by J. S. Cooper
“So you think he was working for someone?” I asked Jakob, my mind racing.
“That’s what I think.” He nodded. “I found two needles in his pockets.”
“Needles?” I tried to sit up, but Jakob shook his head and pushed me back down.
“I don’t know what he was planning to do with them, but I have my ideas.” He pulled me into his arms. “I don’t know how a man like that could even think of harming an innocent woman.”
“I was so scared when I was up in that tree.” My voice was soft as I remembered how scared I had been. “I couldn’t even allow myself to think, because all I could think about was you. What if he killed you? What if something happened? What would I do? How would I survive? I couldn’t even allow my mind to think about the possibility of your getting hurt. It scared me so much. My whole body shut down on me and went numb. I closed my eyes and waited for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn’t even look down. I just held on to the branches and waited, thinking about nothing.”
“I’m sorry.” Jakob looked despondent for a few seconds, and then he leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m safe now, Bianca. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I’m trying.”
“What can I do to help?” His fingers stroked my face.
“Just hold me,” I whispered, and pulled him down next to me. “Hold me and talk to me.”
“What do you want to talk about?” His arms slipped around my waist, and he pulled me toward him.
“I don’t know.” I closed my eyes and thought about the photograph. “I want to think of happy thoughts.”
“What makes you happy?” he asked gruffly.
“Seeing you alive.” I smiled at him. “And thinking about my parents.” I sighed. It always came back to my parents.
“Tell me about them. What do you remember about them?”
“I remember that my mother used to love to bake.” I talked idly. “Chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. Every Sunday, she would make them.” I smiled at the memory. “Even after she died, my father would take me to a bakery on the Lower East Side and we’d get cookies and milk.”
“He really tried to keep her memory alive, then?”
“Yeah, though, I don’t know if that was a good thing now.” I sighed. “He loved her so much, and when she died, a part of him died with her. I always felt like he was just waiting to pass away so he could join her.”
“He never dated anyone after that at all?”
“Never. A couple of times when I was a teenager, I tried to set him up, but he always told me no. He said that no one would ever have his heart but my mother and that it wouldn’t be fair to date anyone else, because he knew no one could ever replace her.”
“He seems like he was obsessed,” Jakob commented, and I frowned.
“I wouldn’t say he was obsessed.” I shook my head but kept my tone light, as I didn’t want to argue. “He was just a man very much in love.”
“Your mother was lucky to find a man so devoted to her.”
“Yes, yes, she was.” I looked up at the sky and stared at the stars. “I think they were both very lucky to have found each other.”
“Most people don’t find love like that.” Jakob’s tone changed, and I turned to face him.
“Tell me about your mom. She must have been a wonderful lady to have a son like you. She must have been so proud of the man you became.” I stared into Jakob’s eyes, and he stared back silently. I wasn’t sure if I had annoyed him with my question, as he didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry, we don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to.”
“She was beautiful.” His voice sounded distant, as if his mind were far away. “She was so beautiful that people used to say she should have gone to Hollywood. She would have been a big star.”
“Describe her to me.”
“She was tall and slender, with long brown hair and big blue eyes.” He smiled at the memory.
“Do you look like her, then?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Thank God.”
“Tell me more about her. What did she like to do?”
“She was a hard worker, dedicated to her job. She was also a great provider. She never took a penny from my father, yet she managed to send me to the best schools. I was her pride and joy.”
“She must have loved you very much.”
“I suppose she did. When I was four a talent scout approached her. Offered her a chance to go audition for a movie in Hollywood. Only, she wouldn’t have been able to take me with her, so she turned it down.”
“Did she like acting?”
He nodded, and his lips pressed against mine softly before he continued. “She used to love singing and dancing.”
“I bet that must have been nice. I can’t really remember what my mom and I used to do together, aside from baking on Sundays, but I always used to imagine us putting on family plays and dancing and singing.”
“My mom used to sing to me every night. She used to love making up songs. There was this one song that she sang that was so beautiful. Everyone would stop and listen when she sang it. I used to love it, and I would sing it with her every opportunity I had.” He looked at me sadly. “That was until the day I realized what I was singing.”
“Do you still remember the song?” I asked softly. I wanted to hear the song, and listen to his voice as it comforted me in the darkness of the night. He turned to look at me then, and the expression on his face made my heart melt.
“ ‘Will you remember me if you saw me on a dark, low-lit road? Will you remember me when I’m scatterbrained and old? Will you love me with your very last breath? Will you kiss me with everything you’re worth? I’ll remember you until the ends of my days. I’ll love you until you’re old and gray. I’ll marry you and be yours always, for you were made for me and all my life is yours.’ ” He sang sweetly and I held my breath until he sang the last note.
“That was beautiful,” I choked out as tears ran down my face.
“Don’t cry, Bianca.” He wiped the tears from my eyes with his fingers before kissing them away.
“It’s just so sad.” I sobbed. “Your mom loved your father so much, and she waited her whole life for him. Did she write that song for him?” I continued sobbing and wiped my nose with my hands.
“No.” He shook his head. “The ironic part of the story is that my father wrote the song for my mother. It was his wedding gift to her.”
“I thought they never got married.” I frowned, trying to think if I had remembered what he said incorrectly.
“They didn’t.” His tone grew bitter. “My father ended up marrying a girl from a well-connected family. However, he didn’t want to give my mother up, so he hired her as his maid. He sang that song to her the night he got back from his honeymoon.”
“That’s horrible.” I stroked his cheek. “I’m sorry your mother had to go through that.”
“When I was younger I vowed that I would make my father pay for breaking my mother’s heart. I wanted him to feel the anguish and hurt he had given her. I wanted him to feel the pain that she felt, but I didn’t want to do it while she was still alive. Lucky bastard got off easy, because he died before she did.”
“Maybe that’s for the best?” I ran my fingers down his chest and played with his chest hair. “Maybe your father was hurting as well.”
“My father was a cold, ruthless man.” His voice was monotone. “He had no backbone. He allowed other people to dictate his choices. He valued money more than love, you see.”
“That’s horrible.”
“You think that’s horrible because he put something above love, don’t you?” His eyes gazed into mine, and I nodded. “I don’t blame him for that. Love is a man-made emotion. We’re not made to truly love someone else. My devastation comes from the fact that he put money before honor. Honor should always be number one.”
“I agree that honor is important, but I don’t think it’s more i
mportant than love.”
“That’s because you’re a romantic, and you’re naive, and you trust too easily,” he scoffed.
“I’m not naive.” I glared at him.
“There are a million things I could show you and tell you to prove that you’re naive, but I won’t.”
“Why not?” I could feel my face burning up at his words. I was so angry and annoyed. His childhood was sad, I gave him that, but that didn’t give him the right to take out his issues on me. I knew I had to be patient. I couldn’t expect him to suddenly just believe in love. Not after the life he’d had. I would have to show him through example. I’d let him see through my actions that not all women were gold diggers, and money wasn’t the be-all and end-all in life.
“Because I want to make love to you instead.”
“I don’t know if I can—my thighs are too sore.” I shook my head, wanting to be with him but not in this state. Not while I was still annoyed.
“I have a solution.” He grinned and sat up. “Do you trust me?”
“I guess so.” I nodded, and he lifted me up.
“Where are we going?” I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“You told me you’ve never had sex in the ocean, right?”
“Well, I said I’ve never had sex in the water, but I guess that includes the ocean.”
“You’re not into it?” He looked disappointed.
“I’m just tired, Jakob.” I touched his arm. “It’s nothing to do with how into it I am.”
“I’m sorry, I’m being selfish.”
“All I know is that tonight you’re my savior.” I shook my head, and his eyes lit up.
“You think highly of me, don’t you?”
“I think you’re a pretty stand-up guy, yes.” I gave him a hug. “I also think you’re pretty sexy, but right now I think I just want to cuddle with you and sleep.”
“Your wish is my command.” We sat back down on the sand, and Jakob took me into his arms. “Tonight, I’ll let you sleep. We have plenty of time for lovemaking later.”
“Thank you, Jakob.” I ran my fingers down his chest. “You do know that I want to touch you and feel you, but right now I’m still so sore.” My breath caught as Jakob grabbed my hand and held it tight.
“I understand, my dear, but if you keep touching me like that, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stop myself from flipping you over and taking you.”
I gasped at the dark smile on his face, and he laughed. He pulled me close to his chest and bent his lips down to my face. “Sleep, my darling.” He kissed my forehead and held me close to him. I felt myself drifting off to sleep within seconds.
I woke up the next morning with aching limbs and a heavy head. I sat up slowly, feeling disoriented, and saw Jakob sitting there staring at me.
“How did you sleep?” His voice was light.
“Like a baby.” I offered him a weak smile. “You?”
“Barely.” He stood up. “I was on edge all night.”
I looked around the beach to see if I could see Steve’s body. My fingers were trembling as I braced myself to see his body.
“I moved him.” Jakob shifted over to me. “I didn’t think you should see him.”
“Is it bad, then?”
“It’s not pretty.” He moved some hair away from my face, and I heard him gasp. “You’ve got bruises all over your face.” He frowned and touched a spot on my cheek carefully.
“I guess that’s what happens when you climb a tree and you’re not super fit.”
“You did a great job.” He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “I can’t believe you’re so bruised.”
“What are you doing?” I reached out and touched the cut on his cheek.
“I’m kissing your boo-boos away.” He picked my arm up and kissed a large bruise on my wrist.
“My boo-boos?” I smiled at him.
“It’s something my mom used to do when I hurt myself when I was a kid.” He smiled at me, and his eyes glazed over. “She would kiss each one and make the pain go away.”
“She sounds like a fantastic mother. You must have loved her a lot.”
“She was my world.” He nodded and held my hand between his. “You know, talking with you last night brought back a lot of memories. When I was younger, I thought I was the luckiest little boy in the world. It was only when I reached my teenage years that I realized how sad and heartbroken my mother was, and that broke my heart.”
“Your father sounds like he was a jerk.”
“He was. He was a jerk who was easily influenced by his best friend.”
“What do you mean?” I reached out and touched his shoulder. My heart ached for this Jakob. I was now seeing a more vulnerable side, and I was starting to understand why he didn’t believe in love. If his mother had been hurt and he’d witnessed that heartache, it was understandable that he didn’t know how beautiful it could be.
“My father was from a well-off family. He married someone from a well-off family. He strung my mother along her whole life.” His voice was angry. “He promised her that he loved her, but he never did right by her.”
“She waited for him?”
“She waited her whole life for him.”
“And he never came around?”
“No, he never made an honest woman of her.” He looked at me and frowned. “What would you think of me if I had no money?”
“Your money means nothing to me, Jakob.” I grabbed his hand. “You know that, right?”
“You sought out David Bradley because he has money or as a way for you to gain access to money.”
“It wasn’t because he had money, I told you that.” I shook my head. “You know it was because I wanted to find out more about my mother’s death. I explained that to you.”
“I know.” He sighed and stretched his arms. “Forgive me, Bianca. It was a long night, and I’m antsy.”
“I understand.” I looked at him for a few seconds and then moved next to him. “What are we going to do now?”
“What do you want to do?” He gazed at me then.
“I don’t know.” I reached out and took his hand in mine. “I want to leave the island. I want to get to know you better. I want to figure out what happened to my mom. I want to claim my inheritance back from the Bradleys.”
“Your inheritance?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
“What if you never get any money from them?”
“It’s not about the money, really.” I looked up at him. “It’s about knowing the truth. I want to know the truth about what happened to my mother.”
“This is hard for me to say, but I think I owe you an apology.” Jakob’s tone changed, and he grabbed my hands.
“Why do you owe me an apology?”
“I got you wrong, Bianca.” His eyes looked sad. “I’m sorry for thinking that—”
The rhythmic thumping of an engine growing louder in the sky distracted me from what he was saying, and I gazed upward to see where the noise was coming from.
“Hey, do you hear that?” I ran toward the water. “I think I see a helicopter.” I started jumping up and down. “Over here!” I screamed as I jumped. “We’re here!”
“Bianca, I need to tell you . . .” Jakob walked toward me and I jumped into his arms in excitement and kissed him. He looked taken aback by my exuberance, but I put it down to shock.
“I think we’re being rescued.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I think this nightmare is about to end.” I kissed him again and stepped back down to the sand. I moved up and down some more and waved my arms frantically in the air. “They’re coming toward us.” I grinned at Jakob. “I think they see us.”
“Even if they see us, this isn’t the end, Bianca. We still need to figure out exactly why we were brought here. We need to talk. I need to tell you what I know about David and Mattias.”
“I know.” I nodded. “And we will talk, and you will explain everything, but it will
be easier once we are off this island.”
“I hope so.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “I hope we can figure it all out.”
“Yeah, we will.” I rubbed his shoulder. I knew I was going to have to tell him the whole truth about David, but then I remembered something he had told me the evening before. “Hey, didn’t you tell me you found some stuff in Steve’s pockets?” I glanced at him, and he nodded.
“I found a cell phone.” He nodded toward the helicopter.
“Oh?” I frowned as the knowledge hit me in surprise. “He had a phone this whole time?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “So I think he was in contact with someone.”
“Who?” I continued jumping up and down while trying to process the fact that Steve had a working phone the whole time. “Mattias?”
“That we still have to figure out.” He reached out for me. “I think we need to stick together once we leave the island.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think that we might still be in danger.” He paused. “Think about it. Steve kept appearing and disappearing. We didn’t understand it at first, but what if he was disappearing because he was calling someone? What if that someone was telling him what to do? What if that someone is waiting on his call right now?”
“Why don’t we check the call history?” I bit my lower lip. “That way we can see the numbers he called.”
“I already did that.” He sighed. “There were no outbound numbers.”
“So he hadn’t called anyone?”
“Or he had and he deleted the numbers, just in case.”
“Oh.” I stopped jumping up and down. “That would have been smart.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “So my point is, if someone went through all this trouble to get us here, they aren’t going to be happy that we got off the island.”
“What do you think they will do?” My eyes widened.
“That depends on why we were on the island in the first place, and we still don’t know why.”
“Did Steve say anything?” I ran my hands through my hair. “Did he give you any clue as to why you were here?”
