by Cassie Wild
My mother.
I needed to talk to her.
I’d replace the money Suria had taken because no matter what Suria said, she might need that when we figured out how to secure her sister’s freedom. Hell, if I had to pay more to help save some kid from what Joelle faced, then I’d do it.
But I needed to talk to my mom because the clutter in my head was making it hard to think.
I eased away from Suria and sat up on the edge of the bed, studying her face for several minutes. Her features stayed relaxed, her breathing steady. Once it was clear she wasn’t going to wake up, I rose to get dressed. I’d deal with that talk with my mother, then I’d get back, and Suria and I would get to work on figuring out some sort of plan.
I didn’t know what it would entail, but we’d work something out.
My mother and I met at a place where we sometimes had lunch on the weekends. If I’d driven to her place, it could have taken me almost an hour in the LA traffic. This had us meeting in the middle and luck must have been with me, because I made it in only twenty minutes and Mom was already there at a table.
Once we’d ordered, I faced Mom over my coffee. “I’ve got some news for you.”
“Honey, if this is about what I think it’s about, please…I’ve decided to let it go.”
I held up a hand. “It is…and you need to hear what I’ve got to say, because things are a lot more complicated than you realize.” At her questioning look, I took a deep breath. “I found Suria…” I winced and added, “I hate to tell you this, but the psychic you went to see is the same woman I was sort of seeing.”
“Oh, no!” She pressed her hand to her mouth, but her shock quickly gave way to anger, as I’d expected it would.
“Don’t,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s not even the complicated part, Mom. She…Suri wasn’t in it for the money, at least not the way you think. She was trying to save her sister.”
My hand tightened on the glass I held, and I put it down. I had the irrational urge to throw it, and Mom must have seen some of the anger I felt in my face because she leaned over and covered my hand with hers. “Tell me,” she said simply.
So I did.
I wasn’t even halfway through the whole insane story before the anger I felt began to be reflected on her face. From time to time, shock would replace it, but the anger always came back.
When I finally finished, she sat there, not speaking.
Our food had been delivered nearly ten minutes earlier, but neither of us had eaten much. Reaching for the ketchup, I doused my fries and began to eat mechanically. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but a lifetime of having a mother who didn’t care for wasted food made it hard to break those habits.
After a moment, she began to eat as well.
“You believe what she’s told you?” Mom asked as she forked up a bite of her Caesar salad.
“Yes.”
She slid me a look. “We should remember that she can be very convincing. You’re certain?”
“Yeah.” Disgust twisted my belly, and I admitted, “I’ll be honest, I almost wish I didn’t believe her. I’d rather be dealing with some conscienceless con-artist than know there are people out there who could sell off their kids for money and power.”
Distaste darkened her eyes. “I don’t understand it all, Kian.”
“I’ll pay you the money she owes–”
“No,” she said, her voice soft but hard as steel. “You will not. Use it to do whatever needed to keep her sister safe.”
I’d been in the middle of reaching for my glass, but now I lowered my hand. “Excuse me?”
She met my eyes over the table. “Please, Kian.” A faint smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. “I know my son. You’re already planning on helping her. Aren’t you?”
“I…” Blowing out a breath, I averted my gaze. With a short nod, I said, “Yes. I don’t see that I have a choice.”
“We don’t,” she said simply. “I can spare the money, Kian, you know that. And if we are able to help these two girls…” She laughed quietly. “You know, if it was me, trying to do something desperate to save you? I would have been willing to do far worse.”
“So, you understand,” I said in a tight voice, “why she did what she did?”
Mom inclined her head. “I know what it’s like to have somebody you’d do anything to protect, sweetheart.” She hesitated a moment, then added, “And I think you do too.”
“Of course, I’d do anything to protect you.”
She laughed, the sound bright and happy, almost out of place in the dark discussion we’d been having. “Baby, I wasn’t talking about me.” She wagged a finger at me. “You’ve got feelings for this girl. Maybe you can’t see it yet, but you will.”
Twelve
Suria
I woke alone.
It shouldn’t have felt so odd since I’d spent most of my life waking up alone. Or alone enough. Joelle and I still – or we had – shared a room, so why did it feel so strange to be lying there alone now?
Maybe because it was Kian’s bed.
Maybe because it was Kian’s big, huge, soft bed that wasn’t made for one girl alone.
Maybe because I remembered how good it had felt to fall asleep in his arms, and some part of me had slept thinking I’d wake in his arms too.
But he was gone.
Sliding from the bed, I pulled on the t-shirt that lay draped over the footboard and padded out of the room. It didn’t take long to ascertain that not only was he not in the bedroom, he wasn’t in the house.
I couldn’t find a note, either.
He’d just…left.
Sniffing, I tried to pretend it didn’t hurt. I was lying to myself, but I’d been doing that most of my life, so what did one more little white lie matter? He’d talked about helping me last night, and it had been sweet of him, but maybe in the cold, hard light of day, he’d realized what I already knew. This was my problem, and there wasn’t much anybody else could do to fix it.
I made my decision. Although I told Kian I was going to the police, I woke up knowing I needed to try something different first.
Now, I just needed to woman up and do it.
I was going back to my father’s home to see if he’d possibly brought my sister back. I wasn’t betting on it, but I needed to know. Then, I’d offer Papa the money – everything I had – and tell him I wouldn’t go to the police if he let Joelle go. If Ephraim needed a bride, he could have me.
I’d make that deal, and if I got Joelle safe, then I’d consider it a worthwhile sacrifice. I’d have to bluff my way through the conversation because, once I mentioned the cops, things might get ugly.
But this was my best bet, and I knew it.
In Kian’s room, I dressed.
Last night, the scent of his soap on my skin had been tantalizing, but today it served as a reminder of something I couldn’t – something I shouldn’t – have. A part of me wanted to hurry into the bathroom and rinse it all off, but I didn’t have time.
Joelle didn’t have time.
I called for an Uber, and by the time I was done getting dressed, it was out front waiting for me. With one last look back at Kian’s house, I slid outside, locking the door behind me.
It had been a brief, bittersweet interlude, but now it was over.
I had a sister to save.
I spent the drive back to the house brooding and thinking. No other miracle plan came to me, but I hadn’t been expecting one to tumble into my lap. There hadn’t ever been a lot of choices.
Where was Joelle now?
Was she safe?
I just hoped the marriage hadn’t already happened, although I didn’t think it was likely.
We didn’t do things without a lot of fanfare. From births to weddings to funerals, life occasions were something the Rom tended to make into an event. Events took more than a few days to prepare.
They could put together a wedding quickly, but not overnight.
It was the
one thing I was taking solace in.
I wracked my mind, trying to think of where Papa might be hiding Joelle. If I could just figure it out, I might be able to sneak her out. If I had to pick a few locks, then I would. Once I had her, the two of us would get into a car and just drive. Maybe we’d go to Nicco and Catherine.
Maybe we’d drive until we ran out of gas and then hope for the best.
Anything would be better than being here.
But without knowing where she was, it was pointless to even consider. So, I had to find her.
The Uber driver stopped in front of my house, and I paid him, grimacing at how much it cost, but it wasn’t like I could have walked from where I was. Just a little more money that couldn’t be used to help me and Joelle get away from here.
I fought off a laugh of hysteria as I climbed from the car. I wasn’t actually expecting anything about this to be easy, was I?
The heels of my boots crunched over bits of gravel and dried grass as I made my way up to the front door. The sign in the window was off. For a moment, I stared at the dim sign, hating it with everything I had in me. Then I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, shoving my way into the house.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
The living room in front was empty, the lights off. All of my pictures had been removed and the sight of the walls, all naked and bare, was like a blow to my heart. The one part of the house I could have called mine. Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back. I wasn’t going to cry over this. He’d done it just to get at me. Just to hurt me. Damn if I’d let him know he’d succeeded.
I could always draw more.
Walking through the door, I followed the light that spilled through the door at the end of the hall. My heart raced in my chest.
He was in there. From the way he sat, he’d been waiting for me.
“Hello, Papa.”
He had a beer in hand. By the looks of him, it hadn’t been his first…or his second or third.
He shifted his gaze toward me and smirked. “Back again. I knew you would be.” He curled his fingers toward me and nodded at the seat. “Come, Suria. You will sit.”
“I don’t want to sit. Where is Joelle?”
With a snort, he said, “You don’t need to worry about her. She isn’t your problem any more than she is mine.”
“Joelle isn’t a problem!” I snapped, advancing on him a step. “She’s my sister, and this is not going to happen, Papa. Where is she?”
His eyes took on a crafty gleam. “What isn’t going to happen, Suria? The marriage? You think to stop it? How?”
I really didn’t like that look on his face. But I wasn’t going to be bullied by him.
“Joelle is sixteen. She isn’t legally allowed to marry anybody, Papa. I’ll call the authorities if that’s what I have to do.” I jutted my chin up at him, challenging him. Challenging this whole bloody mess. I was so tired of everything being the way it was – of having to live a life that I hated. I was going to get my sister out.
“Oh, daughter.” He heaved out a hard sigh. “You shouldn’t say such things.”
“I’m not just saying it. I’m ready to do it.”
His eyes flickered, looking behind me just as I caught the sound of a door opening.
The smile that spread across his face made the bottom of my belly drop out.
Slowly, I turned, and that sinking sensation in my gut got even worse as I saw Vano step into the kitchen, followed by three more of the clan elders. The elders spread out to frame him as the clan leader came walking toward me, the corners of his mouth tipped up in a smile.
“Suria, love,” he said, arms spread out.
I stood there woodenly as he came closer and planted his hands on my shoulders, leaning in to kiss my left cheek, then my right.
“You look so unhappy, but it’s a happy day. Happy times…” He pinched my cheek with enough force I knew it would bruise. “Your sister will marry my good friend Ephraim soon. We should all be celebrating.”
I had the fleeting notion that I might puke, right then and there, all over the Italian leather shoes he so often wore.
“What do you think about the wedding, Suria?” Vano asked, his eyes lingering on my face. “Are you happy for your sister?”
My throat felt frozen. Vano continued to watch me, clearly waiting for an answer.
When I didn’t offer one, he stepped away, nodding.
He gestured toward two of the elders, and as they stepped toward me, my head started to spin.
Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
Thirteen
Kian
The drive back to my place seemed to take ten times longer than normal, although the clock said otherwise.
I was anxious to get back to Suria, to help her figure a way out of this mess for both her and her sister.
Something that didn’t involve putting her in danger.
By the time I got to the house, I was all but vibrating with tension, and I walked into the house, tossing my keys up and down. “Suria!”
There wasn’t any answer.
That tension inside me took on a different slant as I jogged up the steps to my room. Maybe she was just in the shower, but I wasn’t counting on it. Although I was a little disappointed to find the bed empty and neatly made, the bathroom equally empty and neat, I wasn’t surprised.
I should have left her a note, telling her to wait for me. I’d meant it when I told her I was going to help her out of this, but maybe she hadn’t realized I meant it.
Something told me that trust didn’t exactly come easy for her. Considering the way she’d grown up, the people who’d raised her and surrounded her most of her life, it wasn’t any surprise.
I didn’t waste any time searching the house or even trying to call her.
I already knew where she was.
I’d never hated the commute from my house to LA so much as I sped down the highway, my car eating up the miles as my brain whirled. What was she doing? What if she’d already gone to the police? What if she was in trouble – in danger – right now?
If I’d thought I was boiling with tension earlier, it was nothing compared to the way I felt when I pulled up in front of her place. The car I’d seen her use before was parked in the driveway, but that told me nothing. I’d been the one to drive us to my place last night. She had either called a friend for a ride or used an Uber, so just because that car was here didn’t mean she was.
Please let her be here. Please let her be safe.
I climbed out of the car, phone gripped in my hand, the muscles in my back and neck so tight, I felt like I just might come apart. Taking a deep breath, I willed the tension to drain out. Suria had read my mother like an open book, and she’d learned that from somebody. Maybe her father. Maybe somebody else she lived with. I had no idea. But I didn’t need anybody looking at me and realizing that I had a mix of nerves and fear burning in my gut.
I took one more deep breath and uncurled my fisted hands. After shoving my phone into my pocket, I started for the door.
My knock wasn’t answered initially.
But somebody was home.
I knew it in my gut.
I knocked again.
It took almost five minutes of knocking before somebody finally came to the door.
It was an older man, his hair graying. With shrewd eyes, he looked me up and down before saying, “We are closed today. You will have to come back.”
I bared my teeth at him. “I’m not here for a reading. I want to see Suria.”
If he was surprised by that, he didn’t let it show.
“She isn’t available to visitors.” He went to shut the door, but I shoved my foot into the opening, blocking him.
“I’ll leave when she tells me that,” I replied, bracing a hand against the door.
He tried to shove the door in my face, but his leverage was gone.
Turning his head, he shouted over his shoulder.
I took advantage of his momentary
distraction and shoved against the door, putting all my weight into it. It knocked him back, and I moved inside before he could recover.
“Where’s Suria?” I demanded.
“You can’t just barge into people’s houses,” he said, eyes full of anger. “Get out of here before I call the police.”
“You aren’t going to call the police,” I replied, calling his bluff.
His lids flickered, and I knew I was right.
I took a step toward him. “I want to see Suria.”
Voices rose from the back of the house, and a door opened. A new man appeared in the doorway. “Duke, what is going on? You are…you,” the man said, eying me narrowly. “Who are you?”
He didn’t wait for an answer, turning to the other guy, firing away at him. “What are you doing, letting him inside? Get rid of him!”
Duke flung a hand at me. “He forced his way inside, Vano! Says he wants to see Suria and won’t leave until he does.”
“Is that right?” Vano turned to look at me, an unpleasant smile on his face. “And just why do you want to see Suria so badly?”
“That’s between Suria and me.” Cocking a brow at him, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Where is she?”
Dark, predatory eyes took me in, and I knew I wouldn’t get shit out of him. I wasn’t playing this game either.
“Suria!” I shouted her name without taking my eyes off the men who watched me.
The door opened, and I saw a familiar face, but it didn’t belong to the woman I’d come to find. Her father peeked through, and when he saw me, his lips peeled back from his teeth. “You…” He sneered at me. “What are you doing back here?”
“I’m here to see Suria,” I said. “I’m not leaving until I see her.”
“We can always help you to the door,” Vano offered, his voice silky.
“And I can take a few of you out on the way,” I responded, focusing my gaze on him briefly. “Then when I’m out of here, my next stop will be the police station.”
“But you forced your way in here,” Vano said, spreading his hands wide.