Reveal Me

by Sappharia Mayer

  My head hangs. The effort and pain of my position causes my breaths to come in pants.

  “I’m sorry.” My voice is barely a whisper.

  “It’s not that easy,” Reece replies. The look in his eyes runs between hard and gentle. “Your lie almost cost people everything they’ve worked for in life.”

  “I didn’t lie.” The words come out in a groan.

  “Omission is a lie,” he states.

  “It’s omission. A lack of information. There are things…” The words die on my lips. Edmund’s threats flood my mind and I visibly shudder.

  “There are things you do not tell others and thus cause pain. Yes. A lie by omission.” Disappointment laces his tone. It hits me like a smack across the face.

  “Please,” I beg.

  “Please what? Pull this string and let it end?” Reece brings the string taut.

  I nod.

  “You don’t think you deserve pain at my hand?” The edge to his voice frightens me.

  “Mr. Gabriel, if I can’t trust you to carry out the position I’ve given you in this ritual with grace and mercy, I can dismiss you. This isn’t about vengeance, malice or some displaced righteousness. It is about penance, forgiveness, and a way forward to heal the wrongs you’ve both created.” Dominick’s voice cuts through our exchange.

  Reece’s head snaps to the left. The tension in the room is palpable. I hold my breath. The silent battle wages in front of me. Pain laces through my body as the pinch of each clothespin torments my skin.

  When Reece’s head dips in silent acknowledgement, I exhale.

  “Please forgive me for my transgressions.” My eyes plead as I beg Reece for his forgiveness.

  “I forgive you.”

  Reece pulls hard on the cord. In a single pull, the line of clothespins rips off my skin. Pain screams in the burning path. A scream rips through my throat. I howl in agony. Blood floods back to the numb skin and creates wave after wave of pain.

  Hands take me down from the cross. A blanket wraps around my form as I am moved to the floor. Thoughts refuse to form. Pain pulses through me and I rock my body on my knees trying to process the words, pain, and emotions. Tears gather in the corner of my eyes. Something in me breaks open. The first sob escapes my lips. A torrent of tears follows. Pent-up emotions release in an unstoppable flood.

  Time stands still. The pain slowly fades and morphs through my body until it is a dull ache. Exhaustion seeps through me. My eyes refuse to focus. Sobs wrack my body until they are hiccups. Each breath is barely a pant. A hand runs through my hair in a soft, soothing rhythm. Beside me, a low baritone voice encourages me.

  “Breathe. Deep breaths. In and out. You’re safe. It’s over,” he says in a never-ending loop. “You are so amazing.”

  My brain is fuzzy and light. Emotions form and dissipate with each breath. There’s a comfort in this mental space. The hiccups slow. Each breath moves deeper, slower, longer. An arm pulls on my shoulder until I give in and fall sideways. My body stops before it hits the ground. My head lies on something soft. The hand continues to move through my hair. Breaths come in stuttered release. I relax into the constant rhythm across my head.

  “Shh… It’s okay. It’s over," his voice continues.

  My eyes close in relief. The last tension in my muscles lets go. Sleep pulls on me.

  Somewhere a phone rings.

  “Kade,” a disembodied voice says. I cringed at the harsh intrusion.

  “What do you mean he found her?” the voice continues.

  “Fuck... Yes, but it will take time… When?… It'll be difficult… Keep me updated if you know more.” Kade. My brain matches the voice with a name like it's a puzzle. Satisfied its work is done, it returns to its fuzzy soft state. The hand continues to run through my hair.

  Harsh conversation once again replaces the silence. Around me things bang and feet stomp across the floor. My head lifts and I open my eyes with an effort.

  “Relax, I’ll be right back. It’s okay.” Reece’s voice works to guide me in the darkness. I smile lazily, letting the floaty feeling engulf me.

  Sounds move around me. My brain works to make sense of the sounds and hushed conversations.

  “Atlas… He found her.” Snippets slide through the thick mud in my brain.

  “Evacuate…”

  “Working on a plan…”

  “Two hours.”

  I want to scream at them to keep it down, but it’s not worth the effort.

  “She’s been through hell… You can’t…” Reece growls.

  “It is why she came here,” Dominick comments calmly.

  “Regardless, she needs time.”

  “Time is a commodity she’s out of here. It is one only you can provide now.”

  My brows knit together. I force thoughts to merge in my brain. Visions form with the words. Edmund’s threats come roaring to the forefront. The haze shifts from my mind. Pain sharpens. With an effort I push up and force my eyes to focus.

  “Edmund,” I whisper. Fear consumes me. His threats against everyone in my life flood through me.

  Three sets of eyes pin me to the floor at the whisper of his name.

  Dominick is the first to break the silence. “Is there something you’ve omitted to tell us, Atlas?”

  My head falls to my knees. I’ve put them all in horrible danger.

  “Did he find me?” The lack of shock at his name tells me they already knew.

  “He did.”

  “I’m sorry.” The words bring shame and a new wave of fear.

  Heavy boots thump across the floor. Dominick kneels in front of me. “Atlas, just because it is your name doesn’t mean you lift the world alone. You must trust others to help you.”

  He pushes a hand through his hair.

  “We need to get you to safety, and you need to let us know exactly what’s going on. No more secrets.”

  I nod. Words refuse to form.

  “Reece," he says as he stands and turns toward the other men. “Get her ready and get her out of here. Kade will give you the details.”

  “Thank you, Dominick.” There is a reverence in his voice.

  “Keep her safe.”

  Two hours later, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, I look defiantly at Dominick, my jaw set in a hard line.

  “I wasn’t asking if you would go. This isn’t a request on what you want to do about this situation. I was telling you your next move.” His voice reverberates around the room.

  The uncharacteristic outburst catches me off-guard.

  Outside the office, Ana watches the verbal ping-pong match cautiously. Her eyes flicker up at each heated outburst.

  “I can take care of my own problems, Dominick,” I demand.

  He quirks an eyebrow.

  “Sir,” I spit. “Coming here was a mistake. I thought…” The words die on my tongue.

  “You thought what?” he challenges.

  Neither of us backs down. For a long moment, we stand there staring at one another, both refusing to flinch.

  Finally, knowing this will only end badly for me, I lower my head.

  “If you could have taken care of the situation, it would be over, Atlas. The fact you showed up on my doorstep, so to speak, tells me you are in deeper trouble than you verbalize. It was my hope you would trust me with the extent of it. However, it looks like it is a much bigger situation now.”

  “You could at least be nice if that’s what you think,” I counter.

  Dominick shakes his head.

  “You didn’t come for nice. You came for a not so gentle bitch slap of truth, the whip of forgiveness, and direction in the darkness. The path led you here because the weight of your world overwhelms you to near self-destruction and you need a way out. You have an amazing security team and you didn’t let them protect you. I don’t know what is going on in that head of yours.”

  Dominick’s words hit me hard. I’m not sure why I ended up here. I thought I’d find safety and s
olace; instead I found harsh words and hard truths. Everything in me knows he’s right. Instead of facing this situation, I ran, and now I must continue to run because everyone around me is in danger. Someone I don’t even know has paid for my transgression. Guilt pours over me.

  “Atlas.” Dominick’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “It’s okay to be scared. How we handle the mantle of our decisions and choices determines our character. Let your team get the ground stable again. Spend time with Reece.”

  “Yes, Sir.” The words come unbidden and my head bows. Something in me shifts. It feels like a permanent goodbye, but I don’t understand why.

  Kade’s boots thump across the parquet of the office floor.

  “Sir, we have confirmed wheels up in an hour. Terminal 5B. Clearance is granted by the foreign government.” Kade states the facts with military precision.

  “Thank you, Kade. Is Reece ready to go?”

  “He’s finalizing personal situations since we’re taking them both off-grid.”

  Dominick nods and looks back at me.

  “Safe travels, Atlas.” The words are a dismissal.

  “Thank you, Sir.” I nod and turn to walk out of the room.

  Chapter Eleven

  I slept through most of the journey to the island. Even after I awoke, we never spoke. Silence lay like a heavy blanket over us and Reece moved like a man on a mission. Within a few minutes we were driving away from Basseterre, the airport fading in the mirrors.

  Reece navigates the roads like driving on the left side of the car on a winding road with potholes and hairpin turns is the most natural thing in the world. The views of the island are breathtaking no matter which direction I look. Fifteen minutes later we pull into a long driveway right above the edge of a cliff. The looming house takes my breath away. Perched on the edge of the cliff, I can see endless vistas of the sea in every direction.

  “Come,” Reece commands gently.

  In front of us lies a modern style house. Its sweeping lines and acres of glass are beguiling in a serene lack of interest to make an impression on its visitors while putting the beauty of the island on full display. He leads us through an eight-foot timber door into a huge foyer. The long infinity pool and Caribbean ocean take center stage through large glass walls for an uninterrupted view. Carefully crafted art complements the stark interior to make it welcoming and inviting. Every room easily flows from one to another.

  “Welcome.” A man meets us in the foyer. “I will have the luggage delivered to your rooms.”

  “Thank you, Timothy. I presume everything is in order?” Reece questions as he surveys the house.

  “It is, Sir. All the checks are complete and the team installed.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Now don’t you let that stuffy butler keep ya from my kitchen. I know ya had a long journey,” a voice calls from the kitchen to our left, a thick Caribbean accent coating each word.

  Reece chuckles.

  “Ya might as well bring her in here.”

  A smile creeps across his face and he nods toward the kitchen.

  “Hello, Josephine,” Reece says and walks over to kiss the older woman on the cheek.

  “Welcome back.” She beams.

  “Josephine, this is Atlas. Atlas, this is Josephine. She’s a personal chef here on the island.”

  “Ya make it sound like I cater to the whole island.” She shakes her head.

  “My apologies. She’s our family’s personal chef. Josephine’s been with my family since I was a boy.”

  “He was a handful, dat one.” She gives me a conspiratorial look.

  “Don’t go talking out of school,” Reece replies, smiling at her with affection. “I’m to show Atlas to her room. She’s had quite the ordeal recently.”

  “Shall I send dinner to your room?”

  I look at Reece.

  “She’ll dine with me tonight out on the deck,” he confirms.

  Josephine nods, grinning in my direction.

  Reece’s warm hand settles on my back, signaling his desire to leave, and with the lightest pressure, ushers me out of the kitchen. He leads me through the house until we arrive at a large bedroom.

  The white walls reach two stories as a gentle breeze blows through it. A sitting area with a chaise lounge takes up half the expansive room with the king-size platform bed occupying the other side. Outside the window, the extravagant calm blue sea sparkles like it’s sprinkled with diamond dust as the sunlight glints off the surface. For the first time in weeks, the fear and tension melt away as I stare out at the undulating sea.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I’ve run a bath for you, Ma’am. You’ll find everything you need.” Timothy breaks the peaceful moment as he walks out of the en suite.

  I nod and force a smile. “Thank you.”

  “If you need anything, please let me know.” With an elegant grace, he pivots and walks out of the room.

  “I’ll leave you to it then,” Reece says from behind me. “Dinner will be at six o’clock on the back deck by the pool.”

  The soft click of the door tells me I am alone.

  For a long moment, I stand staring out at the sea. Emotions roll through me like the waves below, moving seamlessly from one end of the spectrum only to return to its start. The weight of the last few months sags across my shoulders and I blow out a harsh breath. I can only hope everything I worked to protect is still standing when this nightmare is over.

  Tearing my eyes from the water below, I walk into the luxurious en suite. Steam rises in a light fog off the milky white water in the bath. Sore muscles protest my movements as I undress and give in to its call. Slipping into the bath, the warm water seeps into my pores. Knots in the muscles loosen while each scrape screams out as the Epsom salts pour into the smallest cuts.

  I hiss in response to the pain and surrender to the weariness in my body and emotional fatigue. The hot water soothes the tension away until I am almost numb. My head falls back on the thick bath pillow as it cradles my neck, and I once again let my thoughts replay the last few weeks of my life. Edmund’s words haunt me. His relentless obsession fills me with uncertainty, and I work to push them away. After the ritual ordeal with Dominick, my entire being feels open, vulnerable, and I chastise myself for the weakness. I lie in the bath until the water cools and then drag myself out of the water.

  Standing up, the water sluices from my body in long rivers. I wrap up in the large fluffy towel laid out on a small stand beside the tub. With a flourish, I pull a smaller towel around my hairline and move into the lavish bedroom.

  A long maxi dress lies across the bed, and I note the lack of underthings. On the floor sits a pair of soft ballet slippers to match. I look with longing at the thick duvet cover on the bed, wanting nothing more than to dive under it. My body begs to sleep away the exhaustion and find a place to hide from the dark thoughts in my mind. On the bedside table, ship bells ring out, telling me it is already five-thirty.

  With care, I dress in the provided outfit and return to the en suite bath to wrap my hair up in a long scarf hanging alongside the other hair accessories. I turn and gaze at my reflection in it. Dark circles line my eyes, bruises bloom across my exposed skin as if to prove my outsides now match my emotional turmoil.

  I paste on a smile and turn to meet Reece on the deck.

  Soft breezes of the ocean ripple the fabric of my dress as I make my way to the sunken lounge area of the deck. In the fire pit, flames dance and pop, moving with unseen music. Reece stares out across the water, the sun just beginning the descent toward the horizon. An explosion of colors mix on the edge to herald the survival of another day.

  My feet pad softly across the wooden deck, causing Reece to turn around at my entrance.

  “Beautiful,” he says. His expression is full of appreciation. The hint of heated lust is right under the surface for only a second before he blinks it away.

  “Thank you,” I reply and nod.

  To my left, Timothy
approaches with a silver tray and a glass of wine. I smile softly and take the offering. Without a word, he disappears back into the house.

  “Reece.” His name is a weight and freedom on my tongue.

  He nods. “We’ll talk after dinner, Atlas. Everything will be okay. But if Josephine thinks we’re letting her hard work go to waste, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  I laugh. It feels odd in my tense frame, but there’s something about the last vestige of release which wraps around my frayed emotions, and I let the smile linger on my lips.

  “You’re beautiful when you smile. Rather, you’re always beautiful, but your smile is breathtaking,” Reece says, moving toward me as his warm hand lands on my lower back to maneuver us to the dining area.

  Neither of us speak through the sumptuous meal. Each course moves in a relaxed pace from one to the next. My wine glass is changed out with each new dish. A delectable vegetable and artichoke pasta course moves easily to a light salad. Once the small salad is complete, Timothy serves the veal scaloppini.

  “That was delicious,” I comment as the last course is cleared away and the fruit and cheese platter is placed in front of us. For the first time in far too long, I feel calm, pampered, and slightly euphoric.

  “Feeling better?” Reece stares at me, one eyebrow quirked upward.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “It’s good to see you relaxing again.”

  “This place makes it easy to forget many things.”

  “Yes. There’s a serenity about it all. A small island flourishing in the middle of an ocean, far from the huddling masses.”

  “Or the problems of the world,” I mumble.

  “We can’t just quit the world when there’s a slight bump in the road,” he challenges.

  “A bump? You call this a bump?” I toss back, but my heart isn’t ready for a fight.