by Ashley Jade
I narrow my eyes at him. “I'm pretty sure she's no longer going to feel the same about you, once she takes the blinders off and see's you for who you really are asshole. Once she finds out that you're the one who wants her dead."
I say a silent prayer that Dev finds a way to hear that voicemail sooner rather then later.
I let my own selfish jealousy get in the way, and I can only hope now that it doesn't backfire in the worst way possible.
He puts his hand over his heart feigning insult. “Who says I want her dead Tristan?”
I really don't have time for his mind games. “I'm sorry. I guess when the head of the Cartel goes on a manhunt for you, it must result in a goddamned tea party."
“I said I wanted to make her suffer. I wanted to make her pay. Death would only defeat the purpose of that...don't you think?”
He continues without waiting for a response. “You've provided the perfect opportunity for payback now. I really love the whole set up by the way. Having her think that Hector was after her. Never telling her that I was alive. Never telling her what I've become. You've literally made it so fucking easy for me brother...thank you. It's actually the reason I'm not going to kill you, for now. I have something much worse planned. For the both of you.”
Dread washes over me. There's no way he could know all that...unless he got to her.
How the fuck did he get to her?
I open my mouth to ask but he cuts me off. “If you're wondering how I found out that you were the one helping her, you can thank that blonde artist friend of hers. I mean, he wouldn't give up her location or anything else about Dev...but he sang like a fucking canary when it came to your involvement with her. Especially as I was slicing his boyfriend limb for limb right in front of him. Oh that's right, you won't be able to thank him... because he's dead too.”
He turns on his heel as the sound of something metal hits the ground.
I look down and the sight causes me to swallow back bile.
The key to Dev's secret room is laying at my feet.
He has her...and there's not a fucking thing I can do to protect her now.
Chapter 16 (Dev)
“How the hell did this happen Bonita?” Alex said as he carried me inside the house.
I shrugged as he put me down on top of the kitchen table.
“The car was about to hit that poor little puppy. He was so small you could barely even see him. I didn't want him to die. So, I jumped in front of the car and the car stopped."
He sighs as he opens the cabinet and pulls out a bottle of peroxide and a napkin.
“Do you realize how lucky you are?” He paused and pointed to my knee. “That a piece of glass jammed inside your knee was the only thing ended up happening to you. You could have been killed Dev."
I roll my eyes. “I threw my body over the puppy so I could protect him. I didn't realize until it was too late that I landed over a broken bottle in the road."
He shakes his head as he dabs the napkin over my knee.
“This is going to hurt Bonita, but I can't leave it in there. I have to get it out. Just focus on me, and it will go by quickly. I'll be as gentle as I can."
I take a deep breath and focus on the flecks of gold in his beautiful ebony eyes. My eyes drop down and I bite my lip as I focus on that adorable chin dimple of his.
“It's out. Are you okay?” he asked as he poured more peroxide over my knee.
“Yeah, I didn't feel a thing. I had a good distraction,” I said coyly.
He grins as he bends down to blow on my knee. “Is this okay? I mean, I'm not the future nurse here.”
I giggle. “It's perfect. Just like you. Too bad I won't be able to say the same about my knee. This is definitely going to leave a scar."
He gives me a strange look as he rolls up his pant leg. Before I can protest he jams the piece of glass into his own knee.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
“If you hurt, then I hurt. If you scar...then I scar Bonita.”
“I don't know if that's the sweetest thing or the weirdest. I mean, that was inside my knee Alex.”
He laughs. “I love and want every part of you Dev. I always will.”
The room felt about 10 degrees warmer then.
I close my eyes as he brushes his lips across mine.
“I love you Alex. I always will.”
*****************************
My eyelids feel like they weigh about 100lbs each. I try to move when I hear the sound of the wall opening, but the sedative they gave me is too potent.
I feel someone pick me up, and I try my hardest to open my eyes.
Anxiety floats through my sedative induced haze when I squint and see a gas mask over the face of the man holding me.
I feel a stinging sensation in my lungs before the man stops and puts a mask over my own face.
I close my eyes as he continues walking for what feels like eternity.
He then climbs up a few steps and we sit down. Or rather, he sits down and pulls me across his lap.
“Tristan?” I whisper.
I feel his body tense up and he reaches for something in his pocket.
I don't even have to open my eyes to know what it is. “No, please. No more drugs.”
He plunges the needle into my thigh, but I try my best to fight through the euphoria for a few more moments.
“Just tell me if Tristan killed Hector, please.”
I hear him sigh. “Tristan killed Hector. He sent me to rescue you and bring you to him. He told me to bring you someplace safe.”
I hum as I feel myself drift away.
Even though the man is obviously not Tristan, there's something vaguely familiar about his voice.
It almost soothes me is a similar way that Tristan's does.
It's the strangest thing.
Chapter 17 (Dev)
I wake up in a cold sweat. Even though the room that I'm in feels a lot warmer then what I last remembered.
Then I remember.
I'm not in that little metal room anymore.
Holy shit...I may not even be in Alaska anymore.
I open one eye and strain to open the other one as blinding light fills the room.
Okay, I'm definitely not trapped in the metal room anymore.
I look down and I'm confused to find that I'm no longer wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt anymore.
I'm now wearing a tank top and a pair of cut off denim shorts.
I turn my head to the right, and I'm even more alarmed to find a petite brunette woman wearing some kind of maid's uniform sitting next to me.
She gives me a big smile as I open my mouth and stare at her wide-eyed.
“Who the hell are you?” I croak.
She blinks and gives me another smile.
She looks like a fairly nice woman. She has a few gray streaks running through her hair and friendly laugh lines around her mouth.
She certainly doesn't look like she means me any harm...especially since she keeps smiling at me.
Maybe she didn't hear me? I clear my throat. “Who are you?”
She blinks and smiles at me again.
I fight my obstinate drowsiness, sit up and swing my legs over the bed.
The woman's up in a flash and she helps me stand on my feet.
Okay, so it's pretty evident that she means me no harm.
That's a good sign at least.
I look around the room and take in my surroundings.
Pink curtains drape along the window sills. A queen sized canopy bed with pink silk sheets takes up the middle portion of the room.
I turn around and can't help but notice a huge marble bathtub along with a marble sink.
I turn to look at the woman again. “Where are we?”
She blinks and smiles at me again.
Hmm, maybe she doesn't speak English? Yeah, that's probably it.
I say a silent prayer that the woman is French since that's the only other language that I know. I neve
r wanted to take Spanish in college, since it reminded me of Alex and I couldn't take the painful memories.
I give her a smile. “Où sommes-nous?” She blinks, no smile.
Okay Dev...she obviously doesn't speak French.
Shit. I try and recall what little Spanish I know, which is only what Alex taught me.
“Um...Donde?” I gesture around the room with my hands.
She looks stumped and laughs.
I'm getting absolutely nowhere. I clear my throat again which now feels parched from all my hours of sleep.
With a sigh, I walk over to the sink and turn it on. I lower my mouth to the facet to take a sip when I'm violently pushed out of the way.
I'm debating pushing her back, when she forces a bottle of water into my hand and gestures for me to drink it.
I'm confused...until it hits me.
Oh God...I must be in Mexico.
With an ear piercing scream, I throw the water bottle and run out of the room.
I have no idea where I'm going but I keep running. I'll find an exit somewhere.
I race down a huge spiral marble staircase until I'm stopped in my tracks.
I see the silhouette of a man in a gray suit standing there.
I can't see his face since he's turned around, but something about him looks intimidating as all hell.
He's tall and broad and it appears as though he works out often.
His build is strikingly similar to Tristan's.
In fact, if I didn't know any better...I'd say it was Tristan standing in front of me.
I can feel the sweat pouring down my shirt as I realize that I have nowhere else to run.
My breathing become staggered as I watch him slowly turn around to face me.
“Hello Bonita,” he says.
My ears begin ringing as the room whirls all around me.
I feel the cold marble of the staircase against my head before darkness surrounds me.
Chapter 18 (Tristan)
The stinging of the whip causes me to hiss. “Is that all you got assholes?” I grunt.
I feel the slice of the whip against my back with more force then before.
I close my eyes and tune it out,
I think about Dev. I pray that she's safe. I pray that Alex really does let her live.
As I feel the burn of leather crack against my skin once more my mind drifts back to the last conversation I had with Duncan.
********************
“Why did you let her take care of me Tristan? I told you, she can't know who she is,” he said as he adjusted himself in the bed.
He had just gotten out of the hospital only a few days earlier.
“I know Duncan. I didn't tell her, I promise. I was just trying to do something nice for you...before you...you know.”
He closes his eyes and nods. “Thank you Tristan. I appreciate it. So I guess this means that you'll marry her and protect her?"
I shake my head. “No Duncan. Christ. I've only just met her. I told you, I'm not going to marry her. I will check in on her from time to time. She's not in any danger. She'll be fine."
“Please Tristan.”
“You're driving me crazy. Look, I'll subtly suggest that maybe she should move to New York. Then, I'll be able to keep a better eye on her. She's going through a lot right now. She's trying to discover herself. However, if she doesn't want to, I'm not pushing her. It has to be her decision. If she moves to New York then I suppose we can become friends or...something. But I'm not marrying her Duncan.”
He opens his eyes and lifts his head to look at me. “Can you tell me about her Tristan? What's she like?”
With a sigh I pull up a chair and sit next to his bed.
“To be honest...she's amazing Duncan. You're right, she looks just like Camilla. She's breathtaking, both inside and out. She's also stubborn as all hell. She obviously get's that from you. She's strong, but she doesn't realize it. She's kind and innocent, but yet there's a fire burning inside her. She's observant, but guarded. She didn't tell me that she was in foster care. Hell, she wouldn't even give me her name at first. She's also lonely Duncan. I don't understand why...because like I said, she's amazing. I'm surprised she isn't married already.”
He smiles as a tear runs down his cheek. I've never seen this man cry in all of my 32 years.
“Looks like everything is going to fall into place after all. Take care of her for me Tristan. Let her know how much she's loved, please.”
I'm at a loss for words, because I'm not quite sure what he means.
Before I can ask, he clears his throat. “I'm sorry for what I did all those years ago Tristan. I'm sorry I tried to encourage Camilla to give you and your mother up that night. I'm sorry I almost killed you and your mother after we first took you. I thank god that Camilla was around and talked some sense into me and stopped me from doing it. I'm sorry for making you break your promise to your mother and turning you into a killer...it was the only way to save your life,” he whispered.
I clear my throat as emotions that I've never felt before come to the surface.
“I forgive you Duncan. I hated you at the time, but you did the best you could. I know you were only trying to get me out of there. I know it was the only way. I'll take care of your daughter. I'll make sure she's safe, I promise.”
“Thank you son.”
It was the first and only time I didn't correct him.
Chapter 19 (Dev)
I must be hallucinating. I'm more dehydrated then I thought. That couldn't have been Alex.
Alex is dead.
It was just another flashback. The strangest flashback of all. I've never dreamed about 'grown-up' Alex before.
Maybe it was a dream. Yeah, that's it. That's the only thing that would make any sense.
“It's not you. It's just another dream,” I try and reassure myself.
My eyes are still closed, but I feel a hand skim across my wrist before they lay my hand in theirs.
I'd recognize that touch anywhere. It's his touch.
I must still be dreaming. This is just cruel.
“It's me Bonita. You're not dreaming,” his voice whispers.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
“No, it cant be. You're dead. I watched it happen,” I say, my voice cracking now.
“I didn't die. I'm here Dev. I'm right here.”
I open my eyes as his ebony eyes with flecks of gold peer over me.
My heart leaps in my throat and I let out a sob.
It's Alex.
At least, it looks like Alex. The grown- up version of Alex. With the exception of his added height and broad body...and a goatee.
I need to find out for sure. I take my other hand and skim it across his chin.
He looks bewildered. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“You have a goatee. My Alex has the most adorable chin dimple. If you're really Alex then you'll have one.”
I gasp when I feel it and he closes his eyes.
“I'm not dreaming.”
“You're not dreaming,” he repeats as he opens his eyes.
I start hyperventilating and quickly sit up.
He reaches for me and holds me against him. “Whoa. Take it easy Bonita. You fainted and almost cracked your head open on the marble staircase. I caught you just in the nick of time."
“How is this real right now?” Before he has time to answer, a sea of questions flood my mind.
“What about your father? What about the Cartel? Where's Tristan? Who's that woman in the maid uniform? How come you're not dead? Why didn't he tell me that you were alive? What the hell is going on?"
The room begins spinning again and I feel myself becoming lightheaded.
He laughs as he pulls me across his lap. “Shh. I'll answer all your questions, I promise. Right now, you really need to calm down and relax. I think you need to lay down for a little awhile, then I'll answer everything. Okay?"
I want to fight but the feeling of being in Alex's arms after
all these years is making my head spin all over again.
Before I can protest, he picks me up and carries me up the staircase.
After a few more steps and a sharp turn, I'm in the pink bedroom again and the woman who smiles...is smiling at me again.
“This is Maria. She's supposed to be watching over you. She's here to get you anything that you need,” Alex says as he puts me down on the bed.
“Maria?” I whisper. She appears on the other side of me in an instant.
“Alex after I take a nap, can you promise me that you'll be here when I wake up?”
He nods his head before he turns to walk away.
I instinctively reach for his hand. “I'm afraid to go to sleep Alex.”
He looks confused. “Why? What's wrong?”
A can't fight the tear that rolls down my cheek. “I'm afraid that you won't be here when I wake up and this will all just be some kind of sick joke."
He closes his eyes. “Bonita, I'll be here when you wake up. I promise. Now please, get some rest. We'll talk soon.”
He gives my hand a squeeze before he exits the room.
I look over to Maria as she hands me a fresh bottle of water.
I nod my head in thanks before I close my eyes.
***********************
I must have been more out of it then I realize because when I finally wake up again...It's the next day.
I look around and there's no sign of Maria...but Alex is sitting beside me. Just like he said he would be.
“I came in here last night, but you were still sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you.”
I stare at him in astonishment. It's real. He's really here.
“Thanks. So can we talk now? Can you answer my questions?”
He laughs. “You still haven't changed. Always with the questions Dev. I'll tell you what...take a shower and get dressed. Maria's making you breakfast right now. You haven't eaten in awhile. I don't want to start this conversation and have you pass out on me again. I'll meet you downstairs in a little while."
I shake my head. “I don't have any clothes. Everything I have is back in New York. Or, at least, it should be.”
