Chapter Twenty-Seven
………………………….
Ily
“HE’S WHERE ?”
Q rolled his eyes as if my constant questions pissed him off. “I just told you. He’s hunting. But he’s not in any condition to wage war, and he won’t get far targeting the sort of men he’s after—”
“Wait.” My head swam. “He’s hunting people ?”
“ Putain ,” he snarled and raked both hands through his hair. “If you know my brother well enough to be in love with him, then you should know what he’d do the minute he saw you flatline. He couldn’t cope. He stole Dr Harl’s car and has turned off my phone. The GPS location says he’s made two stops to addresses of men on my list. He’s now in the Eurotunnel to England.”
“Your list?”
“Fuck, I don’t have time for this!”
“You came to me!”
“He’s getting revenge, don’t you see? He’s committing suicide by rapist.”
My heart stopped. “But I didn’t die.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
“Then we need to tell him!”
“That’s what I’m trying to do!”
“We’ll go get him.” I swung my legs out of bed. I went dizzy. “I’ll come. We’ll bring him back. He can see for himself that I’m—”
“You can’t go anywhere. It’s too soon, and I won’t run the risk of you dying again. I just…” Slapping a phone into my hand, he barked, “Keep ringing him. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me and will be able to get through.” Striding to the door, he huffed, “I’ll fly to the UK and track him down. Tell Tess to call me if you manage to speak to that idiot.”
He vanished before I could agree.
* * * * *
For two days, I kept trying.
I sat in a pretty conservatory with a babbling fountain, tropical plants, and an aviary full of colourful birds. Mum and Dad sat beside me, reading and throwing side glances my way. Krish rested a little apart, lying on the floor and looking up through the glass roof as clouds drifted past and Tiger hopped around, exploring.
“Come on, Henri. Pick up the damn phone.”
Nothing.
It wouldn’t even ring.
My thumb hurt from stabbing the recall button, over and over again.
The phone had to be plugged in twice a day with how quickly I drained the battery.
While I fought to get ahold of Henri, Rachel sat quietly beside me looking at maps, drawing red dots on each address of the men on Q’s list.
He’d printed us off a copy.
He’d mentioned that Henri seemed to be working his way through them.
We could track him. Somehow.
But any one of those men could kill him.
Rachel had almost fainted when we’d seen how many names and red dots existed.
After everything she’d gone through on Victor’s island. After seeing Masters finally pay a price and earning a small amount of joy at being told Victor was dead—that all vanished beneath the godawful knowledge that there were so many men like him. So many other girls like us.
Tears lived in the back of my throat.
I’d cried when Rachel told me Peter hadn’t made it.
My entire soul threatened to crack and sob, but…I couldn’t break. Not yet.
I wanted to mourn him and all the other jewels that I hadn’t been able to mourn. All those lost in the cave, and in the Temple, and in the bedrooms of those despicable Masters, but first, I had to keep my twin flame alive.
I dialled again.
It gave an empty dial tone.
Henri…come on.
Pick up.
Feel me.
Hear me.
Come back.
Another night fell and Rachel helped me to the dining room where we sat down to dinner with my parents and brother along with a fluffy rabbit called Tiger. I forced myself to eat even though I tasted none of it. I tolerated the doctors checking me over and said goodnight as everyone went to bed.
And I stayed up all night, ringing.
* * * * *
Three a.m.
I lay beneath comfy silver blankets alone.
The novelty of being utterly by myself after six months of being surrounded by Masters and jewels left me oddly uncomfortable.
My skin prickled every time I heard a creak or a crack.
I couldn’t stop staring at the door, just waiting for Victor or one of the guards to come barrelling in.
Rachel told me what happened to Victor. How the jewels had left him in pieces, each sharing a role in his demise, but…I couldn’t quite trust that he was gone.
Just like I couldn’t believe Peter was dead.
It didn’t feel right.
He’d survived so much for so long. He’d seemed almost immortal to me.
And yet…whenever I asked Rachel if she was positive Peter died protecting me, she’d burst into tears and could only nod.
I glared at the useless phone in my hands. The brightness of the screen made my eyes ache. All the tears I couldn’t shed sat like a swamp in my chest. I wanted to grieve, but…I couldn’t let myself fall. Not while Henri was still out there. I didn’t think I’d survive mourning for Peter and all the others only to have to mourn him too.
I need you to come back .
Sniffing back the wet pressure within me, my fingers flew over the keyboard for the millionth time. I might not be at full strength yet, but I had enough energy to run to wherever he was in the world if only he told me where.
I texted him.
Adding to the long, one-sided conversation I’d already sent.
Please, Henri. If you get this…I’m okay. It’s Ily. I’m the one trying to ring you. I know you saw my heart stop, but I’m okay. Truly. Please pick up. Please come back. Don’t get yourself killed. I’ll be incredibly mad if you do.
Sighing, I clicked off the screen and tried to sleep.
* * * * *
Five a.m.
I couldn’t turn my mind off.
Climbing out of bed, I went to the window and looked at the pretty countryside blanketed in the dark. Stars twinkled. The same stars we’d looked at when Henri and I took our nightly strolls around the citadel’s gardens.
Are you looking at those same stars, Henri?
Sitting in the chair, I curled my legs up and texted him again.
Me again. It’s Ily. I know you have no reason to believe me. Knowing you, you probably think it’s your brother trying to get you to come back. But it’s truly me. Want me to prove it? You said I was your wife the moment I agreed to be your girlfriend. I said I didn’t want a diamond ring. That a piece of string would do. If you come back with a piece of string and tie it on my finger right now, I’ll marry you. This very moment. Just…please come back.
The door to my bedroom opened.
Every droplet of fear from living on that terrible island exploded through me. A cold sweat misted my skin. My breath caught. My heart tore through my ribs.
A man appeared.
A man who padded toward my empty bed and—
“Ily?”
Bone-breaking relief swamped my terror. I puddled into the chair, pressing a hand to my heart and feeling utterly stupid.
You’re safe.
You’re fine.
It’s over.
“Over here,” I squeaked, wishing my voice was a little stronger.
Q headed toward me then sat heavily in the opposite chair. He eyed me in the dark, no doubt seeing the icy wash of fading fear. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but eventually, he leaned forward, jabbed his elbows into his knees, and rubbed his face with both hands.
My gaze shot to the open door.
I willed another Mercer to walk through.
I sighed and wrapped my arms around my legs, grateful for the long white nightgown the housekeeper had provided. “You didn’t find him?”
He groaned and dropped his hands.
Lines etched his eyes and bracketed his mouth. His suit was all rumpled. His nails black with dirt or…blood.
He caught me looking at his fingers and gave me a wry smile. “I’ve been cleaning up my brother’s mess. Turns out he’s getting rather good at extermination.”
“I see.” I dropped my gaze to the phone and message that said undelivered. “Is he…still alive?”
“As far as I know.” He reclined back with an exhale. “He’s been one step ahead of me the entire chase. The GPS hasn’t been that reliable and each time we arrived at an address, a corpse was waiting. By the sixth address, I’m guessing he either caught sight of us following him or he’s learned a thing or two because I found my phone waiting on the next trafficker’s doorstep.”
“Did he leave a note?”
“Nope.” He raked a hand through his short hair. “And he must have copied the list because he hasn’t stopped. I’ve tried pre-empting where he’ll go but haven’t had much luck. I came back to gather more men. I’ll triple the manpower and hopefully find him before he leaves England.”
“What if he already has?”
He gave me a sombre look but didn’t reply.
Hauling himself to his feet, he glanced at the phone in my hands. “Thanks for trying.” He pulled out an identical-looking phone and gave me a half smile. “But you can stop now. It’s back in my possession.”
Striding to the door, he paused and added, “Your parents want to leave tomorrow. I’ve arranged the plane to take you home at ten a.m. I believe your friend Rachel is meeting her uncle at Charles de Gaulle. She’s flying to Spain to have the baby there.”
I gripped the armrests. “I can’t leave. What if he comes back?”
“I’ll call you the minute he does.” Resting his hand on the doorknob, he studied me. “Also…if you’re struggling or can’t shake what happened, it’s natural. Don’t be afraid to see someone. You can even talk to my wife if you need to vent to someone who’s been there.” He smiled sadly. “She’s survived more than you know.”
Standing, I clasped my hands in front of myself. “Do you mind if I stayed? I don’t think I can leave without Henri.”
His nostrils flared. “I’m sorry, but no. You can’t stay here. You need to go home. Go back to your life. I’ll keep you informed. But for now…he’s gone, and you need to move on.”