Chapter Fifty-Four Ella
Chapter Fifty-Four
Ella
Itell Rhia everything that’s happened since we last talked that final morning on Tiero’s island. Every kidnapping and every escape gets covered, but I leave out the part where Tiero and I crossed the line and had sex again.
Her face mirrors every one of the emotions I felt. Horror, shock, fury.
When I reach the part about Tiero losing it and coming close to belting me, she launches to her feet and starts pacing.
“God, I want to punch Gualtiero so badly. Twist his nuts in a vice and burn what’s left with a blowtorch.”
That makes me laugh. I love that Rhia is always on my side.
Hearing myself retell everything makes me realize how much danger I’d been in, and how much of it I’d walked into myself.
Rhia pulls me into a fierce hug.
“Holy cow, El. You could have died so many times. Your guardian angel deserves a raise.”
I couldn’t agree more.
I bury my face in her red hair, a lump forming in my throat with what I’m about to admit.
“I slept with Tiero again,” I whisper. “I could be pregnant.”
Rhia jerks back, staring at me.
“Oh Rhi, what am I going to do if I am? It’s why I was so upset yesterday. I think he’s trying to get me pregnant on purpose, to bind me to him for life.”
“Did he force you?” she demands. “I swear to God, if he did, I’ll castrate him myself.”
I puff air into my cheeks and let it out slowly.
“No, he wouldn’t do that. For all his darkness, he’d never crossed that line. After Monday, after seeing people killed, I wasn’t in a good place.”
“Who would be? I was traumatized listening to it. El, when you reach Atlanta, promise me you’ll talk to someone. Freemont must have therapists on staff. I don’t want this to scar you.”
Too late for that.
I thought about therapy myself, not only for everything that’s happened, but also for losing someone I love so deeply.
In hindsight, I should have sought help after my parents’ accident, but I couldn’t face talking about my loss. This time feels different. I don’t want to shut down again and lose years of my life.
Despite everything, or maybe because of it, I want to live fully, now more than ever.
“I will, Rhi. I haven’t even begun to process any of this, and it’s pure nightmare material. Talking it through, maybe even hypnosis, sounds like a good idea.”
She relaxes, lying back down and pulling me along. “Sorry, I interrupted you. You were talking about Monday.”
“Yeah, after everything that happened that day, Tiero was wonderful in how he cared for me. He was Island Tiero again, gentle and attentive, and I felt so close to him. Maybe it was the trauma, but then those feelings were there long before he kidnapped me.”
For a moment, I can almost feel his touch, and the world narrowing to just us. The longing hits hard, sharper than I expect.
“Rhi, I know he loves me, and I love him too. But I can’t live in his world, and I won’t bring children into that darkness.”
My hands drift to my stomach, a reflex I don’t even think about. The gesture feels both protective and terrifying.
“As twisted as it sounds, I can understand him. In his mind, a baby solves everything. It ties me to him forever, guaranteeing I won’t run again, and it secures his family line.”
“It didn’t stop you from running, though,” Rhia points out the obvious.
“If a baby had already been born, it would have been different. You know, I’d never abandon my child. I’d have stayed with Tiero until the end.” And loathe myself for it.
“But yesterday morning, I was furious. If I hadn’t been so livid, I’m not sure I would have run. I hate admitting it, but I was getting used to everything. Despising it, but beginning to accept it. I guess that’s what he counted on all along.”
This time it’s me who sits up, the anger from a day ago resurfacing.
“He took away my birth control pills, didn’t use condoms, and then told me afterward that we would get married soon, so there’d be no question about his child’s legitimacy.”
My pulse quickens again. “Seriously, he has no idea how relationships work. In his world, women do as they’re told. What century does he live in?”
The frustration keeps pouring out. “And he wanted to turn me into some kind of Barbie doll. You should have seen the wardrobe he bought me, and the shoe collection. It almost rivaled yours.”
Rhia sits up straight, eyes wide with interest, making me laugh. After all the crying, it feels good to laugh again.
“What will he do with all the shoes now?”
I elbow her, and she sighs. “Just kidding. You did the right thing to run. His world would have suffocated you. How could you enjoy all those riches, knowing where they came from?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Is it bad that I loved my spin with Carlos fricking Rosales? It was the most exciting thing I’ve ever done.”
“Well, Gualtiero owns some legitimate businesses. Let’s assume he paid for that with clean money,” she says, winking. “I can’t believe you met my favorite driver and got to go out on the track with him. I’m so jealous.”
“You could suggest something similar to Lex for your anniversary.”
“Or as a groveling gift,” Rhia says, tapping her chin.
I grin. This feels so normal. It’s just what I needed.
“Now tell me about Lex’s double life. How did you find out?”
“Well, he sort of had to come clean. When you and I kept missing calls, I knew something was off. That never happens with us. I looked closer at your texts, and even though they sounded like you, a few things didn’t add up. So I started testing you with things I knew would trigger a reaction.”
“Like what?”
“First, I said I was getting takeaway from your favorite Chinese place near your apartment, and you just replied, ‘Enjoy and let’s go there when I’m back.’”
“The one that gave me food poisoning? I’d have told you to grab a bucket.”
“Exactly. Then I said I had your second-favorite dessert, lemon sorbet.”
I grimace automatically.
Rhia points at my face. “That. And fake-you replied, ‘Yum.’ That’s when I knew something was horribly wrong.
“I tried to call again, but it went straight to voicemail even though we had just messaged. I was ready to book a flight to Sicily and confront Gualtiero.”
“Oh, Rhi. You’d have been in so much danger.”
“Yeah, I can be impulsive. Luckily, Lex isn’t. He returned home early from South America and convinced me to hold off while he made inquiries. Less than a day later, he said Gualtiero De Marco runs a major crime syndicate, that he’s the Don.”
Hearing her say it out loud makes my stomach sink all over again.
“Holy cow, El. Stuff like that happens only in movies and books, not in real life. It made me sick thinking about how much danger you were in.
“When I calmed down, I asked Lex how he found out so fast. He said he had connections. And you know me, I like to get to the bottom of things. So I kept probing until he admitted it.”
I blink. “He’s not much of a spy if he gave up his secret that easily.”
“Hey, I can be persuasive.”
“There’s that, but still. He kept it from you for two years. Why tell you now?”
“He felt guilty. I suppose he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone, not even me. I had to swear I’d keep it secret.”
“Ha. You’re telling me.”
“You’re not just anyone. You’re a part of me.”
I smile at her, warmth spreading through my chest. Rolling over, I hug her.
“I love you, Rhi. I’ve missed you so much. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“Are you kidding, sweets? I’d cross oceans and climb mountains for you. I love you too.”
Her arms tighten around me, and for a few seconds, I let myself feel safe.
“What Lex found out about Tiero… how bad is it?” I ask, then shake my head. “No, actually, don’t tell me. I can’t reconcile that the man I love is the head of a crime empire.”
“It’s better you don’t know. When Lex told me, I was speechless for five minutes.”
“Wow,” I tease. “That never happens.”
“I know. Once I recovered, I had plenty to say. I hated that I encouraged you to give Tiero a chance.”
“Rhia, stop. We both tried to find out more about him and came up empty. As you said back then, just because he was a wealthy Italian surrounded by security didn’t mean he was mafia.”
She sighs. “But he was. He is.”
A vibration on the coffee table draws our attention. Rhia reaches for her phone.
“That will be fake-you with your daily message. His tech team is very reliable.”
She takes a look and smiles. “Aww. You sent safari pictures. Those lions are magnificent.”
She hands me the phone. I scroll through photos of lions lounging in the shade, scenic landscapes, hotel shots, and meals I supposedly ate. Then one message catches my eye: “I haven’t sat on anything in Africa yet.”
My stomach turns. “Wouldn’t you think it’s strange that I haven’t sent you a single selfie?”
“I would. But I haven’t brought it up because I want them to think everything’s fine. They can fake a photo easily enough anyway.”
The phone vibrates again in my hands. I stare at the new message, my face falling.
“What is it?” Rhia asks, alarmed.
I turn the screen toward her. Her hand flies to her chest. “Oh, El.”
Tears blur my vision. The picture shows Tiero and me, looking impossibly happy. He’s gazing at me with that smile that once melted me completely, and I’m grinning back, pressed against him.
“We took this on the island,” I whisper. “There are a few more like it.”
Two more pictures appear with the message, “I love this man so much.”
The tears come fast now.
“I do love him, Rhi. So much. Despite everything. But there’s no future for us. If everything goes as planned, I’ll never see him again, and it’s tearing me apart. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over him.”
Rhia pulls me into her arms. “You’re stronger than you think. You’ve proven it over and over.”
She pinches my side, and I squeal. “You climbed down a cliff without a harness. You, the woman who refused to go abseiling with me.”
I scrunch up my face, remembering only too well how I nearly died of fear.
“El, you can face this too. And you’re not alone. Lex and I are here for you.”
She squeezes me a little tighter, as if to remind me.
“What’s ahead won’t be easy, but you’ll get to America safely and build a new life. And if you’re pregnant, it will make things harder, but it’s also a blessing. Remember what your ma used to say, you’re never given more than you can handle.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “The universe has a lot of faith in me. And thanks for reminding me about the potential bun in my oven. I was hoping to forget it for a bit.”
“There’s no point pretending it’s not a possibility. We’ll need a pregnancy test.”
“Rhi, it’s too early. It’s only been two days. No test would show anything yet.”
She gets up and grabs her handbag. “We’ll still get some. It’s better to be prepared.”
“Why do you have two phones?” I ask as she starts typing.
“Because your would-be husband is monitoring my main one. I need to check about early tests.”
My pulse jumps. “Can he access the microphone? Is that why the pictures suddenly appeared? Does he know we’re together?”
“No. That’s a coincidence. Lex limited his access to calls, messages, and search data.”
“You’re sure?”
“Completely. Super-spy boyfriend, remember? Besides, they think we’re in Dublin. Our phones still ping from there. We checked earlier. We’re safe, I promise.”
I release a long breath and rub the tension from my neck. Rhia scrolls through her second phone for a moment before looking up.
“When’s your period due? It says here you can test on the first day of a missed one.”
“I should get it in a few days. The chances are small. It happened late in my cycle.”
“Next time, get the shot. Saves us both the stress.”
“Yeah, hindsight’s a pain.”
Rhia puts the phone down on the table. “I just texted Miranda to pick up a few tests. You’ll like her. She’s lovely. She’ll ace your transformation.”
Rhia’s smile falters. “I hate that I won’t be here to see it. And I can’t even ask for a picture. It’s safer if nothing of you is out there in cyberspace. I guess it’ll be a surprise when I visit you in Atlanta.”
“That can’t come soon enough. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“Me too, sweets. Me too.”
The door bursts open, and we both jump. Lex storms in.
“Time to leave, girls. Now.”
“What happened?” we ask together.
“Garrett just called.” Lex’s face is serious, urgency in every line of his body.
I’m on instant alert.
“He’s spotted De Marco.”