Chapter 12 #2
Wow, that was amazing. They really were a group of overachievers, weren’t they?
“And my youngest brother’s called Patrick, but we call him Paddy.
He’s, well, he’s a scoundrel. Smart, but hasn’t quite got his life together.
When he was younger, he got into a lot of trouble because he was too smart.
School bored him. Once, he hacked into the school system and gave everyone A’s.
My grandfather had to pay handsomely to keep the cops out of that. ”
“Your grandfather?” she asked.
“Yeah. Now, there’s a grumpy old fart, Conor Gallagher.
We had to live with him when our parents died in a car accident.
I think Ronan was about sixteen. Which meant that I was twelve.
And Paddy was just eight. Wasn’t easy. For any of us.
I would have understood if the old man had turned us away, but he’s big on family.
Took us all in and raised us the best he could.
He and my father were actually estranged.
Dad didn’t want anything to do with the family business.
He wouldn’t be happy that Ronan was now the head of it and that Paddy and I are involved. ”
She wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “Are you happy to be involved?”
He shrugged. “It is what it is. And it makes the old man happy. We owe him.”
“I’m sure he would’ve looked after you no matter what. Family shouldn’t owe family.”
His lips quirked up in a smile. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Can I have my phone and handbag?” She finished eating.
“No,” he said cheerfully.
“No? Why not?”
“Because I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have your phone.”
Her temper stirred. “Why not? Are you worried I might call someone and tell them that you’re holding me prisoner?”
Harvey smiled like he thought she was the funniest thing ever.
“Would you do that? After I took care of you these last few days? Bathed you, cleaned you up when you’d been ill, cooked for you. I even gave you a bell to call for me. Although you did disobey me and walk down the stairs on your own. That was rather naughty.”
“No, I wouldn’t call the police,” she said.
He tilted his head to the side, studying her. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did, Lily. I don’t think you fully understand how much I care about you. And what I would do to keep you.”
A shaft of fear ran up her spine. She believed he meant every word of that.
And no, she didn’t know the depths that he’d go to in order to keep her, because she didn’t understand how he could be so obsessed with her. It wasn’t normal, this obsession, was it?
It couldn’t be healthy. But if he was mentally ill, then he’d hidden it well.
And Lord knew it wasn’t like she was that healthy herself.
“That isn’t the main reason I don’t want you having your phone,” he told her. “I don’t think you would call the police on me. I think you want answers about what happened to you too much and you know that I’ll be the one to find them.”
Did that mean she was using him? She bit her lower lip.
Reaching over, he freed her lip from between her teeth.
“None of that,” he told her. “No fretting, no worrying. If you’re thinking that you’re using me for answers, then don’t. Because I would be getting answers either way.”
“You would?” she asked.
“Oh yes,” Harvey replied. “Whoever drugged you deserves to pay. I want to know the truth.”
So did she. “So why can’t I have my phone then?”
“Because of your mother. She’s been sending messages to you.
When she was arrested, she was sent to a psych unit for a while to get evaluated, but she must have convinced them that she was in her right mind.
Now, she’s out on bail. She’s been demanding that you return home, and I didn’t want you to see those messages. ”
“Were you worried that I’d try to do what she wants?”
“Would you?” he asked.
“When you first took me? Yes, probably. Not that I would’ve gotten far, right?”
“You wouldn’t have,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I want you upset by the messages she’s been sending. She is no longer in your life. You no longer have to worry about her, because she won’t have any influence over you and you never have to see her again.”
“She’s my mother, though.”
“Just because she’s your mother, doesn’t mean she deserves to be. It doesn’t give her the right to abuse you and expect you to just forgive her. Your mother is supposed to take care of you. She’s supposed to look after and protect you. That bitch didn’t do that, did she?”
No, sadly, she never had. Not as far as Lily could remember, anyway.
She’d never been the kind of person who would give her a cuddle when she hurt herself or come running when she had a nightmare.
She only turned up to school functions because it was expected of her, not because she actually cared.
The only time she’d ever really noticed Lily or Clem was when they were doing something that she didn’t approve of.
“So you think I should just pretend she doesn’t even exist?”
“Yeah, I do. And I’m going to help you with that by not letting you have your phone back. If you need to contact someone, other than your mother, that is, tell me.”
“I can’t help but feel like you’re isolating me.”
“I’m sorry it feels that way, baby. It won’t always feel like this.
One day soon, I’ll introduce you to my family, and then you’ll see how a real family behaves, how we look after each other.
You’ll understand what it’s like when you have people at your back who are protective and loyal.
” He sighed. “Shit. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to isolate you or taking things from you.
But I also want to protect you. I don’t want you to have to deal with her. Not until you’re ready.”
“All right. Keep my phone for the time being. But I would like my handbag. It’s got some things in it I want.”
“Like what?” he asked.
Jeez, he was nosy.
“Are you always this nosy about everything?” she asked.
“Pretty much,” he said. “But I’m particularly nosy when it comes to you. What do you need from your handbag?”
She sighed. She really didn’t understand how this was of any interest to him. But if it meant she got her handbag, she guessed she would tell him. “My lip balm, for a start. My lips are all chapped.”
He frowned slightly. “You should have told me. I would have got you some lip balm.”
“I could have gotten my own lip balm if I had my handbag,” Lily told him with exasperation, throwing her hands up into the air.
Shoot. Would her exasperation anger him? After all, he’d only ever seen her the way she had been these last ten months, a zombie, compliant, obedient. Perhaps that’s what he wanted.
Perhaps that was why he liked her.
Her stomach tightened. Wasn’t it better that he found out what she was like? He didn’t know the real Lily. Hell, she didn’t know the real Lily anymore, but she did think that she’d been more spirited before.
To her surprise, he grinned. “There’s that sass. I know it had to be in there.”
What? He had?
And why was he so gorgeous when he smiled? It was killing her. She couldn’t fall for her kidnapper and let him do whatever he wanted to her.
Like tie her to the bed and have his wicked, probably delicious, way with her . . .
Brain, stop.
Lily rubbed at her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Suddenly, he was next to her, lifting her up into his arms, and cradling her close. “Time for you to go back to bed.”
“No, I don’t want to go back to bed. I’ve spent enough time in bed. I want to do something. I want to figure this all out.”
“While I understand your need for answers. I’m not going to allow you to push yourself too hard, too fast. Understand?”
She gaped up at him. “I’m not fragile.”
Harvey carried her up the stairs. “I know you’re not fragile in your mind and in your heart, but at the moment, your body needs some care to get you up to a fighting weight.
Right now, your job is to make sure you’re healthy.
And to do that, you need to rest, eat, and not stress.
My job is to find out who hurt you and make them pay. ”
“What will you do?” she asked as he laid her on the bed and tucked her in.
“I’ll make sure that they spend the rest of their lives miserable,” he said.
She didn’t understand how he could do that, although she had a feeling that if anyone could, it was him.
“I want to know once you find out anything,” she said. “And I also want to know how you’ll make them miserable.”
He frowned, and she could tell he wanted to protest.
“This happened to me, and I’m tired of things happening to me that I have no say over. So I want you to do this for me.”
Lily wasn’t sure that she’d ever been this assertive in her life. However, she was tired of everyone else getting to make all the decisions for her.
Surprisingly, Harvey nodded. “All right. I’ll let you know what I intend to do, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to sway me from my plans.”
She guessed that was as good as she was gonna get.
“Now, you need to get some more rest. I’ll go get your lip balm for you. Use the bell if you need anything.” He gave her a stern look. He really was ridiculous, like she was going to ring a bell if she needed something. She’d just get up and get it herself.
But she’d run out of energy to argue, so she just nodded.