Chapter 19
F allon
Vivid colors.
I’d first been drawn to art when my mother had brought me my first coloring book and crayons. I’d been two or three, but it was the single memory I had from when I was younger than four. I could remember the excitement on her face and the joy in her eyes when she presented the gift.
I could also still hear her soft voice as she’d explained what the crayons were for and what I could use them on. No walls. No floors.
A subtle laugh left my lips as the good memory began to fade. She’d been so tickled when I’d added my own characters to the coloring book, staining each one in vibrant shades of red and purple, electric blue and the brightest orange.
That love of bold colors had never left, my paintings certainly not considered demure or devoid of emotion.
The sun was warm, the landscaping lush with greenery and spectacular foliage, and the breeze was wafting the fragrant scents of different flowers to provide a perfect setting for an artist. The shimmer of the crystal-clear pool was also a perfect draw, a luxurious, yet my guess was rarely used must-have for rich idiots who thought they owned the world.
A sly smile crossed my face as I wondered whether Navarro had a pool in his backyard.
After sliding into one of the outfits purchased for me, a form-fitting pair of jeans and a shirt that left nothing to the imagination, I finally allowed myself to explore.
First the house, but there was nothing of interest to me.
This wasn’t Navarro’s home, but someone I didn’t know and I certainly wasn’t a guest. I found bottled water in one of three refrigerators in the kitchen and that was all I needed.
As soon as I walked outside from the living room, I gathered a sense of why Navarro had encouraged me to consider sketching.
It had been years since I’d used a sketch pad for anything more than a draft idea.
A part of me felt so guilty for daring to take any time to myself and clear my mind, but what else could I do?
The thought of how foolish I’d been remained in the forefront of my mind, but I’d do it again for the single chance at saving my sister’s life.
And ruining my father.
I still couldn’t justify why he’d left even if he’d been running to safety. That just didn’t make any sense. None at all. Even knowing the background and why he’d left Spain didn’t bring anything to light. If he’d also been threatened, why not try to contact me?
A single tear formed and I brushed it away roughly before selecting the red pencil again. Maybe the set was cheap, but I felt more relaxed than I had for days. I also felt more determined. If Navarro wouldn’t help, I’d locate Brooke myself. And he couldn’t stop me.
The sketch was as bold as usual, but certainly full of more rage than normal.
Or maybe I was kidding myself. I’d been in what my teachers had called my dark period since I could remember.
The school counselors had told my father I’d grow out of it, but I never had, allowing the sadness and haunting memories to feed my visions.
The paintings were a clear reflection of how much I missed my mother.
And a life I could barely remember.
I added subtle shading to sketch number three and held the pad out with both hands. Not bad for an amateur.
Suddenly, the pad was ripped from my hands and tossed aside, the carton of pencils pitched from my lap, and my wrists were grabbed by powerful hands. As a scream erupted from my throat, I was jerked off the chair by my wrists, held midair a full foot off the ground.
Another gasp escaped and I stared into the eyes of the same man who’d not only fulfilled my desires the night before, but had allowed me to see a part of him I hadn’t known existed.
Kindness.
No longer.
The eyes of the man holding me were laced with venom and hatred, an anger so severe his face was flushed and every muscle in his body tense.
“What are you doing?” I managed.
He said nothing, his chest rising and falling as utter hatred kept his lips pursed.
“You betrayed me.” Even his voice was rippled with fury, his nostrils flared.
“What are you talking about?” I kicked my feet as I struggled in his hold, but he was too strong for me.
I noticed several soldiers waiting as if he’d directed them to remain by his side.
What in God’s name did he think I could do at this point?
When he said nothing, I lowered my voice.
“Let me down, Navarro. I have no clue what’s going on. ”
His jaw was clenched to the point I could tell the man was grinding his teeth.
When he finally lowered me to my feet, even freeing his hold, I quickly moved away from him.
I held my arms, trying to catch my breath after the shock had all but destroyed the little trust I’d found during our last conversation.
“You are a liar.”
“How so?”
He threw his head back and as he did every time he was completely unnerved, he raked his hands through his hair. “Tell me your name.”
“You know my name.” My skin began to crawl.
His laugh was both seductive and as savage as the man. Whatever he’d seen or heard had changed everything between us.
“Your father is a chemist.”
He made the statement in a way that let me know he’d discovered my secret. “A scientist. Or so he told me. Told us. My sister and I, but he couldn’t get a job for a long time in his field. He was an accountant. At least for a little while. But yes, okay?”
“Who just happened to have a laboratory in his basement. Right?” His snarl brought a tremor of fear.
“Just some equipment, but I have no clue what he was doing. I didn’t. If it made him happy then why bother asking him anything? Why? What is going on?” I knew exactly what was going on and it terrified me to death.
There was no truth that would ease the pain. I just had no idea what any of it meant.
“What is your goddamn name, Fallon? Your real name.”
“You know my name.”
He lunged for me before I could think about running away. When he had me in his hold, he dragged me against his body. For all his hatred and rage, for all the wildness I witnessed in his eyes, he was even more aroused than he’d been before.
Maybe arguing was his aphrodisiac.
If so, then it was also mine, although I’d call my attraction to him my kryptonite. I pummeled his chest, quickly realizing we’d both come to a crossroads.
“Do you want your sister to live?”
“Why would you ask me that? Are you using her against me? You bastard.”
“Leave us,” he roared to the men surrounding us.
When they didn’t respond immediately, his anger took on an entirely different level.
“Get the fuck out and leave us. Now!”
They quickly left and with the interruption, I pushed hard against him, breaking his hold.
I backed away, almost tripping over the leg of one chair.
He remained where he was and the determination on his face reminded me of the young man who’d protected me, who’d comforted me, and who’d acted like my hero if only for thirty minutes of my childhood.
But I remembered the day as if it had been only weeks before, not over two decades.
He took a step closer and I threw out my hand, slowly shaking my head.
“You don’t remember me, do you, Navarro?”
My question stymied him and he stopped short, narrowing his eyes until they were hooded with confusion and fury. His upper lip curled, his face contorting as he tried to remember.
“You were kind to me. I was a lost little girl, chased by a monster. You saved me. You went out of your way to carry me to safety. You told me that night you would hunt down the person who’d hurt me. Did you? I had no clue who you were except for my hero.”
He took another step closer and his body swayed. When he looked away, I sensed something about that day came back to him. “What?”
“There was a party. I don’t know why we were there.
I had no idea who the people were. I was nine years old.
But I was wearing a pretty party dress, happy to be going anywhere since my father kept me in a gilded cage.
I went after a cat or maybe a rabbit. Before I knew it, I was lost in the woods.
Suddenly there was a scary man who said crazy things to me and I ran and ran. But I fell.”
Seconds later, he sucked in his breath, finally returning his full attention to me.
I was shaking, the memory more vivid than it had ever been.
Along with watching Navarro’s face twist as images flashed in his mind, they did mine as well.
The young man as well as the monster standing in front of me.
Trembling, I reached out but curled my fingers. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t a fairytale and he was no longer the boy who’d protected me from the boogeyman. He was a powerful and very dangerous man.
I backed away.
He took another step closer. Still confused. Still processing.
After another step, I realized I was close to being caged in by the outdoor kitchen and pool furniture. “Don’t you remember?”
He faltered, his chest heaving. “Fuck.” The light went on in his eyes.
“What did you do with him, Navarro? After you carried me back to the party, you disappeared. Did you hunt him down?”
“What is your name?” he asked again, the demand in his tone much deeper and more controlling than before.
I closed my eyes, still able to see the notebook I’d found locked away in my father’s things. My childhood had been laid out like a graphic horror novel complete with details about my mother’s death.
The last time I’d seen her alive pressed hard against my senses.
“Come here, baby girl. Mama needs to tell you something.”
Her voice was so soft. “Mama. Why are you sad?”
She tried to smile. “I’m not sad, my sweet girl. I’m just tired. I just need you to know how much I love you. If anything happens, take good care of your sister.”
“Mama. You’re scaring me. What are you talking about?”
“I’m just trying to make certain you know how important family is. That’s all.”