Chapter Twenty-Nine
Romy
“I t’s okay. You don’t have to be scared ever again.”
I stare at my big brother, wanting badly to believe him. It sounds too good to be true. When Bastian goes to lacrosse practice after school, I’m scared. When Dad works on the days school is out, I’m scared. When the lights go out at night, I’m scared.
“I’ll always be scared,” I tell him, voice small and trembling. “What if…”
He shakes his head, face turning angry. His bottom lip quivers and I think he might cry, but Bastian never cries. He’s strong and big. Nothing ever hurts his feelings, even when Dad is grumpy toward him. I stare in confusion as a tear streaks down his face.
Why is he crying?
Bastian kneels in front of me, pulling me in for a tight squeeze. I always feel safest when I’m near him. I just wish he could be with me always.
“I’m sorry this happened, sis,” Bastian rasps out. “We didn’t know. If we knew…”
They know now and I didn’t even have to tell them.
I thought Dad was going to send me away once he found out because that’s what I’d always been told.
If anyone finds out, Romy, they’ll all leave you because you shouldn’t have let those things happen.
I’d been lied to, though. He did find out and I wasn’t the one to be sent away.
“Come on,” Bastian says, pulling away, eyes red and teary. “Dad says we’re going to see a nice doctor to help you.”
I’m not sick.
Why would the doctor want to help me?
“I don’t want a shot,” I tell him stubbornly. “I’m not sick.”
A flash of anger crosses over his face again, but I know it’s not aimed at me. “I know,” he assures me. “But your mind is a little bit sick. The doctor is just going to help you sort it all out.” He grins at me. “After, we’ll convince Dad to take us to that gelato place you love so much.”
I squeal in excitement, no longer upset over all the terrible things that have happened, instead eager for a sweet treat.
“Race you to the elevator,” I tell him with a toothless grin.
“You’re slow like a turtle,” he teases. “You’ll never win.”
My memory fades and fresh tears come about. I hug the pillow to my face, letting them soak the pillowcase, no doubt ruining the material with my makeup.
Why are Bastian and Megan acting like a couple?
There’s a lot about that conversation that confused me, but hearing my own brother speak so fondly to my missing friend as if they had a long, established romance was mind-blowing.
Caius let me crawl into bed and didn’t try to talk to me about it. I’m sure he gleefully listened to my heartbroken sobs and thought, This girl is so easily fooled. What fun!
Anger tries to rear its head anytime I think of Caius’s smug face, but then my brother’s voice brings pain crashing down around me.
She was taken. I know it. They made it look like she dropped out. When I went looking for her, they took me too. Since then, weeks have passed, and I’ve been dealt into their wicked mindfuckery of a game. Whenever I resist against their head games, they double down on the trickery and gaslight me into submission.
But she’s with my brother, seemingly free and happy.
What happened?
Deep down, I know what happened. They ran her through the CUP program, brainwashed her with their awful ways that clearly have successful results, and then…
Sold her to my brother?
That doesn’t make sense. Bastian wouldn’t buy a girlfriend. He’s handsome, rich, and heir to the biggest media conglomerate to ever exist. Women, for as long as I can remember, have worshipped him. My brother’s dated socialites, influencers, athletes, celebrities, pop artists, and even a model or two. The guy’s not hurting for a selection of girlfriends.
Suddenly he’s with Megan?
Plain, shy, small-town Megan.
My thoughts drift to Michael. On the outside, he’s successful, rich, and handsome. And that sicko paid over a million dollars to have Solomon bring him a made-to-order sex doll. Is that what Bastian did? Did he put in his order with the Crownes and get exactly what he wanted?
The questions keep piling up, but no answers come to mind. I know I could grill Caius, yet that would mean speaking to him, which I don’t want to do. What I want is to fall asleep for a long time and wake up in my dorm room, realizing this was all a dream.
I hear a click of a door shutting.
Did Caius leave?
After listening for a beat, I pull the covers off my head to search for him. He’s turned off the overhead light and only the desk light illuminates the space. His laptop and bag are gone. Off he went for another clandestine meeting.
Is he getting chummy with Ted again?
Maybe he’s blowing off some steam with Ava.
Worse, he could be enjoying a little after-dinner treat with Michael and Solomon.
My stomach churns, dinner not settling well as I think about poor LuLu.
I have to do something. Crying in bed over my brother’s involvement won’t solve anything, especially not for LuLu or the other girls.
Not crying is easier said than done, though. In my heart, I’d like to believe Megan will tell Bastian we spoke and then they’ll both feel bad for me. My brother will find out where I’m at and come pick me up. There will be some huge explanation for all of it.
A gnawing sensation in my gut tells me no one is coming to save me.
That means I need to pull on my big girl panties and figure out this situation. There are people here who need my help.
Caius is not that person.
I may be on my own.
The yacht slows its speed. I slide out of the bed, shakily making my way over to the window. It’s snowing like crazy outside, but beyond the flurries of snow, I can see lights in the distance.
Being this close to the window, I can feel the cold and it wraps its icy claws around me. Shivering, I cross my arms over my chest, hoping to bring some warmth to my body. Grabbing the blanket off the bed would be smart, but I don’t want to miss this.
Something is happening.
The shipping facility?
Are they doing the trade for the girls now?
I’m too late.
Frantically, I try to calculate how to help them. I’m severely outnumbered by evil people on a boat I’m unfamiliar with in the middle of a snowstorm on a lake I’ve never been on. How exactly do I plan to rescue four girls and myself before the yacht docks at the port?
Answer is, I can’t.
I’m a lot of things, but I’m not stupid.
It’s impossible.
Filled with despair, I watch as we approach the dock. Sure enough, colored shipping containers stacked as high as the eye can see become my view. The place is lit up with streetlamps and a big spotlight set high on one of the container stacks. A bundled-up man waits at the dock.
Someone knocks on the door.
What if it’s LuLu?
I race over to the door, hoping that the girl has come to me with her friends. Maybe we can throw on our outer gear and somehow sneak off once we’re docked. The second I open the door, though, I regret it instantly.
“Gareth,” I say with a groan. “Bye.”
Before I can close the door, he places his thick black boot in the way to stop it.
“Wait,” he says, voice soft. “Ro, please. Can we talk?”
“No.”
“I want to…apologize.”
Not falling for it this time.
“I was worried,” he continues. “I saw my brother… Did he, uh, touch you against your will?”
I detect sincerity in his tone.
Could be another lie.
“I’m coming in to apologize and explain what happened to Emma.”
My interest is officially piqued. “Fine. Hit me again and I’ll tell Caius.”
I’m not sure Caius would be my savior, but I think Gareth believes this. He grunts in agreement. Moving away from the door, I allow him entry. The lamplight casts a golden glow on his handsome features that are pinched with regret.
“You’ve been crying,” he utters, motioning to my face. “You have black shit all over your cheeks and your eyes are red.”
“Captain Obvious.”
He smirks and I’m reminded of the man I somewhat trusted once before. Now that I know his true nature, I don’t warm up to him.
“Look,” he says, humor fading, “I know a lot of crazy shit’s been happening on this boat. What I saw Caius doing in the hallway, when no one was watching, went beyond your ruse. You seemed as if you were in pain.”
I narrow my gaze at him. “So you admit he’s not really my boyfriend.”
He shrugs and saunters past me, making his way over to the windows where we have a prime view of the dock. “I’m going to be real with you, Ro. You’re right. It’s fake.”
A flare of victory ignites in my chest.
“Which is why I was so worried,” Gareth continues. “If it was assault, I’ll…”
I scoff at his words. “You’ll what, Gareth? You nearly knocked me unconscious earlier because I made you angry. Now you’re suddenly my protector rather than my aggressor?”
To his credit, he doesn’t lose his cool. His features remain cowed and embarrassed.
“I fucked up,” he admits. “I’m sorry. Truly. My kids are a touchy subject.” He scrubs a palm over his face and expels a shuddering sigh. “I got defensive when you spoke about Em. God, I miss her.”
My heart aches at the pain in his voice. A person can’t fake grief like that. He really is hurting over the loss of the girl. Maybe I provoked him.
He shouldn’t have hit me, though.
I straighten my spine, not letting his sadness break down my walls. The man on the dock starts walking toward the yacht. Distracted, I move toward the window to watch whatever’s happening.
Always watching and doing nothing.
The guilt makes my skin crawl.
Four bundled-up people disembark, meeting him. The taller of the four, with red hair blowing from under a beanie, motions at the three smaller figures. Then the man turns on his heel, the four of them following after him. They all disappear into an office.
Now what?
It’s clear Ava has taken three of the girls with her.
Where’s the fourth?
Is LuLu still on this boat?
Of course she is. They’re not done with her yet.
“What happened to Emma?” I ask, not looking at Gareth.
He’s quiet for several seconds before muttering, “She drowned.”
“Oh.”
“She was playing at the lodge and…”
A twisting in my gut has me clutching my stomach as I wait to hear the full story.
“Well, you know that chute you stumbled upon?” Gareth asks, regret in his tone. “She found it too, except she went down headfirst. We found her at the bottom hours later. The fucked-up part was that she didn’t die from the impact. It knocked her out, and then she drowned.”
Hot tears track down my cheeks. It makes sense why he was behaving so strangely when he carried me out of the pool room after my incident there. Sniffling, I swipe at them with my fists. “I’m so sorry.”
He moves to stand so close his shirt brushes over my bare arm. “It was hard. I loved that kid with my whole heart.”
I believe him.
The man is devastated.
They may all be monsters, but there’s no denying his pain.
Maybe I could use it to my advantage.
“Gareth,” I say softly, turning to look at him. “You saved her and Kaitlyn. Like you and your brothers were saved.” I point at the shipping containers. “Why don’t you try to save those girls too?”
His eyebrows furl together. “What do you mean?”
“You saw the blood,” I say to him. “Solomon beat on that girl and…”
He winces at my unspoken words. “It’s not my business.”
“But it is, isn’t it? Those girls were CUP failures.”
“That’s more of Dad and Caius’s area,” Gareth rushes out. “I just do tech and shit. I don’t know about all the logistics.”
Is he telling the truth?
“It’s always been the two of them doing all the dirty work, huh?”
He frowns. “They help people be their better selves.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “I read the brochure. It’s bullshit and we both know it. What I heard while hiding in that cabinet, well, let’s just say it’s a terrible cover for what you all truly do.”
He has the sense to grimace, shame covering his features.
“But Caius only picks and chooses what he does, huh?” I ask, studying Gareth’s troubled expression. “He can say no to things that you’re not allowed to.”
Gareth freezes, eyes flashing with anger. I’ve hit a sore spot. Rather than provoking him this time, I need to delicately dance around it.
“What Ava did to you when you were younger was wrong. You know that, right?”
He tears his gaze from mine, once again staring at the shipping containers outside.
“Caius said no and avoided it. But you? Probably Theo too. You two didn’t get to say no.”
Gareth’s shoulders are tense, and a vein has popped out on the side of his neck. Crimson creeps over his flesh, telling a story he doesn’t want to.
“And now he’s going to take over.”
He snaps his head my way. “What?”
“Caius is going to take your father’s place. He’ll do as he pleases, telling you and everyone else no when it suits him, and you’ll be reduced to second place. Forever second place.” I shiver at his intense glare. “His secrets will remain his secrets.”
“You think you know everything,” Gareth spits out, shaking his head as if to get my words out from inside it.
“I know more than you think,” I tell him. “I know Megan, a CUP success, is with Bastian now. It’s why I never got to see her that night you lied to me because she wasn’t there. She was with my brother. Caius let me speak with her tonight. He reveals a lot about this family. A lot. ”
It’s a gamble telling him all this, but I’m in too far to quit now.
Lives are at stake, and I need to get Gareth to go against his brother just long enough to help me and LuLu escape.
“I know Caius is a CIA informant,” I say quickly before I lose my nerve, “and Ted is his handler.”