smile. “Is your problem that he is right and does know more about babies than you?”
She sighs. “Yes, but I should be the one who knows more. I’m the woman!”
I laugh. “Beckett spent weeks taking care of them on his own before. He’s been their uncle for months now. The babies are named after him. I don’t think it’s wrong that he knows more than you.”
“He doesn’t have to rub it in my face, though.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing again.
“I need to go, Nora. Stay safe. And don’t forget to tell Beckett about this call.”
“Yea, yea, so he can come to my rescue and save me.”
“He’s saving the babies, not just you.”
“I guess.” I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Stay safe. Hope to see you soon.”
We end the call, and I look at Langston.
“Scotland, that’s all she could give me,” I say.
Langston runs off, returning a minute later with his laptop. He pulls up Scotland on a map and starts zeroing in different places.
“Anything look familiar to you or stand out?”
I stare at the map, a cold feeling washing over me. I take the computer from him and place it on my lap. I roam the cursor over the screen, hoping that something will trigger my memories.
I could have hidden it anywhere in the country—anywhere.
By the sea.
In the cities.
Buried in the sand.
Or in the mountains.
Locked in a lockbox.
Secured in a safe.
Getting a country to focus on is no more helpful than knowing that I hid it somewhere in the world. There are simply too many places to search.
I zoom in and put it on satellit
e view so that I can see the buildings and streets, hoping something will help me to remember. The familiar look of a building. The name of the street. Anything.
“Siren?” Langston eventually says, taking the laptop from me and closing it.
I blink rapidly and then stare at him.
“You’ve been looking at the screen for over an hour. If you were going to remember something, I think you would have remembered by now.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just terrified that I won’t remember, but that Julian will. If he figures out where it is before us, then we are all doomed.”
“Don’t put this all on yourself. We are in this together. You did your best to hide it away, and you’ve kept it safe all this time. Now it’s time we all protect it.”
“Why didn’t I destroy it?” I ask.
Langston shifts in his seat. “Maybe you did?”
I rack my brain, but I don’t have a clue. “Well, unfortunately, we won’t know until we find the box and confirm it still exists.”
“Time is running out, Ren,” Langston says, taking my hand in his.
A knock at the door startles us. It looks like time has already run out.
23
Zeke
I never expected to be at Langston’s place so soon, yet here I am, standing tied up in the doorway while Julian knocks on the door. Six men stand behind us with guns pointed at me to keep me in check.
The door opens, and Langston stands in the doorway.
“I’m surprised to see you here. This wasn’t part of the plan,” Langston says to Julian.
“Plans change, you know that. Are you going to invite us in?”
“You and Zeke sure, but I don’t need my house overrun by your calvary.”
Julian frowns. “My men stay with me.”
“Why? Don’t you trust me? My security system is the best in the world.”
Julian steps inside, pushing Langston out of the way, before snapping his fingers at his men to follow. Two of his men shove me inside, not that they need to. Siren is inside. I need to see her.
Langston gets in Julian’s face. “Your men can stay in the front of the house. The rear is off-limits.”
“Fine,” Julian says, grabbing my ropes and pulling me after him as we walk into the living room.
I see Siren—similarly tied up. She’s still wearing an oversized sweatshirt to hide her growing belly. Her legs and arms are tied to the chair she’s sitting in, and her mouth is taped shut.
I look at Langston and growl through the bandana tied around my mouth. Why did he have to tie her up? Why use tape on her mouth?
He glares back, not giving away whose side he is on at all.
I turn my attention back to Siren. She doesn’t look hurt. I don’t see any visible bruises or scars. There isn’t even a mark on her cheek from when Langston slapped her face.
She’s fine, I tell myself.
Julian yanks on my ropes as he takes a seat on the couch. Langston sits opposite him, while I continue to stand. Both men ignore Siren and me.
“I came here because I need to speak with Siren alone,” Julian says.
Langston laughs, crossing his leg over his knee as he leans back. “No. I have my prisoner. You have yours. That’s how this works.”
“Except, Siren isn’t your prisoner. I already bought her months ago,” Julian says.
“Actually, I bought her months ago,” Langston says.
“And you sold her. She wasn’t yours to buy. She has always been mine. Maybe not physically, but her life belongs to me.”
“What does that mean?” Langston leans forward in his chair.
“She traded the rest of her life for Zeke’s when she saved him from the water and brought her to me. She’s mine. She has no choice but to tell me where the box is. Otherwise, I’ll take Zeke’s life.”
Siren’s eyes widen, and she fights against the constraints.
Shhh, baby, it will be okay. If anyone is going to die, it should be me, not you.
Langston looks from Julian to me. He doesn’t know how to get out of this.
I tear the bandana from my mouth with my teeth. “I’ll take her debt.”
Julian looks at me with a smirk. “Do you realize what you are offering?”
“Yes, I’ll take Siren’s place.”
“You are offering to be my loyal servant for the rest of your life?”
I gasp and look at Siren. I didn’t realize she had promised Julian her life in order to save mine.
“Yes,” I say.
“Then it looks like Siren is my prisoner. And Zeke is yours,” Langston says.
Julian frowns, and I can tell he isn’t sure he likes the trade.
“Regardless who belongs to whom, you and I have a deal. Together, we need to find that box, and she is the only one who knows where it is,” Julian says, staring at Siren sadistically.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make her talk,” Langston says.
“You have until morning to make her talk. Otherwise, it’s my turn to try,” Julian says with a smirk.
Langston nods in agreement.
Fuck.
Langston walks over to Siren and rips the tape holding her to the chair from her ankles and legs, before twisting her arms behind her back, forcing her to stand, and leading her away.
Langston brushes her hair off her neck and then puts his lips on my woman. I buck against my restraints trying to get to her, but Julian holds me back.
“I’m going to enjoy making you talk,” Langston says against her neck.
I lose it. I run at Langston, but three of Julian’s men quickly tackle me to the ground.
Langston and Julian both chuckle.
“Come, my beauty.” Langston pulls on Siren’s wrist. She fights him gently, not really struggling as hard as she can.
Langston isn’t going to hurt her. He’s on our side.
Langston and Siren disappear down the hallway to his bedroom. I wince when I hear a thump and a light scream.
Julian notices my reaction. “Don’t worry, Bishop is a gentle man underneath all that hard exterior. Tonight, she’ll sleep easily. Tomorrow is when the real pain begins.”
Julian heads down the hallway to one of the spare bedrooms.
His men tie me up in the chair Siren had just occupied, and then make beds for themselves on the couches and floor.
A man to my left starts snoring almost immediately, but it’s a welcome sound. It drowns out a little of the screaming, yelping, and whimpering coming from down the hallway.
It’s all fake, I repeat to myself.
But what if it isn’t?
“Zeke.”
The voice jolts me awake, and I almost yell, I’m awoken so abruptly with a hand over my mouth.
“Shh, come on,” Langston says.
My eyes widen when I realize Langston is standing in front of me. I look down and see that my hands and ankles have become untied.
Langston motions with his head to follow him, so I do. The men in the living room sleep soundly as we tiptoe away. We continue toward the open back door and then outside into the garden out back.
Siren is sitting on the edge of a fountain, waiting for me. When she sees me, she jumps up and runs toward me.
Our arms tangle around each other as soon as we reach each other. If I have it my way, we will never let go again.
“I was so afraid that Julian killed you,” Siren cries into my shoulder.
“Never. You know that bastard can’t take me down.”
I glance behind me and realize that Langston has disappeared. Hopefully, he’s standing guard, so Siren and I can have a few moments together.
And I’m going to make the most of every second we have together.
I grab the hem of her sweatshirt and lift it over her head. She’s wearing a tank top underneath, and I lift that next. She’s not wearing a bra, so I can see every bit of her under the moonlight.
I run my hands down her arms, then across her chest, and finally over her stom
ach. I turn her around and then run my hand over her smooth back. There isn’t a mark on her body.
Finally, I turn her back to me.
“Satisfied?” Siren asks.
“Yes.”
“Langston didn’t touch me. He protected me.”
“Thank God for that.” I grab her cheeks and pull her lips to mine so I can kiss her like I want to. Her arms go under my shirt, feeling me over to check that I’m all in one piece too.
“Satisfied?” I ask with a smirk.
“Yes,” she breathes.
“God, I need you, Siren. I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight without fucking you first.”
She bites her lip. “Neither will I.”
There aren’t many places to fuck in the garden. I wish we had a bed or even a shower. But all we have is a garden of flowers, a fountain, and a small bench.
I grab her hand and pull her toward the bench, but when I sit down on the bench to pull her into my lap, it creaks. There is no way we are going to sit, let alone fuck on it, without breaking the small wooden thing.
Siren laughs. “Come here.” She pulls my hand, and I stand and follow Siren as she leads me through the garden to a small patch of grass. Then she yanks me down to the grass with her.
I laugh along with her as I situate myself on my elbows over her.
“I feel like a kid again,” she says.
“You’ll feel all woman once I get done with you.”
Her eyes light up at my words before I reach between her legs and rub her gently. Her eyes roll back, and her body writhes beneath me as I rub over her pants. I can feel her growing wetter.
“Zeke, fuck me, please.”
I pull her pants down and slip my finger between her folds.
“So wet, so ready.”
“Yes,” she breathes.
She fumbles with my jeans, trying to get the button and zipper undone as quickly as possible. I understand her need to move quickly. Time has been taken from us too many times. There is never a guarantee that we will have more than a few minutes together. Never a guarantee of more time than the present.
I shove my jeans down as soon as she gets the button undone, and then she’s pulling me toward her wet entrance. My cock doesn’t need guidance—inside her is all it ever wants. I could find her with my eyes closed, and all my senses turned off.
