And now I need to do the same with this. The fact of the matter is, I don’t know Lily. Sure, I feel some kind of connection to her, but it has to be the kind a brother feels for his sister. The same way I care about Kay and Kitty. It has to.
By the time I’m pulling up outside the warehouse, I’ve convinced myself not to care about Lily or what is happening to her.
“Luke!” My head whips around at the sound of Kitty’s voice, the SUV door opening before she jumps in and slaps her hand on the dash in the same way Evan did not long ago. “I’m in need of Luke time.”
“I… huh?”
“Don’t get me wrong,” she starts, pulling the belt around her. “I love Kay to pieces, but sometimes I just need to hang with the boys, y’know?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know,” I say, raising a brow.
“Let’s go!” She slaps her hand on the dash again. That really fuckin’ grates on my nerves. “I want to go spy on people! Let’s head to that bar—”
“That’s Dean’s and my job,” I interrupt her.
“Awwww.” She turns to face me, fluttering her eyelashes. “Is he your bestie now? Can’t go on a job without him?” She lifts her lips into a grin before starting to sing, “Dean and Luke, sitting—”
“Fuck’s sake!” Putting the SUV in reverse, I spin the car around. “Fuckin’ fine! Let’s go then.”
She waves her arm out in front of her, smiling in a way that says she got her way. “Continue forth, oh wise one.”
Shaking my head, I try to keep my lips in a flat line, but I fail because it’s been forever since I was last on a job with Kitty.
After she came back from rehab, she moved in with Charlie in their new house to start fresh. It’s not that she isn’t working as much as she used to, but with Dean turning up, it means she’s either with him or I am. Which I can’t fuckin’ stand. And I swear to God, if he leaves one more piece of fuckin’ trash in my car, I’m gonna shove it so far up his ass he’ll have to have it surgically removed.
“Let’s play a game.” I groan, knowing the next few hours will feel like days with her fuckin’ games. “Kiss, marry, kill.”
I block her out, just like I always do, but at the same time I relax back in my seat, having missed the sound of her constant talking.
LILY
I shuffle on the pew, my attention on anything other than my dad who stands on the stage, preaching to the people who listen to him like God is speaking through him himself.
My gaze flits over to Kim who is sitting a couple of seats down. She must feel me looking because she turns her head, lifting her lips into a small smile, enough to let me know she’s there, but not too big to draw attention.
I haven’t seen her for nearly two weeks now, and this morning when the church started to fill up, I expected her to ask me where I had been. But she didn’t. Instead, she squeezed my hand lightly before shuffling farther down the pew.
“Concentrate,” a deep voice whispers in my ear.
My shoulders pull back, my back straightening as I face the front, not acknowledging Jonah with my words but with my body.
He hasn’t let up any, and I feel like every time I turn around, he’s there. Watching. Waiting. I hate it.
Shivering, my skin crawls when he moves closer, his thigh resting against mine. I want nothing more than to move away from him, to get as far away as I possibly can. But it’s not feasible, so I move my hand over my hip, resting my palm over the cell that’s there.
Five days.
For five days I’ve stared at the cell wondering what I’m meant to do with it—when I’m meant to use it. But not once have I dialed the number or sent a message on it.
It’s not that I don’t have a cell, because I do. It may be circa 2010, but it works. There’s only one problem with that cell… my dad can look at it.
There have been times I wished I was like the other kids at school, the ones who post on social media about their days, who post pictures of them with their friends when they go out for a burger, or to the fair.
It would be nice to be able to do that.
And then there’s the times when I want to call for help, when things get so bad I want to shout it from the rooftops that I’m living in my own version of hell above ground.
“Lily,” Jonah growls, placing his hand on my leg. Turning, my gaze collides with his dark-green eyes, his pupils getting bigger the longer he stares at me. “Listen to your father,” he reprimands, giving my leg a squeeze but not letting go.
I look to the front again, this time trying to concentrate, but when my dad looks at me, his gaze flitting down to my leg, I know I’m in trouble. His nostrils flare as he stumbles over his words, finishing up what he was saying before stepping down and talking to the first person who comes up to him.
My body is frozen. I have Jonah next to me, my dad shooting angry looks at me, and then Kim walking toward me.
I need to get out of here, I need to—
Shooting up, I gain the attention of all three before blurting out, “Bathroom.”
Walking as fast as I can, I weave through all of the people gathering around, my breath caught in my throat. I push open the doors, needing to pull in a deep lungful of fresh air, but I smack off a chest.
I gasp, my eyes widening as I pull back. “I’m so sorry,” I rush out, looking up.
Hazel eyes meet mine before the guy says, “No worries,” and walks past me.
I don’t waste a second before whipping my head left and right, my brain telling me to escape as quickly as I can, but my body won’t move out of fear of what will happen if I disappear without telling my dad. Instead, I stand to the side, leaning against the old brickwork, closing my eyes and pulling out my cell. I don’t know what possesses me to open the message app, or bring up Luke’s name, but before I know it, I’ve typed “Hi” and clicked send.
What am I doing? Why did I do that? I—
“Lily?” I squeak, dropping the cell but picking it up as quickly and discreetly as I can before looking up at Jonah, trying to hide what I have in my hand. His attention is too focused on my ass though, so I quickly push it back into my pocket.
“Jonah,” I breathe out.
He steps toward me, blocking me into a corner as his lips lift up on one side.
“I couldn’t stop staring at you.”
“I—”
“I always wondered what you had going on under those long skirts and tank tops.” He licks his lips and I revolt at the action, my eyes widening. “I think it’s about time—”
The sound of Kim’s laugh has him pulling away, straightening up to his full height of just under six feet.
“Ms. King,” he greets.
Kim turns her attention to us, her brown eyes watching me carefully.
“Jonah.”
The air crackles, and I swallow against the lump building in my throat when my cell vibrates in my pocket.
“I better head…” Jonah trails off when my dad walks out behind Kim, his eyes blazing with so much fire I’m sure he could scorch me from here.
The guy I bumped into is next to him, and when I flick my gaze to him, I find him watching me too, but not in the way everyone else is. I’ve never seen him here before, but when he turns to Dad and says, “I better start to unpack,” I realize he’s probably just moved into town. He smiles, shaking Dad’s hand before he walks away, leaving the four of us and the tension skyrockets.
“Liliana, Kim has invited us for dinner. Go home and get washed up, I’ll be back in fifteen minutes and we can walk over together.”
“Y-es, Dad.”
My movements are jerky, my legs not seeming to work properly as I shuffle past Jonah and down the path.
My mind is somewhere else as my body works on autopilot, walking into the house and going up to my room. Pulling my skirt off, the cell drops to the floor, and that’s when I remember it vibrated.
My heart rate picks up as I unlock it, opening up the message app and seeing Luke’s repl
y.
Luke: Hey.
It’s stupid that my lips lift up into a huge smile, but I can’t help it. There’s something about him that tells me I’m safe. I don’t know him, I don’t know anything about him other than he used to be in the Marines and he’s Kim’s son. Closing my eyes, I can see the photos on Kim’s walls so clearly, the way he stands in his uniform, the pain behind his eyes. It’s so clear to me, but to anyone else, all they’d see is a normal person.
He screams danger, but when his ice-blue eyes are focused on me, I know he’d never hurt me—that he’d never let anyone hurt me.
Only it’s not true.
He can’t save me, only I can do that.
Dropping the cell into my hiding spot under my bed, I quickly get dressed just in time for the door to slam shut and Dad to call my name.
“Coming!” I shout back, grabbing my black jersey cardigan and pushing my arms through it.
Racing down the stairs, I walk into the living room, halting when I see his face.
“You stay away from that boy,” he warns.
“Wh-at? Who?”
“Jonah,” he grinds out. “I don’t want you having anything to do with him, he’s…” His nostrils flare, redness working its way over his cheeks as he steps toward me, grabbing my arm and yanking me closer. “You stay away from him.”
I nod, keeping my mouth closed as he tenses his hand, squeezing harder before letting me go and adjusting his jacket.
“You know the rules.”
“I do,” I whisper.
“Adhere to them.”
He walks past me and opens the door, his shoes hitting the path. Taking a deep breath, I push my shoulders back and follow after him.
LUKE
I hold the cell against my ear, listening to the ringing tone before it connects and Charlie answers. “Luke?”
“I’ve got something,” I tell him, starting the SUV and driving out of the lot across from the bar, my gaze flicking to the camera that holds all the evidence he needs.
“You do?”
“Yep.” I click my turn signal, coming to a stop at the intersection before putting it on speaker. “Hook, line, and sinker. I’ll email it to you when I get to my mom’s.”
“What did you—”
“You know I won’t say over the line.” I practically roll my eyes. You’d think working in the police force he’d know not all lines are secure. The last thing I need is to reveal what it is I watched happen, then the evidence will disappear.
“Right.” He clears his throat. “Shall I—”
I click end call, not needing to listen to him ramble on. He’s the kind of guy who likes to hear his own voice. I don’t need that shit. Just tell me the simple facts and save what you want to say for when it really matters.
Pulling up into Mom’s driveway, I push out of the car, grabbing the camera as I go before walking up the steps and opening the door.
“Mom?” I shuck off my boots, taking my jacket off and swiping my hand through my hair. “I need to use your…” I trail off as I turn around, first seeing Mom at the table in the kitchen, and then Lily. My palms start to sweat, my pulse going haywire as I step toward her, opening my mouth but abruptly shutting it when I see a man who I know is her dad next to her.
“Luke.” Mom stands up, wiping her hands down her thighs before walking through the living room toward me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. My gaze doesn’t move off Lily as she pulls back.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“I’m trying to—”
“Didn’t I say not to get involved?” I grind out, smiling at the man when he looks over at us.
“Says you who went to find her when she didn’t—”
“Okay.” I step back, cutting her off. “I need to use your laptop.”
She points to the coffee table, spinning around and throwing, “I’ll make you a plate,” over her shoulder.
I feel all of their attention burning a hole in my back, but I try not to think about it as I download the footage and pictures, sending an encrypted email to Charlie before closing the laptop as well as my eyes.
Scrubbing my hand over my face, I take a deep breath before opening them back up, standing and heading into the kitchen.
“Brendan, you remember my son, Luke,” Mom says, placing a plate on the table between her and Lily.
I hold my hand out, offering it to him and gritting my teeth at the look in his eyes. It’s the same look I had to view every day growing up. The same kind of tension rolling off his body in waves that I had to be around.
“Nice to meet you, Brendan,” I grit out, pulling my hand away from his as soon as I can.
“I’m sure you know my daughter, Liliana,” he comments.
I narrow my eyes, trying to work out if it’s some kind of test he’s throwing our way, but just as I’m about to open my mouth, Lily cuts in, “You gave me a ride to school.”
My eyes narrow, watching her and trying to decipher what she’s trying to say. Instead of saying anything, I nod, looking down and shoveling a forkful of potatoes into my mouth as Brendan talks about scripture.
I block him out, my gut telling me that this is all an act, and when I look over at Lily, it’s confirmed by the way her shoulders are pulled up to her ears, her leg bouncing up and down and knocking against mine every couple of seconds.
“There’s a bible camp I’m considering sending Liliana to, what with the trouble she seems to be getting into lately.”
“Trouble?” Mom asks, voicing exactly what I’m thinking.
Looking up, I concentrate all of my attention on Brendan and the way he looks over at his daughter, something flaring in his eyes.
How the hell am I sitting here and not diving across the table? I know he’s doing something, whether that be control or… fuck, I can’t sit here and watch this happen I have to—no. I’ve been there, I’ve seen what it’s like for someone to be under someone else’s control, under their rule. It doesn’t matter how many times you say something to them, they’re not going to listen.
All I can do now is do what I do best… collect intel and make a rational decision on where to go from here.
He chews on his mouthful of food, tilting his head as he stares at Lily. “Well for starters, she’s trying to tempt a boy.”
“I’m not—”
“Did I tell you that you could talk?” he fires at Lily, his eyes widening in warning. “You’re sending off the wrong kinds of vibes. You only need to look at a male in a certain way and you’re telling them you’re available.” He flicks his gaze to me. “Isn’t that right, Luke?”
I tamp down the rage burning inside me. “With all due respect, sir.” I make a mental note to wash my mouth out later after calling him that. “I don’t think that’s true.”
He raises a brow. “Really now?”
“Yeah.” I lean back in my seat, feeling Lily’s knee knocking against mine again before reaching out and placing my palm over it. I feel her stiffen and then relax, but when she’s stopped, I don’t move my hand. I should, but I don't. No one can see me touching her, and after several seconds, I start rubbing my thumb back and forth against the soft fabric of her skirt.
“I believe a woman can’t send the wrong kind of signals to a man. Not only that, but it’s not the woman’s fault if she gains the attention of a man.”
“Hmmm.” He leans back in his seat, running his finger over his lips in thought, but his attention is all on me. And if I can keep it that way for even a little while, it’s better than it being on Lily. “What did you say you do for work?”
“I didn’t.” I raise a brow. “I was in the Marines and I currently work for a security company, assisting the police and closing cases they can’t.”
“So you’re a brute force of a man?”
I feel Lily stiffen so I squeeze her knee gently, trying to silently communicate something I’m not even sure of.
“When I need to be, but never unnecessarily.”
He smirks, seeming to be pleased with himself as he picks his knife up, pointing it at me and saying, “I think we’re going to get along, Luke.”
I think fucking not.
LILY
I wait at the edge of the alley, watching as an SUV drives past—an SUV I know all too well. Jumping back into the darkness when Luke pulls into the driveway, I hold my hands against my chest, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.
My mind takes me back to two days ago when Luke turned up at Kim’s, his hand on my knee feeling so different to how Jonah’s did only hours before that.
My skin breaks out into goose bumps, but I tell myself it’s the cold as the wind whips around the side of the wall currently hiding me and not reliving those moments.
Maybe I should message him and tell him I can’t come? I wouldn’t have to face him without a buffer there. Although Kim will be with us so…
Dammit, why do I have to feel like this? Why do I not know what to do, or how to react? If only my mom was here, she’d have the answers.
Opening my eyes, I turn around, staring at the field. She’d tell me to turn around and get my ass to Kim’s house, but when my gaze catches my house, I have serious doubts.
I don’t know what was worse on Sunday; my dad telling me to stay away from Jonah—which I’m more than happy to do—or him ignoring me since leaving Kim’s after grilling Luke.
“Can’t hide here forever.”
“Ahh!” I jump out of my skin, spinning around, my hand reaching out and touching Luke’s arm. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” I gasp out.
His brows lower, his eyes fierce as he steps closer to me. He doesn’t say anything, instead he watches me, searching for something I’m not sure he’ll find. I see the unspoken questions in his eyes, the war raging behind them, and I wish for him to open his mouth and ask me what’s on my mind. All I want is one person to ask, to point out the obvious, to tell me I’m not alone. But I know it’ll never happen.
“Luke?” I whisper, moving my hand off his arm. The loss of contact makes him jerk back, a mask coming over his face as he hooks his thumb over his shoulder.
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