Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
ISLA
Irene is a sweetheart, and honestly, I feel sorry for the girl. She’s been locked up in this mansion her entire life, sheltered. She has no idea what goes on in the outside world.
“I forgot to tell you yesterday, we have a movie theater right here in the house!” She bounces around my room, dressed in a yellow sundress.
It’s barely six in the morning. Who has the energy? Not me, that’s for sure.
And it’s not that spending yesterday afternoon and evening with her wasn’t fun; it was. But I’m just so ready to get out of this place.
“I can’t leave my room, Irene, you know that.”
She scoffs. “Da’ll never know. He’s always locked up in his office, and the guards are all protecting him.”
This could be my chance.
If she gets me out of my room, maybe I can escape without having to hurt her.
If I have to, it will pain me, but I will hurt her, even if she doesn’t deserve that.
But what else can I do? Wait for the guys to save me? Who says they’re even coming? Maybe they think I ran off again and gave up on me.
I’ve been here for three days, with a possibly broken nose and a black eye. And the hits to my stomach yesterday may have harmed my baby.
“I’d love to watch a movie. But what if the doctor comes when we are in the movie theater? I’m sorry, but I don’t want anyone to hit me again. Maybe we can watch a movie after I see the doctor?” I smile at her, hoping she doesn’t see that it doesn’t quite meet my eyes.
I have no idea if anyone is even looking for me, so I have to save myself, whatever it takes.
I thought at least Cillian would come. Dare and Liam hadn’t taken the news well, but Cillian had seemed excited.
However, he’s loyal only to Liam and his father, so he’ll listen to their orders. And maybe Liam has decided I’m not worth the trouble.
Irene claps her hands together like the child she never grew out of and skips out of my room.
I plop down on the bed, my shoulders slumping. I put my head in my hands and let myself cry.
It’s difficult to be devastated and not show it, pretend that I’m happy here, being friends with Irene.
But I have a plan, as crazy as it might be. I still have my letter opener, stashed underneath my mattress…
A knock on my door has me lifting my head. I slip the letter opener into my pocket quickly in case I don’t get another chance.
“Come in.”
A man with reddish hair and dimples walks in, carrying a small black bag and smiling. His smile fades when he sees my face.
“You must be the doctor.”
“Medic, actually. I don’t have an M.D.” He frowns, getting closer to me and putting a hand on my face. “Who did this to you? Reese?”
“Aye.”
He has a Scottish brogue instead of Irish, which isn’t surprising. A lot of Scotsmen end up in the Irish mob.
“He’s a fucking menace to society. And not in a good way.”
I nod. “I'm inclined to agree with you."
“I'm Sam.” He points at his chest like he's Tarzan and I’m Jane.
I smile slightly, finding it kind of cute. He’s cute, even my heartbroken self can tell that. “Maggie.”
“Well, Maggie, let’s see if that nose is broken.”
“Would you mind checking my belly first? Please? It’s… important.” I don’t want to tell him the truth, but I need to know there is nothing wrong with my baby.
Sam looks at me for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes, then he nods, sitting next to me on the bed. “I can give you something for the pain before I start.”
“I—” I don’t know how to tell him that I’m pregnant. “I don’t like being out of control, so maybe I shouldn’t.”
“It’s safe, I promise.” His eyes pierce through mine, and in that moment, I feel like I can trust him, so I nod.
He rifles through his bag and pulls out some Tylenol.
I smile, relieved. “Thank you.”
After heading to the bathroom to get some water, I take the pills and sit back next to him.
He looks at me for another moment. “This might hurt a bit.”
I smile, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. “I’m tougher than I look.”
He nods, but his eyes show his compassion. “Lie back, please.”
I do, and he pulls my shirt up and starts palpating.
Each touch from him feels like a knife tearing through me, but I bite the inside of my cheek and push through the pain.
“I’m sorry I have to do this to you, but I need to perform a vaginal exam, if you want a more accurate assessment.”
As he puts on some nitrile gloves, I turn my face away from him and pull my sweatpants and my underwear down to my knees.
After Sam performs his exam, I pull everything back up to cover myself.
“You will need an ultrasound to confirm my diagnosis, so please have one as soon as you can, but for now I can tell you it all looks good.”
My body sags, and as he discards the gloves and steps back, I sit up and pull my shirt down.
He sits next to me again. “Now, let’s take a look at that face, shall we? Take a deep breath.”
Putting his hand on my nose, he starts feeling around.
I squeeze my eyes shut at the pain, taking in a shaking breath. This is even worse than when he was touching my belly.
“On the count of three. One…” He cracks my nose back into place.
I scream. I can’t help it.
Pain floods through my face, my eyes streaming tears.
“I’m sorry. The good news is that it’s reset.
It shouldn’t give you any more trouble. As for that black eye…
” he feels around it for a couple of seconds, and God, it’s like shattered glass in my eye.
“Looks good, Just give it time and it will heal on its own. Doesn’t appear to have compromised the orbital space. ”
I have no idea what that means, so I just nod. “Thank you.”
I choke the words out, and Sam gives me a sad little smile.
“You’re welcome, lass.”
“And could you please not—”
He lifts his hand. “Doctor patient confidentiality.”
I nod. “Thank you. For everything.”
After another look at me, he leaves the room, and I burst into tears.
Everything seems to be crashing down on me at once.
I was so worried about my baby.
I’m all alone, locked up in a lunatic’s house, with dangerous criminals all around, and my only company is a girl who apparently never grew up past the mental age of eight. Liam, Cillian, and Dare might have left me here to rot, and I’m pregnant, and I’m injured, and everything is terrible.
Stop it, Isla.
If no one is coming for me, I’ll save myself.
I’m coming out of the bathroom where I went to put some water on my face and wash away the tears when Irene knocks on the door and enters my room carrying a huge bowl of popcorn.
“Did the doctor come?”
“He did.” I sound tired and nasal. “He reset my nose; it just hurt a lot.”
“We don't have to watch a movie if you don't feel well." But her downcast eyes tell another story.
I smile. It’s barely seven in the morning. Even if I want to run away, it’s way to early for that. My best shot is closer to nine, when a few shifts change and there are more people out there on the streets that can help me escape. Might as well spend my last few hours here enjoying myself.
“I'm okay. Plus, who could miss an action movie on the big screen?”
Grinning, she stands up, waiting for me to follow.
She leads me to the east wing of the house, which seems deserted. There are no guards here, probably because it’s so far into the mansion.
I just hope I don’t cross paths with Reese.
Irene makes her way through the aisles and sits down in the front.
I sit next to her, nausea forming in my stomach. My morning sickness lasts all day, lately, and I hate it.
She seems to notice that I’m not feeling well, and she offers me some popcorn.
I haven’t been given any food yet today, so I take a handful, crunching as we watch the movie.
Irene talks and laughs through the whole thing, and I can’t help from laughing, too, even though it’s a violent movie rather than a comedy.
She’s a good kid, and I hate what I’m might have to do if I have no other choice.
As the credits roll, I look over at her.
She’s calm, munching on popcorn.
It’s time to make my move.
Guilt stabs in my stomach, making me feel even more nauseous.
“Excuse me,” I mumble, getting up and rushing to the nearest bathroom. I barely make it to the toilet before I throw up the popcorn.
Irene’s footsteps are quiet as she walks up behind me. “You’re sick.”
I try to smile at her but don’t quite manage.
She looks so distressed, and it just makes me feel guiltier.
“I’m okay. Too much popcorn.”
“You barely ate any!’ Her voice goes high-pitched and reedy, tears welling in her eyes. “I know I can be too much, sometimes, so you should have just told me you didn’t feel like leaving your bed. I’m sorry, Maggie.”
I stand up, drawing on reserves I didn’t know I had. I draw her into a hug, the first time we’ve really touched.
She stiffens and then slowly, her arms go around me. She holds me so tight I can barely breathe.
“This is the first time I’ve gotten a hug since Ma passed,” she whispers into my ear, and sympathy for her rushes through me.
“Your da doesn’t hug you?”
She shakes her head. “He acts like I’m a nuisance, mostly. Bites my head off when I try to speak to him. He loved Ma so much, I don’t know why he doesn’t love me too.”
Her voice breaks, and tears run down her cheeks.
“Sometimes, fathers can break our hearts before boys ever get a chance.” I pat her hair before pulling away to look at her.
She scoffs, wiping at her eyes. “Like a boy would ever look at me. Da says I'm ugly. Says I look too much like him and not enough like Ma.”
I frown.
Irene is a beautiful kid, with bright blue eyes and a bit of a crooked nose. It gives her character, I think.
“I think any boy would be blessed to look at you, Irene.”
She smiles through her tears. “You’re a good person, Maggie.”
You won’t think I’m a good person soon.
I hate Cormac for doing this to her. Hate him, for making me do this to her. Hate myself for not being able to think of another way.
I haven’t seen a guard in hours, haven’t seen anyone but her ever since we came to this side of the house.
This is the best time to do it.
The bathroom is in the hallway, close to the staircase.
Cormac’s office is on the far side. His guards won’t have time to get to me.
I take a shaky breath. “Irene, I want you to know you've made my stay here bearable.”
She smiles at me again, her eyes lighting up.
Fuck. I don’t want to do this.
I put my hand in my sweats pocket, fiddling with the letter opener.
Is there another way? Maybe I should just wait. Maybe they’ll come for me.
But I can’t count on that. I’ve never waited for a man to save me, and I’m not going to start now.
I’m sorry, Irene.
I put my hand on her lower back and usher her out of the bathroom.
“Where are we going? You don’t want to do a double feature?”
I squeeze my eyes shut quickly and open them back up, walking to the patio with her.
Maybe I won’t see a guard. Maybe I can just sprint down the stairs and—
Reese comes in through the front door. I look down to see him walking into the kitchen.
Fuck. There goes that plan.
Two guards stand outside of Cormac’s office.
It’s a few hundred feet away, but they’re tall, which translates to long strides. They’ll catch me before I ever make it down the stairs.
The patio is my only option.
I’ll still be on the second floor, but I’ll figure out what to do when I get there.
There’s one guard on the patio, a tall, skinny man who is scrolling on his phone, distracted.
There will never be another opportune moment to do this.
Irene is babbling about the movie and how cute the main actor is, and my heart aches for her. She confessed to me that she’s never had a real friend until me, and now I’m going to betray her.
“Irene.”
She blinks at my sudden interruption. “Yes?”
“I'm sorry."
“Sorry for what?”
I lift the letter opener and hold it to her throat, grabbing her around the waist and dragging her out onto the patio.
Irene screams, and the sound fills me with regret.
Maybe there was another way to do this, but I’m desperate.
The guard outside drops his phone over the patio railing, his mouth open.
I try to ignore Irene’s whimpers and the tremor in my own voice. “Don’t move. Don’t call for help, don’t reach for your gun, or I’ll kill her.”
“Maggie, please,” Irene mumbles, and I grit my teeth, glaring at the guard.
He raises his hands, eyes narrowed.
I walk toward him, dragging Irene with me. She finally seems to realize what’s happening and tries to wrench away from me.
At first, I’m able to hold her, but I’m weak from the morning sickness and lack of sleep, and she manages to get away.
She sprints back into the house, and all I can do is pray she doesn’t immediately go to get her father. Or worse, Reese.
The guard reaches for his gun, and out of reflex, I hold out my hands
The letter opener finds its home at the throat of the guard, and I almost let it go as blood sprays all over my face and shirt.
I pull it out.
Blood spurts from the wound.
He claws at his throat, choking, and drops to the ground.
As he starts crawling down the stairs, I remain numb. Frozen.
This is my chance at freedom, but my body doesn’t obey me.
Run, Isla. Move.
I want to scream, I want to escape, I want to get the hell out of here.
But deep in the back of my mind a deafening mantra repeats in tempo with my heartbeat.
I just killed a man. I just killed a man.