by HELEN HARDT
Now I knew why.
I knelt down next to her. “Anna, how did you get here?”
The scrawny woman next to her nudged her forearm. “Be quiet!” she whispered. “You know what happens when we disobey.”
Raj doubled back to where I was kneeling. “Steel, come on, mon. We can’t help them right now.”
“Bullshit,” I said. “Grab that bastard ahead of you and get his keys.”
“Where would we take them? We don’t know this place. We’ll help them later, when we can.”
“No way,” I said. “I know this girl, and I’m getting her out of here.”
Anna and I had been in a fairly serious relationship a couple years before. We’d ended it amiably—neither of us had heard bells—and decided to stay friends. I’d been surprised when she hadn’t responded to my attempts to contact her. She’d probably never received any of my messages.
Talon knelt beside me. “Is it really you, Anna?”
The poor girl nodded.
“Ry,” Talon said. “We’ll get her out of here. We’ll get them all out of here. But Raj is right. There’s nothing we can do right now. They’re all chained.”
“Damn it, Tal. Your wife is safe at home. Safe. At. Home. My ex-girlfriend is here, being brutalized. I have no idea where the woman I love is. Please. I have to at least help Anna.”
Understanding swept into Talon’s eyes, and he nodded. “Raj, get his keys.”
I took Anna’s hand, her fingers thin and her nails cracked and broken. “I’m so sorry you’re here. What happened about Hawaii?”
“I never went to Hawaii. It’s a long story. It’s even hard to remember it all now.”
“Jesus. How long have you been here?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I went somewhere else for a while, where… I can’t talk about it. But I know I never got to Hawaii.”
My heart ached. “What about your parents?”
“I’m sure they think I’m dead by now.”
Anguish consumed me. How had it all come to this? I hadn’t been able to keep Anna safe, and I didn’t even know it. I hadn’t kept Ruby safe. I should never have let her go back to her apartment. Should never have let her out of my sight.
I almost smiled at that last thought. The idea that I had any control of what Ruby did was laughable. Maybe a little in the bedroom, which surprised the hell out of me, but I loved it. But in any other aspect of her life? She was in complete control, and she never failed to let me know it.
Raj tossed a set of keys to Talon. “Here you go, mon. I have no idea if any of them will help these girls.” He kept his gun on Scotty, who seemed a lot less harmful in his underwear.
Talon started testing keys, first in the lock chaining Anna.
No dice. He tried the keys on a few of the other girls. Again, nothing.
My heart was breaking for these women, one of whom I’d cared for very deeply. None of them deserved this fate.
“I told you they wouldn’t work,” the boxer-clad smartass said. “This isn’t my territory.”
“We’ll take them all, then.” I looked around but then let out an anguished sigh. “They’re chained to a bolt on the wall.”
“We’ve got to move,” Raj said.
“Listen,” I said, still holding Anna’s hand. “I’ll come back for you. I swear it.”
She nodded solemnly, but her eyes told a different story. She didn’t believe me. She had given up hope.
Talon had talked about giving up hope. About how at first he’d thought about escaping but hadn’t the strength. After that, he never tried again. He only got weaker the less they fed him and the more they brutalized him. That had been for a period of two months. Anna had been missing for nearly two years, as far as I could tell. God only knew what she’d gone through.
Then I looked into my brother’s eyes, and I saw a glimpse of the tortured Talon. He knew. He was reliving it right at this moment.
“Hey.” I squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry the keys didn’t work. I will be back for you.”
“Yes,” Talon said. “We will be back. Somehow, we’ll shut this thing down.”
Raj jiggled my shoulder. “We’ve got to go. It’s still early, but people will be coming around anytime now. We’ve got to find a place to hide and figure out our next move.”
I called upon every ounce of strength I possessed to let go of Anna’s bony fingers. “I’ll be back,” I whispered, hoping I wasn’t inadvertently lying to her.
I stood, along with Talon, and turned to Raj. “Now what?”
He poked his gun into the man’s temple. “You tell us. Now what?”
“Now we—”
A blaring siren permeated the corridor.
Chapter Twenty
Ruby
“Marabel said we had guests,” the woman said. “I wanted to come welcome you.”
“Thank you.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. “I’m Ruby. Thank you for letting Juliet and me stay here.”
“You’re most welcome. I love having visitors. Usually it’s just me and Angela here alone all day. The boys are at camp.”
I opened my mouth to reply, though I didn’t know what I would say, but fortunately Marabel came walking briskly toward us from the direction of the kitchen.
“Goodness, ma’am, you shouldn’t be out of your room. Where is Jocelyn?”
“She went to check on some formula for Angela.” The woman turned to me. “I nursed my boys, but Angela would never take the breast.”
Marabel took the woman by the shoulder. “Let’s get you back. Angela needs her nap.”
Angela was an extremely quiet baby. I hadn’t heard so much as a gurgle out of her.
“I just wanted to welcome our guests, Marabel.”
“Of course. I understand. But let’s get you situated back in your room, okay? Come on, dear.”
Was this the “lady”? I had no idea. Something in her eyes seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t place it.
Marabel led her down the hallway, past the kitchen, and down another hallway, which I knew led to the master suite of the house where Talon and Jade lived in the original. Marabel led the woman into that very room.
An eerie feeling of unease swept over me. I turned toward a rustling. Juliet appeared to be fighting something in her sleep.
“No!” she shouted. “No! No! Don’t take Lisa!”
I ran to her and nudged her gently. “Juliet, shh.” I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible. “It’s just a dream.”
Her eyes shot open. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the nice house, remember? It’s me. Ruby.”
She sat up, looking over one shoulder and then the other before clutching her chest. “My heart is beating so fast.”
“It was just a bad dream. You’re safe here. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
She fell against me. “I can’t believe I’m here. Out of there.”
“You are. And we’ll get the others out too.” I rubbed soothing circles onto her back.
Then another knock at the door. I didn’t want to let go of Juliet, so I said, “Come in.”
Marabel entered. “I’m sorry about the lady. She’s not quite right in the head. I can’t believe her nurse left her alone.”
“It’s okay. If the baby needed formula—”
“The baby is fine,” Marabel said. “If you and Miss Juliet are ready, I have breakfast for you. I can bring it in here if you’d like.”
I nudged Juliet away from me. “Do you want to have breakfast in here?”
She nodded but then changed her mind and shook her head. “No. I want to get out of this room. I want to feel what it’s like to be able to go into another room.”
My heart broke for her all over again. I stood so she could get out of bed, and together we followed Marabel to the kitchen.
I’d been in this kitchen before. It was identical to Talon’s, where I’d sat at the same kitchen table with the Steels and their
spouses, discussing strategies for bringing my father down. Little did any of them know, my father appeared to be a regular visitor at an exact replica of their home.
Was I starring in a horror movie? Everything about this place brought out spooky feelings in me. The skin on the back of my neck prickled, and I expected the Psycho violin screech at any moment. But I had to allay my fears. They would rub off on Juliet, and she was already scared enough.
We each took a seat at the table. “Eat slowly,” I told her. “You haven’t had any decent food in a while, and your stomach might rebel.”
She nodded and put a glass of orange juice to her lips. Then, “Ow!” She set the glass down harshly, spilling a bit.
“What’s wrong, ma’am?” Marabel asked. “I squeezed that fresh just for you girls.”
I touched Juliet’s forearm. “What is it?”
“It hurts. Stings.”
I sighed. “Open your mouth for me.”
Several ulcers covered her tongue and gumline. Canker sores. Common enough among people with vitamin deficiencies and stress. Juliet no doubt had suffered both.
“Maybe some milk, Marabel,” I said. “Does that sound good, Juliet?”
She nodded, and Marabel brought her a glass of milk a minute later. She took a long drink.
I took a sip of my juice, and it was delicious. But knowing Juliet couldn’t drink it hampered my enjoyment of the citrusy beverage.
Marabel had fried some potatoes and peppers for us and had topped each mound with two eggs over easy. I was hungry—I’d lost most of the shitty food I’d eaten when I vomited on my father’s desk—but I had a hard time eating. Ryan was somewhere close, and I was still worried about him.
Plus, this house… The woman and the baby… What the hell had Juliet and I walked into?
Juliet finished a little less than half of her breakfast and then stopped. “I can’t eat any more.”
“That’s good for now,” I said.
She nodded. I ate about half of mine as well, hoping we wouldn’t be insulting Marabel by leaving food on our plates. She cleared our dishes without saying a word.
“Would the two of you like to go out on the deck for some fresh air?” she asked. “It’s a beautiful morning.”
What I really wanted was to get out of here and start my search for Ryan. At the very least, I wanted to find a cell phone or laptop so I could do some research. But fresh air would do Juliet’s pale skin some good, and right now, she had to be my priority.
“That would be nice,” I told Marabel.
I stood and strolled to the deck. Juliet followed me. Marabel opened the French doors for us. Again, an exact replica of Talon’s deck, right down to the wrought iron and glass table and the Adirondack chairs and chaises longues.
In the distance, the guesthouse stood.
The guesthouse where Ryan lived in the original.
He was here somewhere. My father hadn’t lied. I was almost sure of it. He’d come for me, and I wished he hadn’t. I had no idea what awaited him here—no idea what awaited me, for that matter.
Fear gnawed at my gut. Fear for Ryan. For Juliet. For all the other poor souls being held here.
Somehow I’d save them all. I had to.
“Oh!”
I turned at the sound of Juliet’s voice. Three fluffy golden retriever puppies bounded up to us, and her eyes lit up with joy. For a moment, I saw the blond twenty-one-year-old I’d met at the Jamaican resort.
“Hello, babies!” she cooed.
I grabbed one ball of fur and picked him up. “Where did they come from?” I asked Marabel.
“They’re Jewel’s pups. Jewel is the lady’s dog. She was a gift from the master.”
Master? Strange. I couldn’t help myself. I had to ask, given what else I’d seen on these islands so far. “Marabel, are you here willingly?”
“Of course! Why would you ask otherwise?”
“Just… Calling him the master.”
“Out of respect. I’m not here against my will.”
She seemed sincere. I couldn’t think of any reason not to believe her. Except, of course, that I was near an island filled with evil—evil of my father’s doing.
But I couldn’t worry about that as I kissed the top of the pup’s head. He wriggled in my arms and then licked my face. I laughed out loud.
Juliet was busy with the other two pups. She picked them both up and examined them. “So you’re a boy,” she said to one, “and you’re a girl. Do they have names?”
“Not yet, miss,” Marabel said.
I snuggled the pup to my cheek, thinking of Ryan’s gorgeous golden retriever, Ricky. I missed him. So much.
“Then I’ll name them,” Juliet said. “You’re Bo, and you’re Beauty. Perfect.”
I worried for a split second that Juliet was already getting too close to the dogs. But the happiness on her face made my concern short-lived. In fact, I kind of wanted to name the puppy I was holding. He was a boy. You’re Ernie, I said to myself. A man named Ernie had lived above my mother and me in our small apartment when I was a kid. He was kind to me and gave me something to eat if I was hungry. Yes, this puppy would carry that name. Ernie. If I didn’t say it out loud, maybe I wouldn’t grow too attached to the little thing.
He squirmed out of my arms and raced to play with his brother and sister.
Juliet stood and followed the puppies out into the large yard. I thought about stopping her. She was still so weak. But I didn’t want to take these few minutes of joy away from her.
I turned around and looked through the French doors into the kitchen. A man, his back to me, stood talking to Marabel. His hair was dark, and for a moment I assumed it was my father. He’d probably returned to take us back to the horror of the dorms, as Juliet had called it.
But no— This man was taller than my father, and he was wearing blue jeans and a black shirt. Not the black pants my father had been wearing.
He stood talking to Marabel for what seemed like forever. Turn around, I screamed inside my head.
When he didn’t, I stood, my feet moving toward the door seemingly of their own volition.
I opened the door and walked in.
The man turned to face me.
And I gasped.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ryan
I clapped my hands over my ears. The women in the hallway began wailing.
Raj was yelling at Scotty, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. The man started walking, Raj’s gun never moving from his temple. I looked to Talon. As much as it pained me to leave Anna and the others, I followed.
The siren blared on and on for what seemed like hours. We followed Scotty down a flight of stairs and into a dark basement. The sound was muffled a little more here. I sniffed. No smoke, so it wasn’t a fire alarm. We were safe for the moment.
“What was that?” Talon yelled to Raj.
“He said it’s a signal of breach,” Raj yelled back. “He doesn’t think we’ve been seen. What most likely happened is that someone found the two guys we left behind. We should have killed them.”
His use of the pronoun “we” disturbed me. As much as the jerks deserved death, I could never take a life. But I couldn’t argue the point now.
“What’s down here?” Raj yelled.
“You don’t want to know,” Scotty said.
As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I began to make out images. A stockade. A— Fuck. Was it a guillotine? Christ. This must be where the goons doled out the severe punishment.
Raj was dragging Scotty along, clearly looking for something, though I didn’t have the slightest idea what. Talon and I followed them as Raj pushed Scotty down onto a chair.
“It’d serve you right if I locked you in that stockade.” Instead, Raj took a roll of what appeared to be duct tape out of his bag. The man definitely came prepared. He bound Scotty’s hands and wrists together and then taped him to the chair. He held a piece of tape to his mouth. “Lucky for you I’m not a sadist.
Any last words, mon?”
“Fuck you,” Scotty spat again.
“Original.” Raj taped his mouth shut. “But I respect the fact that you didn’t beg.” He turned to us. “He’s taken care of for the moment. Since we’re in our black outfits, we can fit in around here. Next step is going back up and seeing what this is about.”
“No offense,” I said. “But I’m sick and tired of smelling and tasting a guy’s blood.” I held my mask out to Raj. Since the masks were black, the blood didn’t show. We could still smell the tang of it though. It was quickly making me gag.
“Me too,” Talon agreed.
“Sorry. They’re all we have. I can trade, but that’ll only help one of you.”
“You take it,” I said to Talon.
He didn’t try to argue. It was the least I could do. Talon had seen more blood in his lifetime than I had. He deserved the clean mask.
“Everyone armed?” Raj asked.
Talon and I both nodded and patted our weapons.
“All righty, then.” Raj pulled Talon’s bloodied mask over his head, his brown eyes black in the dark cellar. “Let’s go.”
We walked slowly and quietly up the stairs. I still had Scotty’s keys, though they hadn’t helped me release Anna and the others.
“We need to find more keys,” Raj said.
“Shouldn’t we call the cops?” I asked.
“This is a private island. There aren’t any cops here.”
Of course. I should have known that. So we’d have no backup.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
Ruby’s beautiful face poked into my mind. How I missed her. If anyone had harmed her…
I couldn’t go there. Not now. Right now, Talon and I had one mission. Find Theodore Mathias and take him down. In doing so, we’d probably find and rescue Ruby.
I hoped so. I prayed to a God I wasn’t sure I believed in anymore to keep her safe. To keep the woman I loved—the woman I was going to marry—safe.
Raj opened the door slightly. The siren was still blaring. “Look,” he yelled to us. “People in black are running around out here like a bunch of maniacs. No one will notice us. Follow me.”
