The Land Where Sinners Atone

by Mason, V. F.

  He motions with his hand to me. “Come here.”

  “You can’t fix this with sex, Zach,” I fire at him and see his jaw tic before he repeats again, “Come here.” But this time, steel laces his tone, and I know if I don’t come to him willingly, he will force me.

  So with a huff, I get back on the bed, crawling to him, and gasp in surprise when he grips my hips and settles me on top of him, my knees dipping in the soft mattress as my hands land on his chest.

  He palms my head, threading his fingers through my hair, and pulls me closer to him so our eyes are on the same level. “Do you really think I would do anything to endanger Emmaline’s life?” There isn’t accusation in his words, yet embarrassment still hits me hard and I sigh, pressing my forehead against his.

  “No.” I lick my dry lips. “I’m scared, Zachary. Of what he can do to her.”

  His hold on me tightens, and he admits, “I’m scared too.” My eyes widen in surprise, because I thought nothing scared men like him. “The idea of him getting his hands on our daughter kills me. That’s why we have to protect her. And I can’t think of any other place.” He waits a bit before adding, “We’ll go there together so you can see it for yourself. We can even stay a couple days and then come back and wait for the fucker to make his last move.”

  “You are that sure of this island man?” And what does it even mean? Does he own an island or what? I wouldn’t be surprised, since they studied together.

  I feel his smile against my skin and then he leans back, giving me a light kiss on the nose. “Yeah.”

  “The water is so blue!” Emmaline’s voice pulls me back from the memories, and I nod, studying the image from the window in awe.

  The small island seems super green from above with several buildings and houses giving it an interesting vibe, as if it’s a small town on the edge of nowhere, as nothing but the ocean surrounds it with several yachts and boats sailing nearby.

  The water almost shimmers under the bright sunlight, its crystal-clear blue color luring you in, and I shudder a little imagining what it would be like to fall into it.

  Ever since almost drowning in the ocean several years ago, I don’t step foot in it and prefer to hang around pools.

  “Honey, stop staring at the window and sit properly,” Zachary orders, and she listens right away, her feet dangling from the seat, and then she giggles when Patience’s loud snore echoes in the cabin.

  I wink at her, glancing at the elderly woman who fell asleep the second her head touched the pillow and stayed oblivious to anything during the hours of this flight.

  The plane circles the island once more before the pilot announces the landing, and I check Emmaline’s seatbelt as we gradually start to descend, all while she continues to chatter. “Daddy, can we go see the ocean today?” She rests her head on my arm, and I hug her shoulder, letting her rest on my chest instead, placing my chin on top of her head and inhaling her scent.

  Despite the killer on the loose hunting us, I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy, with my daughter in my arms and the man I love.

  “We’ll have to see,” Zachary replies, typing something on his phone and then grinning when Emmaline sighs heavily. “But I promise you we will have some fun.”

  She crosses her arms. “And then you leave.” Her brows furrow, and I bite my lip, remembering her earlier resistance to this trip once she learned we wouldn’t be staying for long.

  I send Zachary a worried look, but he shakes his head as if I shouldn’t be bothered by her sadness. Instead, he says to Emmaline, “You will have fun on the island. There are a lot of nice people.”

  “I guess,” she replies and grins again, thinking about something for a second before she asks, “Can I swim with the dolphins?”

  Ah, sneaky little thing.

  “We’ll see.”

  “Daddy!” she exclaims and then raises her gaze to me. “Can you help me?” With her eyes just like mine begging me, my stomach flips and my heart melts while annoyance zips through me along with anger that probably won’t go away for a long time.

  Why do I have to ask anyone’s permission in decisions regarding my daughter? Zach should have no more say in all this than me.

  “Phoenix,” he calls my name softly, snapping me out of my dark thoughts, and leans closer to me, enough to catch my hand and place a gentle kiss on the back of it. “We spoke about this,” he murmurs against my skin, tickling it a little, and I snatch it back before I allow the sensation to erase my common sense.

  A constant problem I have in his presence, so maybe I should just deal with it.

  But he is right.

  “We can’t tell Emmaline the truth yet.” He swallows my protest with a kiss before murmuring, “Not while we are hunted. Then you can claim our baby girl and do whatever.”

  “I want legal documents, Zach. If you don’t give me my rights willingly, I will go to court for them,” I warn him, despite me lying on his chest, because I will never play second fiddle in Emmaline’s life. “And Sebastian has to know about her too. It’s his right.” He goes stone-cold under me, his eyes darkening, becoming almost reptile-like, ready for the attack, and he tightens his hold on me. Just the idea itself to involve Sebastian in Emmaline’s life kills him, but Sebastian has to know.

  “After we catch the serial killer, we’ll do what you want,” he grates through his teeth before fusing his mouth over mine again, essentially shutting me up.

  The plane touches the ground, and we bounce a little. Then it steadily moves onto the road while Emmaline claps loudly. “Yay! We’re here!” She lifts her hands up and then shouts so loudly I wince, “Patience, wake up! We’re on the island!” The woman startles in her sleep, choking on her snore before sitting up straight, gazing around her and putting her hand on her heart.

  Once the plane stops, we unfasten our seat belts and get up, with the flight attendant opening the door to the plane and nodding to us. “I hope you have a great stay.”

  “We’ll be here for two days, Marta. So, you guys have fun.” Her face lights up. She probably loves the prospect of spending some time by the beach.

  The minute we step on the tarmac, I’m blinded by the sunlight, so I cover my eyes until my vision adjusts. I spot a man leaning on the hood of a black car.

  His presence alone creates a dominant energy that almost makes it seem he is a king in this land of his.

  His dark hair glistens under the sun as he straightens up, showcasing his height along with his piercing green eyes the minute he removes his sunglasses.

  I even blink in surprise, not so much from the color but the void within and even… darkness? Despite the smile on his face, I think the man is almost lethal.

  He wears black jeans and a shirt that stretches over his muscled body. Several tattoos grace his skin, and over all, he gives a don’t-fuck-with-me-or-else vibe, and to my shock, I exhale in relief inwardly.

  Because Zachary is right. No one in their right mind will fuck with this man on his land. The unsub might not be afraid of Zachary since, in his head, he is a familiar person to him, and he has managed to hurt him, but he won’t be brave enough to venture into another man’s territory.

  Whoever this man is… I think he holds a lot of secrets I would never want to uncover for fear of passing out from them.

  “You certainly know how to make an entrance.” The man speaks up, his voice deep and husky, which sends shivers down my spine, as it’s almost sinister.

  My God, who the hell is this guy?

  I walk behind Zachary with Emmaline’s hand trapped in mine as we slowly descend the stairs, and Zachary laughs. “I aim to please.”

  “Well, you informed me just hours ago about your visit. So, excuse me if everything isn’t top notch.”

  “I’ll think about it,” he replies, and I expect him to shake hands with the man, but instead, they share a man hug with the guys slapping each other’s back.

  “Good to see you, Zach. Wish it was under different circumsta
nces.” He looks at me, his eyes almost drilling into me as he scans me from head to toe, but not in the way men usually do.

  He has no interest in me as a woman. His gaze searches more for clues to my personality that can give him a hint about me. “You must be his woman.”

  His woman?

  Seriously?

  Zachary wraps his hand around my shoulder, pressing me to him in a possessive display of ownership, and for the first time, I don’t mind.

  Maybe because the man in front of me is so freaking scary I seek his protection. “Madman, this is my fiancée, Phoenix. And the girl peeking from behind her knee at you is my daughter, Emmaline.” I glance down to see her indeed doing that, just like she did when she saw me for the first time.

  Then his name registers in my mind, and I swing my head back at him, my brows furrowing.

  Madman?

  The man laughs, although it’s so cold and detached I wonder why he bothers. “My name is Eudard Campbell. Madman is just a nickname.” If this was supposed to reassure me, it has the opposite effect, because my mind instantly plays pictures in my head that could have warranted such nickname.

  He shifts his attention to Emmaline, and for the first time a genuine grin spreads across his mouth. “Hi, there. You are the princess your dad speaks about, huh?” She hides her face behind my knee again, and he drops his voice down to a whisper. “Do you want to know a secret?”

  She looks at him, staying silent, but the desire to know the secret is too strong. People generally have low resistance when it comes to such things.

  “I have a surprise inside the car for you.”

  She gasps, “Really?”

  “Yes. You dad said you love dolphins and would like to see one.”

  Her loud squeal could have probably awakened the dead. “Daddy, there is a dolphin inside the car!” And she sprints to it with her sandals tapping loudly on the concrete as Patience hastily rushes off with her.

  “Is there really a dolphin inside the car?” Zachary asks, and I blink at this, because what now?

  Did he seriously just ask this guy if it might be true?

  Once again, who the hell is this guy? Poseidon, the god of the sea?

  I chuckle under my breath, thinking how the trident suits the guy, given his attire and all.

  “The fluffy kind,” he replies, and then we see Emmaline opening the window and shaking the toy in her hand. “Look, Daddy!”

  “Young miss, you are making too much noise,” Patience chastises her, closing the window while we continue to stand.

  “Let’s go home. You guys probably want to rest.” He focuses his stare on me. “Unless you have other plans?”

  “I want to go to the beach.” Zachary leans back so our gazes meet. “I’d like to go there with Emmaline,” I say, remembering her face begging to see the ocean. Zachary might be immune to it all, but I’ve just discovered I have a baby girl. I want to do something with her before we’re separated again for God knows how long.

  And hug her really tight while I can, because the future is undecided.

  Zachary palms my head, tilting it back, and rubs his thumb over my cheeks. “Everything will be all right. I promise you.” He places a soft kiss on my forehead, murmuring over my skin. “Let’s go to the beach then. We’ll do whatever you want today, love. Because there is always tomorrow.” His voice is hard, leaving no argument there, and I soak up his confidence, hoping he is right.

  Whatever Zachary promises always comes true.

  So, I hope to God he is right this time.

  And as we walk to the car, I try to ignore the sensation washing over me, alerting me to danger as if I’m being watched, an instinct I honed back in prison.

  It’s only fear.

  Fear and nothing else.

  Or at least I do my best to believe that, because the alternative is too scary.

  Zachary

  “I was surprised when you called,” Eudard says as we sit by a round table outside one of the coffee shops decorated in fucking pink roses. Not my favorite scene, but it faces the beach opposite us, where I see Emmaline running in the water, her laughter filling the air with Phoenix smiling next to her and keeping a watchful eye on her.

  To my fucking surprise, even Patience is having a good time, lounging on a towel and enjoying the sun it seems. Who would have thought? I’m starting to think my daughter’s perky personality is rubbing off on her, as she sure as fuck didn’t display this kind of behavior back when I was a kid.

  My heart warms though, seeing all my girls happy and carefree for the time being, so I’m happy Phoenix decided on this outing. As long as it soothes all of them, I’m good with that.

  “The last time you visited the island was what… four years ago?”

  Wrapping my hand around my mug, I lift it to my mouth. “Yeah, right after Angelica died.” This place was the only solace I had in this world where no one asked me stupid questions or went out of their way to deliver their condolences.

  Eudard rests his back on the chair and studies me for a few moments while twirling his pack of cigarettes on the table back and forth, before finally asking, “Are you going to share with me what’s going on, or should I make my own assumptions based on the information I have?”

  “How much do you know?” I fire my own question, wondering if his connections have told him anything.

  My friendship with Eudard is… unique; that’s probably the only word that can properly describe it.

  I barely remember my time here as a boy, but when we met each other again in college, we sort of clicked. He was brooding, quiet, and should I say sinister? In a way that made people back off, and I fucking loved that.

  At least there was one person who didn’t need me to be their friend due to my family name, because Eudard’s family is one of the founding families of his town. So, he is rich as fuck plus has power.

  With him, I always felt on equal ground, and in such, no one ever poked their nose in our lives, and I suspected there were a lot of secrets in his.

  Compared to me, he was always… reserved and haunted, restless, as if anticipating a fight.

  However, there are some lines our friendship never crossed.

  Like sharing our deepest secrets, for example.

  “Enough to assure you if he ever shows up on my doorstep, he’s a dead man.” He winks at me before lighting up a cigarette and taking a greedy pull. “Your baby girl is safe.” He exhales the smoke, surrounding us with it. “She has her mother’s eyes.”

  Of course, I should have expected that; nothing goes unnoticed by the Madman.

  Instead of replying to this though, I say, “Then you understand my worry.”

  He puts his elbows on the table, sliding an ashtray closer to him as he taps the cigarette on it, and then exhales again. “I was actually thinking about it. Have you looked into your childhood?”

  The cup with my coffee pauses midway to my mouth, and my brow rises. “Childhood?”

  “Don’t ask how I know the details. I’m not gonna tell.”

  A laugh slips past my lips, finding his words hilarious, considering I know what he does anyway.

  They might have their secrets, but it doesn’t make me a stupid idiot, and besides, his secrets actually allow me to trust him with my child.

  “A childhood is always a defining moment in anyone’s life, but more so the villain’s,” he continues, finishing his cigarette and focusing his stare on me. “So, I think you have to dig in that direction. You might uncover secrets you aren’t ready for.”

  “Yeah, I thought about it after they mentioned the unsub might be a woman.” One of the reasons last night I ordered Zeke to find everything there is in my past and investigate, after ripping him a new one for the information of Emmaline’s adoption slipping out.

  Although, I suspected the unsub was at the party and heard my conversation with Dad, which resulted in the change of his plans. After all, he achieved victory without blood that he is afraid of so much.


  But if he or she got the invitation to the party in the first place, it means we have to be connected somehow in the past.

  “Any clues?”

  I open my mouth to reply, and that’s when my phone rings. I answer quickly, seeing Zeke’s name flashing on the display. “You better have something good for me.” Because I’m fucking fed up feeling like a helpless coward around this unsub.

  But when you have something to lose, you don’t always have the luxury of being brave.

  Silence greets me from the other end, and then Zeke says, “Zach, I sent something to your email just now. Check it. Man… it’s horrible.”

  Eudard must have heard him, because he shifts his chair closer as I hang up on Zeke and tap my email, reading the information he sent me.

  And that information destroys the world as I knew it and truths I’ve believed in for so long.

  Phoenix

  “I’m going to build a castle, Phoenix,” Emmaline announces, grabbing the toys Eudard bought her for this very reason, and runs a few feet away from us, dropping onto the wet sand while crossing her legs. She hums some tune to the music in her head while the light breeze is flapping her hair back.

  I make sure she chooses a safe place. I wouldn’t want a wave to come and crush her or, God forbid, take her away. I sit next to Patience on the blanket who sighs in pleasure while flipping another page in her book.

  The woman came prepared for this beach trip. In her bag, she has a hat, sunglasses, and even cream for her skin, because, according to her, at her age, you gotta be careful.

  “She is a handful,” I say, rolling my shoulders back and stretching my legs in front of me, enjoying this short reprieve from the earlier activities. Although, I welcome the ache if it means playing with my daughter.

  “For sure,” Patience replies, and I glance at her as she puts her book aside, leaning on her hands while keeping an eye on the child. “She reminds me of Zachary at this age. He couldn’t sit down, always needed to run around the mansion, doing things. The only time I could rest was when he was asleep.” She chuckles, and I smile, imagining a dark-haired boy in the past who gave her a hard time. “Miss Katherine, bless her soul, never forbade him anything and allowed him the freedom of expression. They had a special bond, those two.” She wipes away a tear sliding down her cheek. “My heart still grieves for her.”