by Karen Kelley
He bought tickets, and when the operator opened the bar across the seat, they climbed in and sat down. She couldn't stop the smile on her face when she looked up at him. But when the ride began to go up, she let out a little squeal.
Breaker immediately put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Not scared, are you?"
"Maybe a little bit." She wasn't scared at all anymore, but she didn't want to tell him that in case he decided to move his arm away from her. She rather liked having it there.
"You can test your marksman abilities and maybe win a stuffed animal," he said, pointing to a booth where a kid was firing an air rifle as he tried to knock down moving ducks.
"I'm not sure I can win anything. My marksman abilities are not great." She frowned. "What are they doing over there?"
He followed the direction she was pointing. "Face painting?"
"Oh, but why are they doing that?"
He shrugged. "Because when you're at the carnival, you can be or do anything you want."
Warm fuzzies were melting all over her. "I think it would be fun to pretend you're someone else." But could she? Was it possible to become someone else, or even to become what you used to be?
She, Jade, and Rena had been good at pretending. Were those days long gone? A fairytale that disappeared once you were in the real world? They had disappeared for her when Marco bought her.
Shivers of fear quickly replaced the fuzzy feeling. Why had she come to the carnival? What if Marco's men showed up? He wouldn't stop looking for her. She furtively looked around. From her vantage point, she didn't see any of his men, but that didn't mean they wouldn't check out the carnival since they were looking for her.
This wasn't good. She'd become too relaxed around Breaker and the others. As if nothing bad could ever happen to her again, but she knew that wasn't true. Marco could show back up in her life at any moment, and all this would disappear.
"I’ll protect you,” Breaker said, breaking into her thoughts.
Could he read minds?
“Don't even think about the past. Not Marco, not anything," Breaker continued. "All you have to do is concentrate on the future."
"Sometimes the past grabs hold and won't let go."
He brushed the hair away from her face as they reached the top of the Ferris Wheel. "Just for tonight, let it happen. After all, we’re on top of the world."
The Ferris Wheel had stopped. She looked around at everything that was below her. "You're right. We are on top of the world." She turned her face toward him and saw the passion in his eyes. She knew they were about to kiss, except the Ferris Wheel jerked, and she gave a little scream, grabbing his arm. He laughed as he wrapped her in his embrace.
"I told you, I won't ever let anything or anyone hurt you."
She only hoped he was right, but she couldn’t stop the thread of worry weaving its way through her. Would she ever be free from Marco?
After they left the ride, they went over to the shooting gallery. She managed to hit two ducks, but didn't win a prize. Breaker tried next. He wiped out all the ducks, both targets, and the spinning wheel to claim the big prize, which he let Savannah choose. Her gaze immediately fell on the medium-sized stuffed panda.
"That one," she pointed to the stuffed animal. The man running the booth used a hook to bring it down, then handed it to her with a wide smile. She immediately hugged the panda close to her, then looked up at Breaker. "I love it. Thank you. This is the first real gift anyone has given me."
"The first of many," he said.
"Oh, I didn't mean, that is, I wasn't fishing for gifts."
He laughed. "It's just a panda, Savannah."
No, it wasn't just a panda, but she wouldn't say anything else. She didn't want his pity, and she hadn't meant to say anything this time. It just sort of came out.
They'd always been too poor for Christmas gifts. If their mother hadn't been so sick, Savannah was pretty sure she would've come up with something to celebrate the holiday.
As her little sister had gotten older, Savannah had made things for Rena. Like the time she had taken flowers and wove them into a crown. Rena had been delighted. For Christmas, she'd made a paper doll out of the cardboard from a cereal box.
Of course, the clothes never stayed on since she didn't have anything to attach them, but Rena hadn't seemed to mind.
Marco had given her a necklace once to wear to a party. It was pretty with stones that sparkled. He said they were diamonds, and they should impress the man he was going to meet. As soon as they returned home, he’d made her give back the necklace. Those were the only kind of presents he gave her. After all, she was only his property.
But today, Breaker had given her a panda. All the diamonds in the world didn’t mean as much to her as this little stuffed animal did right now.
"You haven't lived until you've had cotton candy," he said, breaking into her thoughts. "We'll get one to share, that way we won't get too full to taste other things."
She had a feeling it would take a lot to fill up Breaker, but she liked the idea of trying other tasty treats as well.
The man behind the counter took a white paper cone and swirled it around the spun sugar. She remembered Rena watching with fascination as the man had handed the two children waiting patiently in front of them the pink cotton candy.
Savannah had wished they had money so that she could buy Rena one, but they didn't. Her father had gone off on another drinking binge, and she didn't know when he would return or if he would have any money left when he did. All she had to her name were a couple of dollars and some change. They would need that for food.
She watched as Breaker pinched off some of the pink spun sugar, then stuffed it into his mouth. She followed suit. This is for you, Rena, she thought to herself as the sugary substance melted in her mouth. She tilted her head and looked up at Breaker.
"It disappears," she said, then began to laugh.
He smiled down at her.
They continued walking through the carnival, stopping to watch some monkeys in a cage as they flirted with the locals. Then they were stopping at the face painting booth.
"What do you want to be? Here, look through the book."
She began flipping the pages, past the dragons, and even a frog before stopping on one painted face with swirls of color—pink, green, yellow, and blue. The design covered one half of the girl’s face. There was something intriguing, almost magical about it.
"Is that the one you like?" Breaker asked.
She glanced at the price below it, her eyes widening. "Maybe something a little simpler."
"Nope, it's got to be this one. I like this one. I'm paying for it, so I say we get the woman to paint it."
She pursed her lips. "You’re bossy," she informed him.
He gave her that sideways grin again, as if he thought he would get his way. Who was she kidding? It worked.
"Okay, if I have to get that one, then you have to get the dragon."
His forehead wrinkled. "What about the prince? They slay dragons."
She shook her head. "Not my dragon. He breathes fire across the land and saves damsels in distress."
He laughed. "Then the dragon it is."
An hour later, they walked away from the booth with their faces painted. When he caught her staring at a circle of flowers with ribbons hanging down the back, he also purchased that, telling her that every princess needed a crown. She made him buy a Robin Hood hat for himself, and then she laughed when she caught their reflection in the full-length mirror. Breaker had been right. Today was a day for make-believe and fairytales.
He pulled out his phone and pulled her close. "Smile," he said and then took a picture of them together with his free arm bringing her closer to him.
It was over all too soon. She liked how it felt when he pulled her nearer. She instinctively knew nothing terrible would happen to her as long as she was with Breaker.
They ate hot dogs and drank sodas. Later in the evening, they had candied
pecans that quickly became addictive. Neither one of them had any luck tossing rings onto the necks of glass bottles. They walked through a room of mirrors that made them look tall and skinny or short and fat. They laughed so much her side began to ache. Breaker won her another stuffed animal throwing darts, and she chose a small teddy bear this time.
"Thank you for this evening. I had a lot of fun," she said as they were driving home.
"I did, too. It's always nice to get away for a while."
She felt suddenly nervous as they made their way up the stairs and into his apartment after he’d parked. He called this a date, but she'd never been on one. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do now.
He locked the door and then walked her to her bedroom door. She could feel the trembles rippling up and down her spine.
"It's customary that a man walks his date to her door, but it was kind of difficult since you live here, so I'll improvise and walk you to your bedroom door.”
She breathed a sigh of relief that he explained everything to her. She also kind of liked it. Her first date, and the guy was walking her to her door. She was pretty sure that she was supposed to thank him again, so she turned and faced him when she got to her door.
"Thank you again for giving me such a wonderful evening." That sounded good. Before she could go inside her bedroom, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.
"You make a beautiful princess, by the way." He turned and went into his bedroom, but before he opened the door and went inside, she complimented him as well.
"And you make a very hot dragon," she said with a grin before she went inside her bedroom. As soon as she closed the door, she realized what she’d said.
Hot? Ohmygod, had she really said hot? She’d meant fire breathing, not hot as in masculine, sexy, and…and… It didn’t matter that he was definitely hot in that respect as well. She released a deep breath, then smiled. She had a feeling she was a little tipsy from everything she’d seen and done. It had been the best night of her life.
As she showered later, she watched the face paint swirl down the drain. It didn’t matter. She would hold onto the memory. Sometimes, that’s all you ever had.
Chapter Fourteen
Marco took a seat behind his desk, but didn't offer the chair across from him to his right-hand man. No, he was almost as mad at Juan as he was the others who worked for him. He picked up the dagger-shaped letter opener in front of him as anger swirled inside him.
He touched his thumb against the tip. It wasn’t sharp enough to kill a man, but he drew a drop of blood and felt a brief stab of pain. He brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked the blood away, glaring at Juan before slamming his fist down on the desk.
"Idiots! Savannah didn't disappear into thin air!" If his men couldn't find her, he would hire men who could. Then he would make her pay. "What about this man who's helping her? Have you found out anything more about him?"
This man, who was probably fucking her. Her arms were probably wrapping around his neck and pulling him close, her naked body pressed against his. Marco’s lip curled into a sneer. She'd never once pulled him close. He knew she cringed every time he touched her. Eventually, he would have broken her. She'd made him believe he had. He would make her regret that she’d schemed against him. No one crossed Marco Sanchez.
Juan shifted from one foot to the other. Yes, Marco knew his half-brother was nervous. Juan had never seen this much anger from him, and knew what he was capable of doing.
"He's a ghost. It's as if he doesn't exist."
"Oh, he exists. He took Savannah, didn't he? You will find this man. I'll make sure he regrets ever helping her escape. Keep looking," he ground out.
He came to his feet and walked over to the window that faced the back of his property. Juan knew it was his cue to leave and closed the door quietly behind him. Juan had always been a good man, but maybe he was getting lax. Taking everything Marco had given him for granted.
There were other men just as eager to take his place. If Juan didn't find the man who’d taken Savannah, Marco would start looking for his replacement. He didn't need incompetence around him. It wasn't good for the other men to see either. It didn’t matter to him that Juan was the product of his father’s whoring.
A young girl with long, dark hair swinging behind her ran to the new gardener. The man looked up with a smile as she threw her arms around his neck. He hadn't paid too much attention to the man who was taking care of the grounds since Martin had betrayed him, and he was forced to get rid of him.
The girl was pretty. Maybe sixteen. He liked them a little younger than that. He doubted she was even a virgin, but she might be able to take care of his needs.
Savannah had been a virgin. Her skin had been flawless, so pale against his, and her eyes clear blue. He’d always gotten lost in her eyes.
His hands fisted. He would find her again, and this time he would make sure she never left him. But no, he wouldn't kill her as he'd warned her. She was his possession, and he would not destroy her, but he would break her this time.
It took a moment for him to realize his cell phone was ringing. He walked over to his desk and picked it up, not bothering to look at who was calling.
"Hello," he ground out.
"Marco, my friend, I hear you are having problems in your household."
Marco's gaze darted around the room at the sound of his boss’ voice. Francesco never called unless he was upset or worried about something.
He stood taller. "No, there is no problem here."
"That's not what I heard," his silky voice came across with a sharp edge. "I heard you lost something that you treasure. It's not good to get so attached to an object or a person. Not in our line of work.”
“Of course.”
“Because she ran away, it makes you look weak."
His lips clamped together. "It is not a problem at all. I will soon have this girl back, and I will teach her a lesson."
"I hear you have all of your men looking for her. Did you forget we have a shipment arriving soon? This is very important to me. If anything should happen to it, I would be very upset."
Marco had seen how upset Francesco could get. He didn’t give second chances. "The shipment always comes first with me, as well. My men and I will be ready whether the girl is back or not."
"Good, good. Maybe next time, you should look for a woman with a little less spirit. One that you can handle."
Francesco ended the call without another word. Marco reared his arm back, ready to throw his phone against the wall. At the last minute, he stopped himself, slowing his breathing down to a more normal rate. Someday he would make them pay. He would make them all pay.
A couple of his men crossed the yard. His eyes narrowed. Someone had told Francesco about his problems. He snorted. Of course Francesco had at least one man working for Marco who would be loyal to him. That’s how it worked when you were in the drug business. No one could afford to trust anyone.
Someday, he would take over the whole operation. He’d been planning it for a long time. He would make Francesco pay for treating him like a dog that he could order around. For now, Marco would play by the rules.
But one day, he would make them all pay.
Chapter Fifteen
"It's going to be okay," Jade whispered close to Savannah's ear.
Her sister's arms held her tight as Savannah leaned into her. They both sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face as she gulped back sobs. No, it would never be okay. The kids at school had laughed at her. They called her poor white trash.
One particular kid broke her heart. A boy that she’d had a crush on since he first moved to their town three years ago. He pretended to be her friend, then led the others in making fun of her. He ruined her life forever.
"You’ll get through this," Jade said as she continued to hug Savannah close and gently rock her little sister. "Someday, you're going to look back on all of this and you're going to realize he was a worthless piece o
f shit."
Laughter bubbled out of Savannah. She couldn't stop it. There was something in the way that Jade had spoken the words so solemnly.
"See, you're already laughing about it." She pulled Savannah's face around until they were looking at each other. "Repeat after me. Bobby Chadwick is a worthless piece of shit."
Savannah laughed harder. When she was finally able to stop, she hugged Jade. "I'm glad you're my sister. Promise you won't ever leave me."
"I probably won't leave for a very long time. I'm only thirteen." Her lips twisted to the side of her face. "Which means you're only twelve. Way too young to be thinking about boys. They'll only get you into trouble. Remember Chastity? Man, did her parents give her the wrong name or what?"
"She moved to another town, didn't she?" Savannah remembered her. She was one of the older girls. She was pretty sure Chastity was around fifteen.
"She moved all right. Her boyfriend knocked her up."
Her forehead creased. "What does that mean?"
"It means you need to stay away from boys. They only want one thing. And knocked up means he got her pregnant."
"Oh." That's what it meant. She'd heard the phrase before but didn't know what it meant. Savannah wondered if she would ever be as smart as Jade. She was only a year older than her, but Savannah didn't feel smart at all.
Rena chose that moment to come running into the room. She flung her little body at both of them. They laughed and hugged her close as they fell back onto the bed. Savannah didn't know what she would do without her sisters.
***
Savannah slowly came awake the rest of the way, hugging the stuffed panda close to her. That's when it hit her. Her sisters were gone. She drew in a ragged breath as she tried to calm herself. But the thoughts kept tumbling around in her head. She didn't know whether she would ever see them again. Pain ripped through her. All they'd ever had was each other, and now they didn't even have that.
But Marco had taught her well how to control her emotions. She pushed the cover away and sat on the side of the bed, drawing in a deep breath, then slowly exhaling until her pulse began to slow to a more normal rate.