“Why didn’t you ever reach out and tell anyone about this?”
“At first it was because I was…afraid they would cross the border and come after me, after her. There’s no way they ever expected her to live. When she was able to get around again, I hoped someday she’d remember on her own. But—”
“That never happened.”
“No, it didn’t.”
Uncle Phil, you really fucked this up. At least he had something to go on. “Uncle Phil, we’re going to have a long conversation when I get home.”
“I guessed as much. Just promise me one thing, Jett.”
“What is that?”
“Don’t tell her where I found her. If she knows and tries to go back on her own, I don’t think she’ll make it out of there alive a second time.”
Jett had no intention of sharing either conversation with Lisa. “That’s one thing we can agree on, Uncle. She has no business there.”
He ended the call and slipped the phone into his back pocket. There was no way Lisa was from Moreira. But why would someone as beautiful and fragile as her be in such a violent country? That type of digging was going to start as soon as his feet hit Boston. There had to be records of people who’d been given a visa to go there. That is, if she was even from the US.
There were still so many variables to be worked out. But he’d made progress. He had a way off this island, and most likely, the place where she had been held and…tortured.
Jett felt sick to his stomach thinking of what possibly could’ve taken place. But he also had a new appreciation for his uncle. All these years, he’d helped Lisa hide. From what, no one seemed to know. Go figure. My uncle’s a hero and he doesn’t even know it.
With a lot of digging and a whole lot of luck, maybe the world will know one day.
Right now, he had less than a week to get everything packed up and ready to go. He also needed to continue working with Lisa. They were going to be at sea together for at least a week. She was going to need to trust him before then, or he was positive she wouldn’t board. If she didn’t, there was nothing he’d be able to do to help her. Leaving her behind wasn’t an option.
Jett was going to do everything in his power to make sure he kept his promise. I’ll find the answers for you Lisa. And I’ll be there when you need to face them.
Chapter Five
Jett held to his word and didn’t pursue any line of questioning. In fact, he seemed to go out of his way to avoid anything that would take a conversation in that direction. She was grateful, because Lisa didn’t want each day to be like walking on eggshells, waiting for him to bring up her past.
But what Jett didn’t know was, the flashbacks were coming more often. The nightmares, which she couldn’t remember before, were choppy, but becoming clearer. Although she still had no idea who she was, or what she was doing in that place, Lisa was positive she’d been held captive, tortured, and left for dead. She was covered with scars, but now she realized the ones on the surface were nothing compared to what remained buried below.
Jett had said he’d handle everything. What he couldn’t was the anguish she was going to go through if she continued down the path of finding out who she was. She had thought she couldn’t move forward without knowing, but now she wasn’t sure she could mentally survive reliving it.
As they sat on the beach and watched the waves crash against the rocky shoreline, it reminded her of the memories pounding on her heart. She wasn’t strong enough to go through it again. Hell, I don’t know how I lived through it the first time.
“Jett, can we talk?”
He turned to her and said, “I thought that’s what we were doing.”
Lighthearted humor was something she could appreciate, just not at this moment. “I’m not talking about the weather, or what being on a sail boat is like.”
“There was a reason behind these topics.”
“Besides them being things you like to talk about?” Lisa knew that was a dig. Jett had mentioned his sailboat more times than she could count.
“Actually, yes. I told you I’d make plans to get us off the island and into the States?” She nodded and he said, “My boat is the mode of transportation we’re going to be using.”
She was puzzled. “You didn’t sail here.”
“No. I have a friend who is delivering it.”
Lisa panicked. “Jett, I told you I didn’t want others involved.”
“He’s not. All he’s doing is bringing my boat to me. He doesn’t know your name or why we’re sailing instead of flying.”
“But he knows that you’re not traveling alone.”
“Correct.”
“And you’re not worried he’ll ask questions?”
Jett huffed. “Roman can ask anything he wants, but I promised you I wouldn’t tell anyone who you are.”
“You can’t share what you don’t know. But when that changes, then what?”
“Lisa, what are you afraid of? Because in my opinion, having someone like Roman helping us would only be beneficial.”
In Jett’s mind, that might seem accurate. In hers, it seemed like another person she didn’t know who could potentially send her back to her hell.
“And you trust him, why?” Lisa asked.
“He’s not just my friend. We’ve worked on certain…projects which required both of our skills in order to…protect someone.”
“Roman’s your…partner?”
“Not officially. We collaborated on a few jobs, which is why we were successful.”
Was it her imagination, or was Jett dancing around exactly what those jobs were? “I thought you worked on computers?”
“I do.”
“Is that what Roman does as well?”
“No.”
“Care to elaborate on that?” Lisa asked. Jett shook his head. “You want me to trust someone I don’t know anything about?”
“I’m asking you to trust me. I’d never involve anyone who I didn’t trust. Roman has proven his loyalty to me, no different than I to him.”
And she trusted Jett, only because she trusted Phil. But none of it mattered any longer. “You might want to tell him you don’t need the boat.”
Jett cocked a brow. “And why is that?”
“I’ve changed my mind. I’m not leaving.”
Jett stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, when in fact it was only seconds. She knew he hadn’t expected that, but she hadn’t planned on changing her mind either. Funny what fear does to a person.
“Lisa, what’s going on?” Jett asked softly.
“I…I’ve remembered more.”
Jett’s eyes widened. “That’s good.”
She shook her head. “I don’t like it.”
“Remembering, or what you remembered?” Jett prodded.
With a heavy sigh, she responded, “Both. It’s…ugly.”
“I figured it had to be.”
She turned and looked at Jett. “Why?”
“The walls are thin. I can hear you talking in your sleep. Whatever happened to you is trying to surface, and your mind is trying to protect you from it.”
“I talk in my sleep?” She could remember calling out a few times, but actual conversations were another thing.
“Yes.”
“What did I say?” Lisa twisted her fingers together, holding on tight, preparing herself for something horrible.
“You screamed out in pain. I could hear you begging for it to stop. You threatened that your brothers would hunt them down if they didn’t let you go.”
Brothers? I have brothers? “Did I say their names? My brothers, I mean?” It was the first time there was any proof she wasn’t alone in this world.
“No. But if you quit now, you’re not going to learn them,” Jett warned.
She got up off the ground and said angrily, “You make it sound as though it’s going to be easy.”
He sat where he was. “Nothing about this will be easy. Lisa, I’m not going to lie to you. You
went through something fucking horrible, and I can’t imagine how you’re even alive today.”
“Because Phil found me and—”
“Yeah. He did. Uncle Phil doctored you up. But give yourself credit. It was your will to live that has gotten you this far. And that same inner strength is what you need to hold on to while you search for answers.”
“And when I break?” she asked.
Jett finally got up off the ground, stood directly in front of her, and replied. “Then I’ll be there, and you lean on me for a while.”
Deep inside, Lisa wanted to know her family again. But they didn’t look for her. Her threats to whoever had held her hostage had been…empty. “What if they don’t want me back? Or what if I can’t remember them when you do find out who I am?”
Jett reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. “We’ll face that when the time comes.”
It’d been years of hiding behind a name that she didn’t know was hers. Dr. Turner’s bug lady. Or at least that’s what the villagers called her. Neither name felt right. She hoped she liked her real one better.
Jett must have the patience of a saint, dealing with her yoyo emotions. Yet the look in his eyes said he really was in it for the long haul. There was just one thing left to decide. Was she? Could she commit to going down the road of the unknown? Yes, because I don’t have to go it alone.
Forcing a smile, she asked, “What do we do in the meantime?”
Jett took her by the hand and led her back to the blanket. “We sit and you listen to me tell you all about sailing.”
Lisa laughed. “Again?”
“Yes, again. You’re about to be my first mate and I want to make sure you’re up to the task.”
“Jett, I’m really just hoping I don’t get sea sick.”
This time Jett laughed. “Okay, I’ll settle for that too.”
As she listened once again to the workings of a sailboat, she found herself relaxing a bit. This was really about to happen. Jett was going to take her on a sea voyage with him and at the end of it all, her feet would be in the United States, a place her gut told her was home. I just hope it was a happy one.
* * *
Jett knew that was close. Lisa had blindsided him with her announcement that she was going to back out. It was a foolish mistake on his part not to have anticipated her anxiety level increasing as time moved on. He couldn’t blame her. What she was going through was unimaginable. But it was only a matter of time before those memories resurfaced. At least he was here with her now. That wasn’t always going to be the case. Once all the questions had been answered and she could settle down and move on with her life, he’d move on to the next client.
Client? She hadn’t hired him for anything. Why was he categorizing her in such a manner? Because I won’t cross a line, and I’ll keep it professional. With Lisa, he’d felt some kind of connection, one he couldn’t quite understand or relate to.
Was he attracted to her? Of course. She was beautiful, exotic looking, long dark hair, and dark eyes with lashes that almost flirted as she blinked. But Jett wasn’t ruled by his dick. If so he’d have been hooked a long time ago. There was so much more to Lisa than her looks. He meant it when he told her about her inner strength. What he hadn’t mentioned was her inner beauty as well. She might not know who she was, but what hadn’t been buried was her kind heart.
She was very protective of Uncle Phil and now somehow was doing the same with him. Lisa’s fear of her past catching up to her was a reality, and she was worried it’d affect him as well.
Jett wasn’t concerned. He was more than capable of taking care of himself. He may spend hours behind a computer (and know you can save or hurt someone with the right keystrokes) but friends like Roman made sure he was able to hold his own, if shit went down. At least twice a year he joined them on the shooting range. He might not be a marksman or a sniper, but Jett still wasn’t someone to fuck with. And anyone who tried to hurt Lisa would learn that the hard way.
He wasn’t sure who her brothers were. They could be thugs who she was better off without, or they might be straight-up good guys. He doubted the latter. If they were, they’d have plastered the World Wide Web with photos of their missing sister. That was something they’d need to explain to Lisa. And if he didn’t like their answer, they’d see a side of Jett he saved only for dealing with lowlife pieces of shit.
Once back in the States, Jett figured things were going to move quickly. He wasn’t being cocky about his abilities, either. He knew his way around almost any system. What he couldn’t get into, he had friends who could. Would they help him without question? Hell no. He wouldn’t do so either. But they were honorable men and women. Jett wouldn’t cross the line without good cause, and neither would they.
With his support system lined up, there was only one thing remaining: to get their asses to the States. For the moment, Lisa had agreed to go, but that could easily change again. Roman wasn’t going to have the boat to them until later tomorrow. A lot could go wrong before then. And even once they were on the boat, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t change her mind and ask to be brought back.
He got it. This place might not be home, but it was where she felt safe. Jett could have an army of men surrounding her and even then, she’d have the same feelings. It wasn’t about her surroundings; it was not knowing what to fear that left her vulnerable. Did she understand that? He hoped so.
That’s why when he heard her talking in her sleep, he didn’t go to her. Jett wasn’t an insensitive bastard. It was hard as hell holding back, knowing she was crying out. But now he had more to go on than before.
He told her about the brothers, but there was more than that. She spoke in a language he didn’t understand. Jett felt like an asshole, but he recorded it. When they got back to Boston, he’d be able to analyze it and determine what language it was. It might be yet another clue as to who she was, or where she was from. Maybe she’s not from the States at all.
The sun was beginning to set and they had a long walk back up that hill. Although sitting by the ocean made it worth the trek, he didn’t want them to get caught out there in the dark. There were natural predators he’d like to avoid, mostly venomous insects. Just another reason why I love being on my boat. None of that shit out there.
“I know you could listen to me talk all night, but we better head back to the cabin.”
Lisa laughed. “Oh, were you still talking?” she teased.
“Don’t worry. I can tell you all about it again on our way.”
Lisa raised her hands. “You win.”
He stood up and extended a hand to her. She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. He easily lifted her to her feet, but didn’t let go. Instead he entwined his fingers with hers as he led the way. Trying to keep the conversation light, he asked, “Should we grab one of those seventy-five pound fruits on our way back?”
“I actually was hoping we could take a short detour.”
“If it wasn’t so late, I’d say I’m up for anything.” Jett found it nice to see Lisa not rushing to return to the confines of the cabin.
“Not even to stop and pick up some crab from the fishermen?”
Jett stopped and looked at her. “That’s not playing fair.”
“Tempted?” she said with a wicked grin.
More than you know, and it’s not for any seafood. He needed to push that thought from his mind. His body, on the other hand, didn’t want to hear it. Even the simple touch of holding hands was getting a reaction from him. Keep your distance Jett. She has enough problems. Don’t need to add ‘broken heart’ to the list.
“It sounds like an adventure for tomorrow. Now let’s get moving, because I’m not carrying you up that hill.” He didn’t wait for her answer and turned away, pulling her behind him. He heard her mumble under her breath.
“Now look who’s no fun.”
He ignored her comment. There was a time and place for fun. Although it would be a sweet distraction, he wasn�
��t about to forget how vulnerable she was. I might be an ass, but I’m not an asshole.
Chapter Six
“I promise, I didn’t miss one trap or specimen,” Lisa informed Phil on the video call. “Everything is on the dock and will be shipped to you.”
Phil grinned. “Good. I didn’t want to lose all my research just because of this ankle.”
Ankle? I thought it was a knee. She wasn’t sure anymore. There was so much changing in her life, how could she keep track of the details in anyone else’s?
“I didn’t do it all on my own. Your nephew was a huge help.” With a bit of constant prodding, we got it done. It hadn’t been easy keeping Jett on task. They would be in the middle of something, then his phone would ring, and he’d excuse himself so he could talk privately. Were the calls about her? About the boat that had arrived? Maybe a girlfriend calling because she misses him? Whoever was on the other end, Jett didn’t want her to overhear. That was fine with her. She didn’t need to know his personal life in order for him to help her. It’d just be nice to know that trust goes both ways.
“My dear Lisa. I know Jett. There was no way he was a willing participant.”
She snickered. “You know I can be very persuasive.”
“Oh, I’m not sure I want to hear any more of this. Maybe I better have a long talk with my nephew. He’d better be on his best behavior. I mean, I could tell you some stories that—”
Jett came and stood behind her so Phil could see him on the monitor. “Uncle Phil, we have a lot to do. Is there anything important you want to talk about?”
Like always, Phil had to think about that. He took everything so seriously. The trait hadn’t been passed down to Jett. Thankfully, he seemed to have a sense of humor. Although I don’t always get his jokes.
“Yes. When are you returning?”
Jett had warned her not to divulge the fact that they were leaving on his boat. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t tell Phil. He’d protected her all these years, but Jett feared that Phil might let it slip. She couldn’t imagine that happening, but then again, he wasn’t in the tropics any longer. Back in Boston Phil would be talking to people all the time.
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