She hated feeling so…useless. At one point, that feeling started making its way to the surface, and Jett seemed to pick up on it. He asked her several times what was wrong. It was lame, but she used the only excuse she had: she was tired. Jett wished her a good night and sent her off to bed early.
Today was a fresh start. It was tempting to keep working on things that were left unfinished last night, but she had other plans. Coffee was made, she was dressed and ready, and the sun was about to rise. She knew Jett hadn’t been able to sneak out this time. Walking over to his door, she gave a gentle knock. It was only a formality, because he probably heard her approaching.
Sure enough, he opened his door, looking wide awake. “Good morning.”
“Morning. Coffee is ready.” And so am I.
“Mangos?” Jett asked.
She shook her head. “Bananas and figs. I was trying to get you a jackfruit, but I don’t think I could carry it by myself.”
“Jackfruit?”
“Well, that’s what Phil said they’re called, but he’s not known for lying.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“And unless you want to come with me and carry it, you’re not going to get to sample it either. They weigh almost seventy-five pounds.”
Jett crossed his arms. “Okay, now I know you’re bullshitting me.”
“Nope. It’s true. If you don’t believe me, tomorrow morning you can come with me and I’ll let you carry it up the hill.”
“Although I’m intrigued, I think I’ll pass. I’m already not a huge fan of fruit, that might just be what turns me off for good.”
She giggled. “Or one taste and you might change your mind about fruit. Who knows, it might even change your entire lifestyle.”
Jett cocked a brow. Somehow he had a feeling there was a lot more to what she was saying than just talking about a dumb piece of fruit. “I don’t know, it seems more like it’s your lifestyle that’s about to change.”
“I don’t know what you mean by that.”
“Lisa, you’re leaving this island in less than a month. Before you know it, you’ll be home.”
Home. Her insides began to churn, and she had a horrible taste in her mouth. She was trying so desperately not to think of that. Which really was a foolish thing. Lisa needed a plan, and ignoring the fact that Phil wasn’t going to return and she was going to be on her own, wasn’t going to make things any better.
The room began to spin, and she grabbed hold of Jett’s forearm for support. He instantly reached out to hold her up.
“Are you okay?” Jett asked, his voice filled with concern.
Gripping him tighter, she leaned into him. “I think…I think the walk was…too much.”
He helped her walk over to the chair and once she was seated, he rushed to get her some water. “Drink.”
She did, but water wasn’t what she needed. Answers were. The problem was, she was petrified of what the questions were going to lead to. What if knowing was worse than not knowing? As she sipped the water, she debated whether she should tell Jett. It wasn’t as though she was about to board a plane with him when the time came to leave. Either way, he’d figure out something wasn’t right. By the look on his face, he may already have come to that conclusion.
“Jett, I don’t like talking about…leaving the island. But I know I should.”
Jett sat down across from her. “I’m here to listen, if you want to talk.”
I don’t, but I have no choice. “I’m not sure where I’m going after this. The island is all I know.”
“It’s your home?” Jett asked.
She shook her head. Then she shrugged. “I don’t know. I couldn’t have been born here, but how long I’ve been here, well, that’s a mystery to me.” Just one of many.
“Well you and I seem to have nothing but time on our hands, so why don’t you start by telling me what you know, and from there we can work together to fill in the blanks.”
Jett made it seem simple. What he didn’t realize was, she knew nothing. Phil probably knew more than she did.
“This is really…difficult, yet also not.”
“You might want to add confusing too. So why don’t I make it easier and start by asking questions,” Jett offered.
“I can save us both a lot of trouble and tell you what I know.”
“Okay.”
“I woke up about four years ago to the sight of your uncle. I had no idea who he was.” In a softer tone, barely a whisper, she added, “Or who I was.” Jett was kind enough to let her regroup before continuing. She couldn’t bring herself to talk about the wounds she’d been healing from. The scars were covered by her clothing, and there was no reason to mention what he’d never see. But she needed to continue. “I have no memory of who I am or where I came from.”
“You said your name was Lisa,” Jett said.
“I sometimes wake up calling out a name, Melissa. I don’t know if it’s mine, or someone else’s. But it’s important enough to me that I hold on to it tightly. So, I decided to call myself Lisa.”
“After all these years, you still don’t have any more to go on than that?” Jett asked. She wished she could tell him she did. Lisa shook her head and he added, “There has to be someone who filed a missing-person report around that time. I mentioned before that you sounded like someone from Rhode Island, or maybe you’re right and you’re from New York. Does either place sound familiar?”
“Everything and nothing does. It’s like I know these places but have no idea why. Just like I know how to read and write and find myself singing all different songs, none that Phil had ever heard until I sang them.”
“It must be very…scary.”
You have no idea. “There are times it’s more difficult than others. Like now, you telling me I need to leave the island. I can’t. This is all I have, all I know.”
He looked at her with such compassion that she could almost cry. She didn’t want his pity, just some help. And she wasn’t even sure if he could help. But Phil had sent him here for a reason. It had to be because he believed Jett was going to do more than just complain about the fruit.
“Come back to the States with me. I’ll help you find the answers you’re looking for.”
“If that was an option, I’d have returned with your uncle.” Lisa knew her tone was a bit snippy, but she didn’t need anyone, including Jett, telling her to do things she already knew were impossible. It was like putting salt on an open cut. Painful.
“There are ways around that. Ways my uncle wouldn’t be comfortable with.”
“You mean illegal ways,” Lisa stated.
“What if that is the only way?”
Something told her not to break the law, it seemed almost bred into her, but Jett was correct, that might be her only option. What was done to me wasn’t legal either.
“I really appreciate that you’re willing to go to such lengths for someone you barely know, but I don’t want you to go to jail trying to help me.” She wasn’t sure what the penalty was for smuggling a human, but she imagined it must be at least as harsh as the one for smuggling drugs.
“I don’t plan on getting caught. Besides, I have a few friends who might be willing to help.”
Panic flooded through her. “I don’t want to involve anyone else.” She still didn’t know who she was running from. What if they ended up getting her off the island and right back in the hands of whomever had hurt her in the first place?
“I know it’s a lot, but I’m asking you to trust me.”
“Jett, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have shared this much with you.”
“Then trust me to take care of you. I won’t let anything happen.”
“I can’t,” she said softly.
“If you can’t trust me, then trust Phil.”
“But your uncle’s not here.”
“No. But I am representing him. If you don’t believe that, we can call him tonight and he’ll tell you himself.”
�
��I thought you said he wouldn’t approve of what you want to do.” She knew Phil followed the letter of the law.
“Okay, there are a few things we might not want to tell him.”
How could she trust him when he was asking her to lie to the only person she knew? But if it meant getting off this island and maybe starting a new life someplace else, she’d need to do it. I just wish it didn’t feel so damn shitty.
“Before I agree, how exactly do you plan on getting me into the States undetected?” Jett paused, and she knew he didn’t have a plan yet either. “That’s what I thought. I’m stuck here.”
“No Lisa, you’re not. I will find a way. Just give me a few days to iron out the details. It’s not like either of us are going anywhere immediately. We have a lot of packing to do, remember?”
“How could I forget? And while you’re plotting, maybe we can take that walk and you can tell me about yourself.” She needed something else to think about, and hopefully his life story would be enough to distract her. He didn’t look like the type of man who led a hum-drum life. Then again, she really didn’t want to hear the details of his love life either.
She was trying not to think of him in any personal way. It was hard. He was being so nice and understanding. And protective, which is sexy as hell.
For all Lisa knew, she was a married woman with a bunch of children and had no right to be thinking of another man. But if I am married, why isn’t my husband looking for me? Maybe she’d been in an abusive marriage and she was better off without him.
“Hello? Are you still listening to me?” Jett said.
For a moment she’d forgotten he was sitting with her, or what she’d even asked. “I’m sorry, I guess I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Was anything coming back to you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Just more questions.”
“Like what?”
“Like why nobody cared enough about me to look for me.” Tears ran down her cheeks before she could stop them. “Maybe the person I really am…is…is a…horrible one.”
Jett got up from his chair and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t want him or anyone else holding her. It felt like she was being restrained. Her breath caught in her throat, her body went rigid. And for a brief moment she felt herself being held down, her wrist ached as she struggled to get free.
“Please…no! Let me go!”
The arms loosened and she almost fell. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jett staring at her, concerned.
“Lisa, what did you remember?”
Nothing that I want to. “I’m not sure. It’s something that I seem to dream about. But like everything else, I don’t know what is true and what isn’t.”
“We will sort that out together. Now tell me, what is it that scared you so much you pulled away from me?”
“I felt as though I was tied down and no one would free me no matter how much I begged and pleaded.” Lisa closed her eyes, trying to remember more. “And then I felt a…” She rubbed her side, where she knew there was a large scar.
“Felt what?” he asked.
“Pain and then…nothing.” Lisa knew that wasn’t her imagination. She had been tortured.
Jett asked, “Why are you touching your side?”
She removed her hand. “It’s nothing.”
“You say that a lot.”
“Say what?” she asked.
“That it’s nothing. But that’s not true, is it?” Jett peered at her.
“No. I have a scar.”
“That collates with being held down?” She nodded and he asked, “Only one?” She shook her head. “How many?”
Lisa only knew the ones she could see in the mirror, but she could feel more on her backside. She’d asked Phil once and he said that one scar was enough to tell that her ordeal had been horrendous.
“I’m not sure.”
“May I see it?”
They may be breaking ground on a new level of trust, but she was far from the point of lifting her shirt and showing her flesh. “No. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”
“Lisa, I promise you, we’ll get the answers, and whoever did that to you, they will pay for it.”
She noticed Jett’s eyes were dark; he meant what he said. “I just want to have a normal life. I’m not sure that’s even possible.”
“Lisa, this is all up to you. I won’t force you to do anything. If you want to look for the answers as to who you really are, I’ll help you. If you decide you want a new identity so you can start a new life, I can arrange that too.”
“Is that possible?” Was Jett really able to pull that off? If so, she knew that was something she definitely couldn’t tell Phil. But what difference would it make? She would have a new identity, but wouldn’t her past still haunt her? The nightmares wouldn’t leave, or the scars disappear. Somehow, the truth would reveal itself, it was just a matter of time. I’d never be able to start a new life. Not until I deal with the past.
“I want answers.” And maybe justice, depending on what I find.
“Okay. I’ll make a plan and we’ll get some for you.”
Lisa nodded and said, “Thank you Jett. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’d like to go and lay down for a while. I’m emotionally wiped.”
“Rest. I’ve got some things I need to take care of anyway.”
She knew that it had something to do with her. Lisa wanted to be involved every step of the way. But the look on Jett’s face told her there were things no one could know. As she closed the door to her room she thought, What’s one more mystery?
* * *
Jett wasn’t about to make any calls anywhere near that cabin. She would eventually learn what he had planned, but he didn’t want her to get her hopes up.
“Roman, I need that boat here.”
“I heard you the first few times you said it. But if you need off the island, there are faster ways.”
Roman was right. But what Jett needed was a way to sail into port and not have any questions about Lisa being with him. The Coast Guard was very familiar with his boat, and he paid a pretty penny for the slip at the dock. All he had to do was get back to Boston. Once there, he’d have access to things he didn’t here. Mostly secure access. There was only so much he wanted to do on the web. He preferred to keep his illegal activity on the down low.
“Roman, I’m not traveling alone.”
“I figured that when you gave me the list of what you needed. So, who is this mystery woman?”
Jett wasn’t going into details, but Roman knew he’d done questionable things on a job in the past. That was the perfect cover for Lisa. “A client.”
“You work on computer systems. Or is she some artificial intelligence system you’re working on?”
He didn’t miss the sarcasm. Roman worked security, but hands on. Jett secured the clients’ assets, while Roman protected the clients’ asses.
“She’s human, and what I’m doing is—”
“Personal. And very possibly stupid too. If you get caught bringing someone into the country illegally, you could go to jail.”
“Then I guess I better be careful.” He was doing this, and Roman wasn’t saying anything to change his mind. He was doing what Jett expected of a friend. Giving me good advice, but standing by my wishes.
“It’ll take me a week to get the boat to you. I’ll leave it with all the supplies requested, as well as the cash. The satellite phone will be in your safe too. You know how to reach me if you encounter any unexpected trouble.”
“Thanks Roman. If all goes well, I’ll see you back in Boston in a few weeks.”
“I hope she’s worth it Jett. Because my gut tells me you’re in over your head.”
He was. And he’d need help. But right now, all he could think about was getting her to his place, where he knew he could keep her safe. From there, he’d have no choice but to pull Roman into the loop.
“I’ll be in touch.”
Jett ended the call and
dialed another number.
“You really need to learn how to tell time,” Phil said.
“I’ll make it short. Tell me about Lisa. She said you found her. Where?”
“Jett, it’s not a place you can go. She can’t ever return there. Hell, I can’t go back there.”
“Uncle Phil, I’m trying to keep her safe. To do that, I need to know everything.”
“And who will protect you?” Phil asked. Jett huffed and Phil added, “You don’t know what you’re asking. I wasn’t supposed to be there either. I barely got out with my life. And when I came upon Lisa, I never thought we’d make it back out of that country.”
But you did. He tried remembering where his uncle had been doing his research a few years back. He had no idea. When it came to his work, Jett tuned out the details. There was only one card Jett could play which might work. “Uncle Phil, don’t make me call my father and ask him where you were. You know that’s only going to make him wonder why.”
“Damn you, Jett. When did you get so…difficult?”
“Probably the same time you started manipulating shit to get what you wanted.” Right now, he wasn’t even sure Phil’s knee was hurt.
“I was in Soulacia. And I decided to stray from my camp. It was a mistake. I was too close to the border of Moreira. It’s a vile country that has no respect for women or children. Hell, the men are like animals and the weak are eliminated.”
“So, you found her in Soulacia?”
“No. I got lost in the woods and thought if I followed the river it would take me back. But I had lost my bearings and found myself miles from the camp. When I realized my error, it was too late. I was in Moreira.”
“How did you know?” Jett knew those countries all looked alike. They didn’t have any official border or wall.
“Soulacia is a…peaceful place. What I saw taking place confirmed I wasn’t there any longer.”
“What in the hell would Lisa be doing there then?” Jett asked.
“I don’t know. She was unconscious when I found her. I took care of her, and when daylight came, I eventually made my way back to camp.”
For Keeps Page 4
