Chapter 13
Beth
Roxy drones on about the club and how much the brothers adore her.
I just scroll through my phone, rereading the texts from my stepfather and looking at Lila’s picture again.
There are little beads of sweat around her upper lip I hadn’t noticed the first time I saw the image.
Before I know it, we’re pulling into Patch’s driveway in the suburbs.
I thank her and give her twenty bucks for gas because I don’t want to feel guilty about costing her money.
Her mouth falls open in surprise. It feels like maybe people aren’t nice to her very often.
I jump out and literally run to my car. I don’t care if my behavior looks weird to Roxy or not.
I’ve got to get to my sister before something bad happens to her.
My tires spin when I pull out, but I head west, just like my step-asshole told me to.
When I get to the county line, I stop, take a picture of the sign, and text it to him without a message.
My stepfather’s return text pops up almost instantaneously, like maybe he had it all typed out and just hit send. He tells me where to go in three texts, stringing it out and making me verify where I’m at every step of the way. It feels like he’s enjoying the control he’s lording over me.
Pull around the back of the house. Don’t be seen. Use the side drive.
Before I can ask, he gives the final set of directions but never includes the actual address. He’s probably afraid I’ll send it to someone.
I recognize the house when I pull into the driveway and around the back.
It’s his old college friend’s place. He keeps an eye on their place every fall when they go to the East Coast. A little voice in the back of my head reminds me that just means there will be no one around to hear me scream.
Morbid thoughts like that keep creeping unbidden into my mind.
As I’m turning off the ignition, the side door opens. Suddenly, my stepfather is standing there looking triumphant rather than angry like he normally does.
“Finally,” he says casually. “I’m glad you came. It’s high time you and I had a talk, young lady.”
“I want to see my sister,” I say flatly. “You promised the judge you wouldn’t take her out, and you did anyway.”
He laughs. His face is lit up with pure happiness. “Now don’t be that way, Elizabeth. The judge isn’t here to object, is he?”
When I approach the door, he pulls me inside by the elbow. “You see Lila, and then we’ll talk.”
“No. You take Lila back to the care home, and then I’ll talk about whatever you want.”
He shoots me an annoyed look while leading me down a long hallway. A flight of stairs goes down into a cooler darkness. Gooseflesh rises on my arms because my Spidey senses are going off like crazy. He could trap us down here, but I go anyway because what choice do I have.
“Did you put her in the basement?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes. It’s cool and comfortable down here,” he says. “It’s a nice room, where Lila can rest until you come to your senses.”
He’s not joking about the room being nice.
It’s a family room and I can’t decide if it’s a gym, home movie theater, or man cave.
But I don’t care about the surroundings.
I just want my sister, so I rush forward to find her.
Lila’s lying on a big sofa with a toss cushion clutched to her chest. Her eyes are wide, and her lips are too pale. There’s a bluish tinge to her skin.
“Beth,” she says in a whisper that breaks my heart. She’s still got the inhaler tight in her hand. The tremor in her fingers makes me worry that she might be using it too much. I don’t want her to overdose out of fear and anxiety, so I take it gently out of her hand as I sit down beside her.
“Breathe slowly,” I tell her. “You got this. We’re together now. Everything’s going to be okay.”
When she calms, I look up at my stepfather, who’s hovering nearby. I don’t like that greedy look in his eye. “Please take her back to the care home,” I tell him sternly.
“First, we talk.”
I can tell by the stubborn expression on his face that he’s not going to let this go. “Fine. Say what you have to say and let’s get on with this.”
“I know you’re not really married to Solomon,” he says smugly. “I checked at the courthouse, and they said the two of you got the marriage license but didn’t come back to register the marriage.”
“We are. We just didn’t get around to filing the papers. Just get to the point, I’m tired of this.”
“I don’t like your attitude. I should have taught you to have some respect,” he says in a disapproving tone.
“Listen to me,” I say, standing. “I already said that I’ll do what you want if you take Lila back to her care home. She can’t be here. She needs oxygen and monitoring.”
“In order for Lila to get what she needs, you have to follow through on your promises to me.”
My sister protests weakly from the sofa, “Beth, no. Don’t listen to him.”
“I know you want to traffic me to settle your debt to some asshole business partner.”
My stepfather raises an eyebrow at that.
“Yeah, I heard you. Why do you think I ran?”
“Vincent isn’t a partner. He’s more of an associate,” he explains. He acts like that somehow makes it alright.
I’ve heard the name before. “He’s not a biker, is he?”
“Not hardly. Vincent is one of the wealthiest men in this county. And he’s looking for wife number three.”
I just stare at him for a brief second. This is the first I’ve heard of marriage. I think he’s just telling me what I want to hear in order to get things rolling in the right direction.
“I told you, I’m married to Patch.”
“We’ll see. You’ve embarrassed me. Thank goodness he’s a patient man. I want the first words out of your mouth when we meet him to be an apology.”
“Fine,” I say. “I’ll do whatever you want as long as we drop Lila off first.”
“Of course,” he says. “What kind of monster do you think I am?”
The kind who taught me to lie by example, I think in the back of my mind. I don’t say that, of course. But I sure think it.
“Thank you. Help me get her up.”
He picks her up and carries her upstairs. I follow close behind, worried he might drop her.
As we walk out the back door, I tell him, “We need to call the care home and let them know we’re bringing her back.”
“Already done,” he states pleasantly.
This tells me he didn’t really want Lila.
He just wanted to use her to get me to come back so he could force me into an unwanted situation with this associate of his.
He didn’t make any provisions for her healthcare needs because he wasn’t planning to keep her, even overnight.
The plan all along was to treat this like a day trip.
I’m equal parts relieved and annoyed that he pretended this was permanent and let her spiral all day. That was cruel and unnecessary.
When we get to the car, I take over, carefully easing her into the back seat and buckling her in while saying reassuring things.
Then I climb into the other side and scoot over so I can hold her hand. Before we’re a full three blocks away, her head begins to loll on my shoulder. This has clearly been an exhausting day for her.
“Care home first, like we agreed,” I say curtly, by way of a reminder.
“Care home,” he echoes, glancing into the rearview mirror with a smug expression on his face. He can have his moment for all I care. As long as Lila gets home, that’s all I care about. Once she’s back safely I’m going to see if I can get a message to Patch.
My stepfather eases out onto the interstate. I try to keep track of what’s going on with Lila because I’ve never taken care of her before and I’m not quite sure if I fully understand her needs. When he passes the exit for her care home, I speak up, “You missed the turnoff.”
“No,” he insists. “I didn’t.”
“What are you doing? This isn’t what we agreed on.” My heart’s racing as I realize he was never going to do what he said.
He gives me a smile that sends chills up my spine. “There’s been a change of plans. I want to make sure you cooperate and deliver that nice apology you promised. Once I’m sure of your compliance, I’ll take Lila back myself.”
“I don’t trust you to do right by her,” I tell him, not pulling any punches.
“It’s unfortunate. But Beth, ask yourself this.
Why would I want to keep Lila at my house if you’re not there to take care of her?
Right now, the trust her father set up for her pays for everything she needs.
If she lives with me, the trust goes dormant, and I have to pay for her care.
Trust me, I’m taking her back just as soon as I get you settled with Vincent. ”
I have to grudgingly admit that he’s making a lot of sense. I can’t see him risking the judge’s ire by trying to keep her. Right now, he can probably play it off as some kind of misunderstanding. He wanted to take her on a day trip, and they thought he was signing her out for good.
***
The house we pull up to is huge, modern, and classy.
The gate opens automatically when we approach.
The driveway curves around a lovely fountain.
Three black SUVs breathe quietly alongside a sleek sports car.
I know all the way down to my bones that Vincent has a house full of employees that waits on him hand and foot.
The front door opens before we get to it.
The man who opens it is wearing a nice suit.
I’d half expecting it to be one of the Grave Diggers.
I don’t know if this is Vincent, or one of his lackeys.
He ushers us into the house. I’ve got one arm around Lila, and she’s awake and walking under her own power at least.
A handsome older man approaches wearing a suit that costs more than my car.
He’s the one in the pictures hanging on the wall of the foyer we passed through.
There are images of him smiling at charity luncheons, ribbon cuttings, and group boardroom shots.
There is even one of him shaking a former president’s hand.