It’s a miracle he hasn’t discovered me before now. I remember Kelly telling me he’s only recently moved into the area. I think the fact he was out of state must have helped keep me protected. That and most of my campaigns for KA were low-key, per my agreement with Alex.
“These men know how to abduct girls and make them disappear,” I continue. “They did it to me once. What makes you think they can’t do it to me again?” A sob bursts from my throat, and violent shivering racks my entire body. “I would rather die than fall into their clutches again,” I admit on a sob, my hands dropping to my sides.
He hugs me to his warm body. “No one is taking you, Selena. I promise you.”
“You can’t make that promise!” I cry. “And we’re not together. Why would you even want to?!”
“Don’t do that.” He leans back, latching pained eyes on mine. “Whether we are together or not makes no difference to how I feel about you. I will always care, Selena.” His eyes burn hot, radiating the truth. “I will always want to protect you, and you are not shutting me out of this.”
His words spread through me like sweet, warm honey, helping to ease some of the fear plundering my veins. “I don’t want this for you,” I whisper, averting my eyes. “You deserve better than me.”
“Is that why you did it?” he asks in a calm tone.
I raise my eyes, locking on his comforting, familiar blue gaze.
I understand his need for answers.
How I left him feeling confused and betrayed.
I know I owe him a better explanation than the one I gave him, but I can only deal with so much. “I can’t do this right now, K. I’m barely holding on as it is.” Plus, I don’t want to give him false hope. My head is a mess, and I don’t want to drag him down again.
He nods slowly. “Okay, but we are discussing this when the time is right.”
I nod my agreement, and my eyes well up again.
I can give him one truth. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Not a day goes by where you aren’t in my thoughts,” he simply replies, and my heart swells with love.
I have never loved anyone the way I love Keanu. I know I never will. My eyes drift to his lush mouth, and my lips tingle with a craving to kiss him. He was always so gentle with me. So considerate of my feelings, and kissing him was one of my favorite pastimes.
I miss kissing him.
I miss being with him.
I just miss him. Period.
But if I tell him that we’ll end up back where we started, and right now, it feels like I’ve even less to offer him than before.
Was I wrong to come here? Not that it was a conscious decision, because it wasn’t. But Keanu has always been my safe place, so it’s no surprise I ended up here.
“I have a suggestion,” he says, rubbing the thin layer of stubble on his chin. My eyes are drawn to the tattoos on his lower arms. He didn’t have them when we were together. I never thought he’d be the type to get inked, but they suit him. With his dark hair, worn stylishly short at the sides and slightly longer on top, his ripped arms, chest, and abs, inked skin, and those stunning blue eyes that look like the ocean, he is hotter than ever.
I know his new edgier vibe has landed him some additional modeling gigs and tons of new fans. Every booker is crazy for his new look, and it’s why he’s so in demand. I’m very proud of him. Of what he’s achieved in his career and that he’s attending Harvard. He could have a full-time modeling career, but he’s always aspired to more. I love how much dedication and focus Keanu puts into things he’s passionate about.
He doesn’t know this, but he’s my biggest inspiration.
I peer into his beautiful face, encouraging him to go on with my eyes.
“Keven works for the FBI. I think we should talk to him. Off the record,” he adds when he sees my eyes pop wide. “He can advise us what to do.” He laces his fingers in mine. “But we would have to tell him the truth. He needs the facts if he’s going to help us.”
I take a few moments to mull it over, latching onto his hand, allowing warmth to seep from his skin to mine. I can’t just rock up to the local police station and lodge a complaint. For all we know, that bastard has the cops on his payroll. Mom might have contacts who can help too, but the last thing I want is her career getting damaged by my past.
I trust Keanu.
Completely.
And if he says he thinks his older brother might help, then it’s worth at least a phone call.
The alternative is I watch over my shoulder.
Become a recluse again.
And regress to the thirteen-year-old victim I’ve worked so hard to leave behind.
But I’m in no fit state to make such decisions right now. “It’s a worthy suggestion, but I need to think about it. And I need to talk to Denise.”
His tongue darts out, wetting his lips, and I stare greedily at his mouth, enjoying the distraction. “I understand, baby,” he says, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on the back of my hand. “But I don’t like the fact he is out there and he might know who you are. How much information has he got on you?”
“I only had to complete basic details at the registration today. And I haven’t provided any photographic ID yet.” They wanted it, but I’m always cagey about handing over my ID, so I lied and said I’d forgotten it. I’d no intention of going through with this, and I was only attending to prove I could push myself out of my comfort zone and to support Kelly because I know she’d get a major kick out of it if cast.
“He knows me as Selena Smith, not Selena Douglas, so it’s unlikely he’s aware I’m here.” I’m confident in my assessment because if he knew I was living in Boston, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I’d be locked in some basement. Chained naked to the floor. Starving and drugged up with more scars covering my body and layered over my heart.
Although, now he’s in Boston, it’s only a matter of time before he finds me. The shoot I did for Miranda Fanning’s new line will soon be splashed all over billboards. Yes, I’m older, and my hair is no longer dark, but I imagine my image is imprinted in his brain the same way his is in mine. He paid good money to buy me from Master Allen and Freddie, and I escaped the day after he claimed ownership of me.
It wasn’t enough time to recoup his investment.
A monster like him would never forget the girl who played him for a fool and got away with her life.
A monster like him has been planning his revenge for the last seven years.
And I’m guessing he’s only too eager to start exacting payback.
6
Keanu
“How is she?” Sandrine Douglas asks me the second I open the front door.
I step aside, gesturing for her to come in. Dragging my hands through my hair, I exhale heavily. “She’s doing okay now, but she wasn’t in a good place when she arrived.”
“Where is she?” Sandrine’s concerned pale blue eyes flit around the room.
“In the bathroom. Come sit.” I jerk my head toward the couch, and she follows me, sitting down on my right. I set my elbows on my knees, resting my head in my hands.
Now that I know the truth behind her panic attack, I am fucking terrified for Selena. My initial instinct was to whisk her out of the country in the dead of night and go someplace no one would ever find us. To hide her away until that sick bastard is locked up behind bars. But removing her from the safety net of her home, her mom, and her friends isn’t the right thing to do either.
“What has happened?” Sandrine asks, and I lift my head up, staring into the troubled face of a woman I admire greatly. If Sandrine hadn’t presided over Selena’s case when she escaped the hell she’d been existing in for three years, I doubt she’d be where she is today.
Sandrine moved mountains to adopt her when it was discovered her family was dead. Murdered by the bastard who kidnapped her and her friend Juanita, when they were only ten. Although that case is still technically an open murder investigation, all the
evidence points to that truth.
Sandrine saw something in Selena and made it her mission to adopt the frightened, fragile, broken little girl with the deep scar tissue. I’m so grateful she did. Not just because it brought her to Boston and led her to me, but because she has done so much to help bring her back to life.
Most people seeking to adopt want a cute baby. Not a troubled thirteen-year-old girl who had endured more horrors than any kid should have to live through. If Sandrine hadn’t adopted Selena, she most likely would have ended up in a home or the foster care system, and neither scenario would have worked out well.
Sandrine stares impatiently at me, waiting for me to elaborate.
“It’s not good, but Sel should probably be the one to explain.” Or she should at least be given the option of deciding who tells her mom.
“Mom.” Selena steps into the room, and Sandrine hops up, walking toward her with urgency.
She stops in front of her daughter, examining every inch of her, from head to toe, assuring herself that she’s unharmed. Slowly, she opens her arms, and Selena steps into her hug. Her eyes find mine across the room, and she holds my gaze as she accepts her mom’s comfort. My hands itch with a longing to touch her, to hold her, but I’m well versed in controlling my wants and needs around her. I’m used to letting Selena set the pace.
Selena shucks out of her mom’s hold, walking to the couch and sitting down beside me. Her hand instantly reaches for mine, and I thread my fingers in hers, casually draping my arm around her shoulders. When she lays her head on my shoulder, it feels like I’ve died and gone to heaven.
Sandrine’s delicate smile is a surprise. We’ve always had a good relationship, but Selena and I have been broken up for almost two years. I’d expected shock or maybe distrust, but she seems pleased her daughter has turned to me. We share a silent communication, and I nod, confirming she can trust my motives. Trust that I’ll take care of her daughter.
“Are you okay?” Sandrine asks, clasping her hands in her lap.
Selena lifts her head, turning to face her mom. “I don’t know,” she honestly admits, and it’s like someone has driven a dagger straight through my heart.
“Do you feel up to explaining?” she inquires, smoothing a stray strand of hair back off her face. I notice there are more grays threaded throughout her dark hair, but otherwise, she looks exactly the same.
Selena snuggles in closer, and I tighten my arm around her shoulders a little more, careful not to exert too much strength. Selena needs and deserves a gentle touch. Always.
I hold her close as she tells her mother what she told me a short while ago. I watch the same devastating emotions flit across Sandrine’s face as I’d felt hearing the news. I know Selena needs time to process, but I’ve already decided I’m talking to Keven tomorrow. I trust him to keep it between us. Not to run straight to his bosses. And I need his advice on how best to keep the love of my life safe. There is nothing I won’t do to keep her protected. Which is why I already sent a message to my brother asking him to locate a team of bodyguards for me. I didn’t give him any intel except that it was for Selena and her mom and I needed them urgently.
Dad has a company he uses periodically whenever we need to step up security. Our family attracts a fair amount of media attention and the odd nutjob or two. While most of us don’t have full-time bodyguards—except for Kaden’s pregnant wife and their daughter and Kev’s fiancée Cheryl, where it’s necessitated because of recent run-ins with powerful figures in the criminal underworld—there are occasions where it’s warranted. I know Keven is using a different company now, a company focused solely on celebrities and high-profile clients, and if he’s deemed them suitable to protect Cheryl, then that’s who I want watching over Selena and Sandrine.
I feel a little bit more secure knowing he’s already setting that in motion.
But I won’t feel happy until that pervert director Clive Lawrence is rotting in a jail cell. Or rotting in the ground. I’m comfortable with either outcome as long as he’s off the streets and the threat is over.
Although, he isn’t the only one we need to worry about.
But dealing with one pervert at a time is all we can do.
And we have no leads on Freddie, the bastard who kidnapped Selena and forced her into a nightmare. If that’s even his real name. The authorities involved in the case at the start investigated, but they didn’t have a huge amount to go on. Selena wasn’t able to tell them much, because she was so traumatized and her kidnappers went to great extremes covering their tracks.
Sandrine cusses, and if the situation wasn’t so serious, I’d laugh, because I’ve never heard her use profanity. At all. Like ever. “He’s not getting away with this, sweetheart. I don’t know how yet, but we are going to ensure he pays for what he did to you. And he’s not getting near you or any other child ever again.” Her voice resonates with steely determination, and I know she means every word.
“No cops, Mom.” Selena shakes her head, sending strands of silky white-blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders. She dyed her dark hair blonde after we broke up, and I can guess why. But I love it on her. And she’s so gorgeous she can pull off any look.
Sandrine sighs, clenching and unclenching her hands in her lap. “I hate to agree, but for now, that’s the best course of action.” I’m sure she’s well aware how cops can be compromised and she’s not going to take any action that might place her daughter in more danger. “I have a few trusted contacts I can reach out to. We need a plan, but it has to be a smart one.”
“Keanu’s brother Keven works with the FBI,” Selena says. “And he might be able to help us. But I’d prefer if we didn’t do anything tonight. I need to talk to Denise.”
Sandrine nods. “I can take you tomorrow after work. If I didn’t have this high-profile case, I would bring you first thing in the morning.”
“I can take her,” I blurt.
“I can go by myself,” she says, thrusting her head up and her shoulders back, but I’m not sure I’m believing this show of bravado. “And I’ve already arranged a session in the morning.”
“I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself,” Sandrine says.
“I agree.” We trade another shared look. “And just to be up front, I’ve arranged for a security detail for both of you. Keven is setting it up right now. Bodyguards should be in place by midnight. You will both have twenty-four-seven protection.”
Two pairs of wide eyes meet mine, and I hold their gazes with an unapologetic one. “That’s the only way I’m letting either of you walk out of here tonight.” Although, if I have my way, Selena won’t be leaving anytime soon.
“Thank you.” Sandrine reaches across us, squeezing my free hand. “There is no one I trust to look after my daughter more than you.”
A lump the size of a ball lodges in my throat. “I would die before I let anything happen to Selena.”
“I know, son.”
Selena presses a quick kiss to my cheek, surprising the hell out of me. Her eyes are brimming with emotion. “I don’t deserve your loyalty, but I’m grateful, and I won’t turn it down.”
“Good.” My eyes lower to her mouth, and I want to kiss her so badly. “So, it’s settled. I’ll take you to Denise in the morning.”
“What about your classes?” she asks.
“I can afford to miss a couple lectures.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I’m relieved she’s not fighting me on this. “And,” I continue while I’m on a roll. “I’d like to suggest you stay the night here. I’d prefer to keep you close so I know you’re safe.” I glance at Sandrine. “We have a guest bedroom if you would like to stay too. Selena can take my room, and I can sleep on the couch or bunk in Kent’s room.”
“I don’t want to put you out,” Sandrine says. “And we can return home once the bodyguards are in place.” She looks at Selena. “Selena might prefer the familiar surroundings of home.”
“I want to stay here,” she
murmurs, looking sheepishly at her mom. She twists her head around, her eyes boring into mine. “I feel safer with Keanu.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head. I can’t help it. I just need her close. And I’m glad she feels safe with me. That she’s letting me protect her.
“Okay, if that’s what you want.” Sandrine stands, pinning eyes on me. “While I would like to take you up on your offer, I know it’s not necessary. That you’ll keep her safe. I’d prefer to go home and make a few tentative inquiries.” She holds up her hand as Selena opens her mouth, to protest, no doubt.
“Sweetheart.” She crouches down in front of her daughter. “I will respect your wishes, and I won’t make any plans until you have spoken with Denise and decided what you want to do, but it can’t hurt to explore our options. I won’t mention any specifics. I’ll just sound out a few of my contacts.” Her eyes flit to mine. “Then, maybe, we could meet Keven tomorrow night, and we can discuss the best way of handling this situation.” Her eyes return to Selena, sheltering a world of pain. “I need to do something, Selena. You are my daughter, and I won’t see those monsters cause you any more pain. We need to act fast. To put measures in place to properly protect you.”
“Okay, Mom.” Selena stands, kissing her on the cheek.
“I love you, sweetheart,” Sandrine says in a choked voice. “And Keanu isn’t the only one who would lay down his life for you. It’s going to be okay.” She moves slowly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Please try not to let this undo all the progress you’ve achieved. I know that is easier said than done. But I also know how strong you are. How brave you are. And you are not alone. You have lots of people who love you and who want to keep you safe.”
“I know, Mom,” she whispers, and I watch helplessly as a single tear creeps out of the corner of her eye. “And I love you too.”
“And eat something!” She smooths the tear away from her daughter’s face. “You need to keep your strength up.”
“I’ll make sure she eats,” I promise.
Releasing Keanu Page 5
