31. WYNTER

31

WYNTER

I t takes me a few minutes before I can head back into the room and pretend that nothing is wrong. My foot scuffs my dagger on the floor as I enter and I slip it inside my boot out of sight.

“Are you…are you okay?” Charlie’s big eyes are red from crying as she grabs me, hugging me tight and I wrap my arms around her.

“I've missed your hugs,” I mumble into her shoulder.

“Is he gone?”

I nod. “What did he really tell you?”

“Come through here.” We go through a connecting door and inside is a small homely kitchen.

Summer watches me from the couch and I swear that she can see through all the lies. She’s always been a smart kid. I smile at her and she offers me the same warmth back before she goes back to playing her game. But I can tell that she knows something's wrong.

Charlie busies herself making coffee and I leave her to it as I sit at the small table. She’s always found calm this way and I need a minute to get my head straight.

When she’s made us both a cup she tells me everything. How Noah offered her money to be a nanny for him. She accepted because she didn’t want me to come back and not have any access to Summer.

“What have you really been doing? Don’t give me that spy crap that he’s been filling her head with. I don’t think she really believes it. Accepting his story is her way of protecting herself. I thought you were dead. I went to the police, but nothing came of it. Then he came along."

“I…” Taking a breath I continue, “I was kidnapped and sold by some truly awful men. The man who bought me hurt me a lot. Then Noah saved me from all of that. We've been… dealing with them.”

“Oh my god, Wynter. Are you okay? When did he save you? Do we need to go to the police?” she chokes out, her hands trembling around her cup. I clear my throat and swallow back my own pain.

“Keep your voice down. I’m…not exactly okay, but I’m in a better place than I was. Noah has helped me through a lot.” Even if he went about it all the wrong way. “It's been months since he got me out of that place. I’m sorry. I would have come to you sooner, but I didn’t know you were here. He kept you from me.”

“Why?”

Because he’s a bad person? Because he’s an idiot? Because he’s in love?

“I’m not sure. I need space from him to think things through.”

At the thought of leaving him my back throbs. No matter where I go he’ll find me. I should cut the tracker out, but I can’t bring myself to lose him. The connection we have may not be real, but it still exists. He’s turned me into some needy creature for him and I don’t know how to turn that off.

“Do you still have your apartment?” I ask Charlie.

“Yeah, he said he’d bought it for me so I wouldn’t have to worry about losing it.”

It’s hard to believe that the same man who did something thoughtful like that also kidnapped a child. Even if he did it in a legal sense it’s still not right.

“Can Summer and I stay with you while I figure things out?”

“You know you don’t need to ask that, Wynter. Of course you can, but is he going to be okay with that? He talks about you a lot. The man’s either in love or obsessed with you, it's hard to tell.”

“For him, they’re the same thing.”

“You don’t love him do you?” She asks carefully.

My immediate reaction is to say no, but I keep my mouth shut. Charlie’s shoulders drop as she understands what I can’t tell her.

I leave Charlie to get Summer’s bag packed while I find a way out of the house. The front door is sturdy, but the back door is old and weathered. It takes a few kicks, but eventually I manage to splinter the wood near the lock enough to force it the rest of the way.

We head to the garage and pile into one of Noah’s spare cars. It’s been a while since I’ve driven so I let Charlie take the wheel and I sit in the back with Summer so she can catch me up on everything. To my surprise, she gushes about Noah. About how he’s bought her every game she wants, how he asked her to introduce him to K-pop music. From the sound of it, Summer likes him a lot.

“Is your boyfriend coming to stay with us at Charlie’s as well?” she asks. I’ve missed how blunt she can be with her questions.

“No. It’ll just be us three for…” for how long, I’m not sure? I shouldn’t want Noah back at all. “For a while.”

Summer settles in easily when we get to Charlie’s. It breaks my heart knowing our apartment is just across the hall, but it’s no longer home.

Needing space I go outside and sit on the top step. I get out my phone and contemplate calling Noah. As much as I hate him, I miss him already. I want to know if he’s okay. If he’s handling his grief without me.

It’s starting to get dark and when a car pulls up in front of me I’m blinded by the headlights.

If this is him coming to collect me I’m going to be pissed. Or am I? Isn’t that exactly what I want? For him to force me to be his again so I can pretend I have no say in it.

Shielding my eyes I try to see who it is. The click of heels on the sidewalk takes me by surprise.

“I’m so glad I found you!”

Looking up I have to question who I’m seeing in front of me. “Daniella?”

I didn’t think I’d ever see her again after the funeral. Her face is flushed and she's still wearing the same outfit from earlier today.

“You need to come with me. Noah’s been in an accident," she quickly says.

My heart stops and I get to my feet. She grabs my arm and starts pulling me towards her car. “What happened? Is he okay?”

If he’s been drinking again he could have crashed. Could have overdosed. Could have hurt himself on purpose.

“I’ll tell you on the way,” she says as she opens the car door.

“I need to let my friend know I’m leaving.”

“There’s no time.” She’s pushing me into the seat and I don’t resist.

I feel around in my pocket for my phone, but don’t find it. Crap. I must have left it on the steps.

“Daniella, I need to grab my phone.” I try to open the door, but it's locked.

She doesn’t acknowledge me as she drives off.

“We need to turn back. I left my phone behind.”

“No, he’ll find you with it. You’re always glued to his side. He’s worked his way into your head. Gregory told me all about the pair of you. How in love his son is with you. I’d hoped it was one way, but the way I see you clinging to him proves me wrong. He’s not good enough for you. For both of you.”

“Both?” What the hell is she talking about?

“You and the baby. My baby.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “Daniella. I don’t know how to tell you this, but Noah was lying. I’m not pregnant. I never was.”

With a tender smile, she says, “You don’t have to pretend with me. I imagine your bump will pop any day now then it’s just the wait until your due date. We’ll figure out when that is and find out if it’s Tommaso’s or Noah’s. Either way, we’ll make it work.”

She was in on it the whole time?

I reach for the door handle and she snaps, “Don’t make a fuss now. I don’t want you getting worked up.”

“You knew, didn’t you? What Tommaso was doing to me, to all the others.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I was the one that made him do those things. Granted, he enjoyed himself a little too much sometimes. Hurting you was never my intention. All I wanted was my baby.” She sounds sincere, but looks manic.

As she reaches between us to the backseat, I bend down to retrieve my dagger. Something sharp and familiar pricks the back of my neck. Whatever she's injected me with works fast. My arms hang uselessly down and I struggle to sit up.

“Don’t worry. I made sure it won’t hurt the little one. You have to be good for me now. If you’re good then maybe you can stay around a while longer. The baby will need a wet nurse after all.”

She’s insane. That’s the only explanation for this. “Daniella, I…” My tongue is too heavy to talk and I can barely lift my head up. She grabs my shoulder and pulls me upright.

This can’t be happening again.

“Why?” My voice is slurred.

“There’s no need to panic," she gently says as she strokes my head. I try to move away from her, but all I manage to do is make my head roll limply to the side.

My limbs feel disconnected from my body. I try to talk again, but the words get lost somewhere between my brain and my tongue. My chest is tight and I can barely breathe. I can't go back to that dark place. I can't. But the walls are already closing in on me.

“It’s alright. Relax. You’re safe now.”

Safe . That word conjures up one image in my mind. Noah . He was my safety, but now he’s gone. I’m gone.