Chapter Eight
TOMMY
Lily has barely spoken, except with me, and even that’s been few and far between. Not knowing if Mia is safe is eating away at her as she withdraws more into herself. There’s not much I can do to make her feel better. I know that. I just hope my presence is helping, even in some small way.
“Lily, are you hungry?” I ask.
Her lacklustre grey orbs meet mine as she subtly shakes her head. The bruises marring her skin have grown darker, making themselves known. She’s barely looked at herself in the mirror, not even when she’s used the bathroom. She lowers her gaze, her shoulders slumped, leaving me no choice but to try another approach. “You know they won’t discharge you until they’re confident you’re eating and drinking plenty of fluids.” It’s a blatant lie, and I feel bad. The truth is, she could discharge herself, and there’s fuck all any of us could even do about it.
A noise beside me has me turning my attention towards her phone as it vibrateson the small cabinet beside her bed. The screen flashes an incoming call from a French area code, but no caller ID.
Grabbing it, I swipe the screen and answer .
“Hello?” I ask.
“Hello,” a soft, familiar voice replies. “It’s Mia. Is Lily there?” she asks, her tone excitable.
I pull the phone away from my ear and press the speaker before pulling out my own phone.
“Lils,” she says again.
“Mia,” Lily breathes out a relieved exhale. “Oh my God. I’ve been so worried about you. Where are you? Are you okay?” she asks in a rush.
I type out the number and send it to the group chat to let the guys know Mia is currently on the phone with Lily.
A message appears almost immediately.
Elliot: Try to keep her on the phone as long as possible. I need to start a trace.
Jax: I’m with Elliot and River. Ask her to do what she can to keep Mia talking and on the phone.
I show the screen to Lily, but her focus is on her phone in her lap, as if she can see Mia through the screen.
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m just with Daddy. It was an early Christmas present. You’re such a worrier, Lils. He surprised me and brought me to the South of France,” she says.“I wish you were here. But he said you were busy.”
Fucking arsehole.
Lily’s eyes roam to mine, her hands visibly shaking as she ponders how to respond.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. Maybe I can try to get over there and meet you. Where exactly are you?” she asks.
“Hmm, somewhere in the South of France, I think,” Mia replies. “You should see this Yacht Lils. You’d love it.”
Lily frowns and clears her throat. “Maybe you could send me some photos. Speaking of, where’s your phone, Mia? I don’t recognise this number.”
Mia lets out a groan. “I don’t know. I think I lost it,” she admits. “But it’s okay. Daddy promised to buy me the latest iPhone.”
“So whose phone are you using?” Lily asks.
I give her an encouraging nod.
“I borrowed it from one of the deckhands. Daddy wouldn’t let me use his phone. Can you believe that? He said something about wanting to be unplugged.”
I keep glancing down at my phone, hoping to see a message from Elliot, wondering if he’ll be able to get a pinned location. I know he has access to a server for emergency services and law enforcement.
“Shit, Lils, I’ve got to go, Daddy’s coming.”
“No, Mia, wait!” Lily’s voice trembles with desperation, her fingers gripping the phone as if it’s her only lifeline. I can see the fear and anxiety etched into her features, her whole body tense, ready to break. I keep my phone in my lap, my eyes darting between the message thread and Lily’s distraught face.
The line goes dead, and the silence that follows is suffocating. Lily stares at the screen, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. I gently place my hand on her shoulder, offering what little comfort I can.
“Lily, we’ll find her,” I assure her, even though I can’t guarantee anything. The uncertainty of Mia’s situation gnaws at me as well.
She nods, but the tears that spill down her cheeks tell a different story. “She’s with him, Tommy. What if he?—”
“We won’t let that happen,” I cut in, my voice firm. “We’ll get her back.”
My phone buzzes with a new message from Elliot.
“Elliot couldn’t get a trace,” I say. “But we have a number now, so he’s working on it, okay? We’re so much closer than we were five minutes ago.”
Her sobs are my undoing as she clutches her side, no doubt her ribs hurting. I move the tray to the side, and before I can think better of it, I climb onto the small space beside her on the bed. As carefully as I can, I pull her body into mine. Her arm reaches over, and she holds onto me as I rub soothing circles over her back.
“She sounded okay, though, right? Just excited to be wherever they were?” she says in a whisper.
“Yeah, she sounded like herself, excited even.”
I feel her body physically relax a little.
“Do you think I should risk trying to call her back?”
“No, let her call you. If Richard gets wind of you trying to contact her through whomever’s phone, that was, we could risk losing communication altogether.”
I hold Lily, feeling her tense muscles relax as she leans into me. The room is quiet except for the occasional hum of hospital machinery and the murmur of distant voices. Her breathing starts to even out, and I can feel the shift in her, the moment when exhaustion takes over and her body surrenders to it.
“Try to rest, Lily,” I whisper, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She nods weakly, her eyelids drooping. I stay with her, holding her close, offering her the only comfort I can. My thoughts race, the need to find Mia burning in my chest. I think about the man who took her, the monster we know all too well. The anger that surges through me is familiar, a constant companion since my days as a prisoner of war. But I push it down, focusing on Lily, on the moment.
Elliot’s message lingers in my mind. We have a number now. It’s a small victory but a significant one. Mia has made first contact, and that’s a start. I trust Elliot to do his part. He’s the best at what he does. If anyone can trace the number or find a lead, it’s him.
Time stretches, the minutes blending into hours. I don’t move, even as my limbs ache from staying in the same position. Lily needs me here, and I won’t let her down, not again. Eventually, her breathing evens out, and I know she’s fallen asleep.
Gently, I ease myself out of her grasp, careful not to wake her. I need to update the others and let them know how Lily is holding up. I step out into the hallway, pulling outmy phone to send a quick message tothe group chat.
Me: Lily’s asleep. She’s exhausted but holding up. How’s the trace going?
Elliot responds almost immediately.
Elliot: Working on it. This might take a while. The number is a burner, but I’m researching the service provider.
Me: Keep me posted.
I slide my phone back into my pocket, leaning against the wall. The hospital feels eerily quiet, only adding to my dark mood. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to centre myself. We’re doing everything we can, I remind myself. We will find Mia.
Returning to Lily’s room, I sit back in the chair beside her bed. Her face is peaceful in sleep, andthe lines of worry are smoothed out for the moment. I take her hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. She stirs slightly but doesn’t wake. I never thought I’d feel this connection with someone, especially not after what happened to me, but there’s something about Lily that makes me want more.