by Danah Logan
The room has completely distracted me; I’m wasting time. Spinning around, I finish my search on the second floor. I even walk into Nate’s actual bedroom—knocking first, of course—and take in the stark contrast to his fake bedroom. This one is masculine and sparse. Dark-navy sheets, no throw pillows, and no pictures.
Closing the door behind me, I’m running out of options. Fuck. What if he left the property? Then it hits me: the gym.
He is swimming laps. I’m standing at the edge of the pool and watching Nate swim one lane after the other. He’s in the zone, and I have never seen him not on guard. It’s fascinating. Glancing around, I see his phone and tablet on one of the lounge chairs, and the small voice inside my head perks up, telling me to grab both and make a run for it. My gaze shifts between the devices and my brother a few times before I sit down on the other chair. I’m past running.
I’ll give him a few more minutes before I make myself known and walk back to the edge of the pool. He is about to turn for another lap when he notices me and pauses.
"You’re awake."
Attempting to stifle my giggle, I look him up and down. He looks ridiculous with only his head sticking out of the water, goggles over his eyes, and his hair dripping in his face. It’s a whole new side of my brother.
"You left me," I say accusingly after my initial amusement has worn off.
Nate pulls himself out of the pool and walks over to the shelf containing a stack of towels. Dropping into the lounge chair I previously occupied, he drawls, "Little sister, you were out of it. I came in several times, even called your name. You were out like a light."
Oh.
"Is Rhys home?" I’m scared to hear his answer.
"No, but he has to leave soon. He has to be back before anyone starts asking questions—more questions, I should say."
I put my hands on my hips and tilt my head toward the ceiling, calculating how long he’s been with George. Would Heather and Tristen be looking for him? They never have before.
As if guessing my train of thought, Nate says, "Rhys has been in touch with his parents through Wes. Since he left his phone at home when he ran out Saturday, Wes has been sending messages for your boyfriend from his phone."
I furrow my eyebrows.
I guess with me missing, they care where he is?
"Tristen had been checking up on him through Wes’s parents. Now that neither of them is at Wes’s house, Tristen called Denielle’s father, who gave him access to the security system. I’m telling you, your adopted father has quite the cards up his sleeve. I’m no longer surprised I couldn’t find you until…"
I made myself known, I finish the sentence in my head. Then, Nate’s words register, and my heart rate increases. "If he has access to the security feed, wouldn’t he know that Rhys is not there?"
A smug smile appears on my brother’s face. "George is the best at his job. There is no trace of Rhys leaving on any of the footage, and the cameras inside the house are only in very specific locations. Wes got detailed instructions on what to communicate. As far as Tristen is concerned, Rhys has locked himself in one of the guest rooms on the top floor and will only open the door when Wes brings him food."
"But…" I pause; I’m still confused. "Heather and Tristen have never checked up on Rhys before. They just let him leave two years ago. Is it because I’m, uh…gone?"
Nate glances to the side before his eyes lock on mine. He looks almost pained. "My guess? They never had to check up on Rhys because they always tracked him through his phone."
What?
"Why? Why didn’t they just make him stay home?" My voice is just slightly above a whisper.
"I wish I could answer you that. But I’m suspecting it has something to do with the reason they wired the entire house with cameras like a high-security prison."
More secrets.
Before heading back to the NCC, we take a detour through the kitchen. Nate assures me we can spare ten minutes to eat. He's been in touch with George and Rhys, and they're just hanging out. When I inquire what that means, he switches the topic and tells me about what he is planning on putting in his post-workout protein shake.
Yup, my brother is insane.
I’m leaning against the cabinets next to the fridge while Nate has his butt parked on the edge of the massive kitchen table across from me. He is sucking away on a shake that looks like something between throw-up and swamp water. I’m wolfing down another round of carbs, followed by some fruit, as Nate informs me that George procured a secure device for Rhys. I almost choke on a grape as he says the words.
"You’re letting me talk to him? Any time I want?" My mouth hangs open.
"I am. But only if you and Loverboy follow my instructions. If anyone finds out about the phone, I will remote wipe it and cut the connection immediately."
I’m too stunned by Nate’s show of good faith that I just mumble something resembling, "I promise," crumbs of breakfast falling out of my mouth.
My brother chuckles at my dumbfounded expression. "I can’t cut you two off for another week, can I? George and I had an extensive conversation this morning while the two of you were getting your beauty rest. I already spoke with Rhys a little bit ago to get a better feel for my future brother-in-law," Nate says nonchalantly.
I gape at him for a long moment before I push off the counter and tackle-hug him around his midsection. He reached out to Rhys. He is letting me talk to him. My voice is choked up as I whisper, "Thank you."
Nate’s arms wrap automatically around my shoulders as if we’ve always been brother and sister—ordinary siblings, without the whole kidnapping history. Hugging him starts to feel natural.
With the laptop still charging, Nate establishes the connection from one of the desktops. He doesn't have to wait for the other end to pick up or anything; it connects straight to George's place.
Note to self: Ask where that is.
What I see on the screen makes me spray my tea all over Nate's keyboards, and he curses, diving for a box of tissues. He allowed me to bring my caffeine in a secure travel mug. What he didn’t take into account was that there would be another way for me to ruin his tech with my tea.
"Uh, George? I thought we concluded that the boyfriend is not a threat?" Nate seems as shocked as I am.
In front of us, several feet away from the computer on George’s end, are both men in a standoff. George has an AR-15 trained at Rhys—thanks to Tristen, I knew the difference between an AR and an MP5 before I turned thirteen. Instead of looking alarmed, Rhys is standing across from him with his hands on his hips and head cocked to the side.
At Nate's question, the guys turn to the monitor.
"Hey, babe." Rhys grins at me.
"Good morning, Miss Lilly." George nods in the same direction and lowers the rifle.
Nate and I look at each other and then back at the screen.
What the hell is going on?
Rhys takes quick strides toward the desk and plops down in the chair like it's the most natural thing in the world. "Babe, did you know George was a Marine back in the day? His stories make Dad look like a boy scout. And how he got the scar…holy fuck. I can't believe he survived that…" He trails off.
I open and close my mouth several times but can't come up with an adequate response. I glance over at my brother, and his confused expression confirms that he is out of the loop as well.
"How come the boy knows how you got your scar, and I don't?" Nate growls.
George slowly walks over and chuckles. That's the most emotion I have seen on his face to date. "That's because you never asked. I don’t run around advertising my past."
Okay, then.
"George was just showing me the silencer he got for his AR-15. This thing is so badass; Wes would shit his pants." Rhys literally jumps in the seat. I'm not sure if that is cute or disturbing.
"What happened since I last spoke to you two hours ago? You barely looked at each other," Nate inquires with narrowed eyes.
"
We bonded. Your head of security is not so scary once you get to know him." When neither Nate nor I say anything, Rhys looks straight at my brother and smirks. "What? Are you jealous he likes me better?"
"Since I fund his little operation, he doesn't have to like me," Nate snaps, and George’s eyebrows lift in the background. He concluded the same as me at this point. My brother is, in fact, jealous. I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing out loud. This is just absurd.
I clear my throat. "So, uh, George. Where exactly are you right now?" I’m not sure if he’ll tell me, but I need to change the topic somehow.
"We’re near Morristown, New Jersey," George immediately responds.
"Really? You made me lie in that fucking trunk for over four hours?" Rhys looks up.
"You fell asleep for three and a half of that; stop complaining," he shoots back.
They are seriously bantering with each other. What the ever-loving—
"Okay, let's get back to business. My sister needs to talk to her boyfriend before he has to head back. We still have to go over some of the logistics for the next week. Let's postpone this little bonding thing you two have going on until your road trip." Nate's tone sends a cold shiver down my spine, and I wonder if he is truly mad at George or Rhys.
George nods. "I will get the car ready. We’ll be leaving in thirty minutes."
Nate turns to me. "I’m going to shower and be back before that."
"Okay." Before I can say anything else, he is out of his chair and out the door.
I turn back to the monitor, and Rhys grins at me. "He is so jealous."
This time, I allow myself to laugh and shake my head.
Chapter Twenty
Lilly fell asleep at some point, and I watched her until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, which was somewhere around six a.m., I think. I wake up with a start, trying to figure out where I am.
"Good morning, Rhys," a deep voice comes from behind me, and my head whips around.
George is standing in the middle of the room with a compound bow in his hand.
"Uh…good morning?"
What the fuck is he doing with that? In here!
Without elaborating, he opens one of the fireproof cabinets and puts his archery equipment away. "I spoke to Nate while you were napping."
"O-kay?"
"We have concluded that you are not a threat to Miss Lilly."
"No shit, dude!" Great, my brain still seems to be napping as my mouth talks without considering the consequences. The guy has enough firepower for a small town during the zombie apocalypse in this room, and I have to run my stupid trap.
This time, George turns to me and chuckles.
"Whoa, man. You have actual facial expressions!"
Shut up, shut up, shut up.
But instead of choking or shooting me, he barks out a genuine laugh. "Rhys McGuire, I like you."
"You do?" I can feel my eyebrows rise.
"Yes. You have guts. Miss Lilly means more to you than your own safety, and now that you are aware of her brother, we will see a lot of each other," George deadpans.
"We will?"
A stoic nod.
And there go the facial expressions.
The man with the huge scar walks over to me and leans against the table. "Nate wants to talk to you when you’re awake. Let’s get that over with so the man can say his piece."
"Where is Lilly?"
"Miss Lilly is still asleep. Nate assured me that he'd wake her up before we have to leave."
"What’s with the Miss Lilly thing?"
"It’s a way to show respect; you may try it sometime," he says with a not-stoic face; unfortunately, the facial expression he does display is not a friendly one either.
Okay, officially shutting my piehole now.
George leans over me to reach the laptop and establishes the connection to Nate, aka Psycho.
His face appears on the screen, and before I can say anything, I'm greeted with, "If that's not my future brother-in-law," sarcasm dripping from his words.
He would get along perfectly with Denielle.
He seems to be sitting in a kitchen, based on the white cabinets in the background. I stay quiet. I'm not sure how smart it is to provoke the guy who holds Lilly captive—well, not captive, but you know what I mean.
Nate looks at George. "Have you filled him in yet? How his ex-girlfriend ruined the call to his new girlfriend?"
The mention of Kat perks my attention.
"I have not. I was leaving that up to you. He just woke up."
"Awesome." Nate rubs his hands together like a loon. I’m starting to question Lilly’s assessment of his sanity—more than I already was.
I swallow over the lump in my throat and try to sound like he doesn't intimidate the shit out of me—now that his sister is not sitting next to him. I channel my school persona and drawl, "So? How did she find me?"
Nate chuckles, entertaining my charade, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of showing him any other emotion besides indifference.
He looks down, and I see the top of some type of tablet at the bottom of the screen. "I've spent quite some time tracing back Barbie's steps." I snort at Nate's accurate assessment of Kat, and he looks up.
"Sorry, just a perfect description for her," I explain myself.
Nate nods, and a smirk appears at the corner of his mouth. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we’re bonding—a little.
"As I said, I retraced her steps. What I was able to find is that when neither Lilly nor you showed up in school, she started asking questions. As of now, there are no news reports about Lilly's, uh…disappearance, and all I could find is that your parents excused both of you from school. The same goes for your two friends. I assume your father kept everything—including the people camping out at your house—under wraps. My question for him would be why, but we're getting off topic.
"I checked Barbie's phone activity. You never disabled your Friend Finder for her. She had access to your location, as well as your friend Wes’s at all times." Nate looks up and gives me a disapproving glare before he continues. "As her location service is permanently enabled as well, I was able to retrace her steps laughably easy. She regularly drove by your house and Wes’s. My guess is she noticed your car was gone, but your phone was still at home, so she checked the next best option. While doing that, she kept texting half your class, asking if they had seen Lilly, but no one could give her any answers. The only responses she got were that no one had seen Lilly, your friends, or you since the incident last week. Some speculated that you were all hiding out somewhere together." His face grimaces in disgust, and I’m betting it’s about the shit my so-called friend said.
"Saturday, she was staked out at the coffee shop near Wes’s house all afternoon. She must've seen Wes’s location changing and decided to drive by and check on you." Nate's eyes meet mine. "By the way, suggest to your friend to get some curtains." His eyes drop back to the tablet. "She followed you from Wes’s house to the park. I'm not sure why she didn't drive up immediately since you were there for over ten minutes. Since then, she's been driving by Wes’s and Denielle's house several times. I have advised both of your friends to turn off their location services and disable the numerous Friend Finder apps you kids all have."
Nate seems to be done with his report and faces me now straight on.
"Advised?" I can’t help myself.
"I’ve been in touch with both of them to make sure they relay the correct information to their and your parents."
"And they’re doing it?" I’m a bit stunned by Denielle and Wes cooperating so easily—mostly Den.
George chuckles, and Nate throws him a death glare. When neither of them answers my question, I turn to the man behind me. George looks down, and for the third time since waking up with my face stuck to the metal desk, I see real emotion on the man's face. Amusement. "Miss Lilly previously ensured that her brother would not sound like a ‘complete psycho’ anymore."
I bark out a laugh. That’s my girl.
"Well, now that this is clarified," Nate’s voice pulls my attention back to the screen, "let’s talk about your part in this."
Nate fills me in on the plan, as much as it already exists, and when he says that he would provide a phone for me, my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. Maybe he's not so bad after all—besides the kidnapping issue, of course. He reiterates what I am to tell everyone, and after the fourth time of him explaining in detail what would happen if I don't comply, my brain goes into nap mode again.
A sleek new cell phone is placed in front of me on the desk, and Nate explains that I can reach Lilly, George, and him with it—no one else. The phone will only connect to the numbers he makes me repeat several times. I’m to memorize them before George deposits me back at Denielle's. If I don't know them by then, I have to wait until one of them contacts me. Biting my tongue, I swallow the retort I want to spout off out of fear he'll take the phone back.
