Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 56149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
But seeing the dead body of Nick beside me would be burned into my brain for the rest of my life. And after that sight, things went fuzzy.
I was in the car with Sean, and my hand was stinging. I hit him with more anger than I’d ever felt before. Then there was a pinch on my arm, and it all went black.
There was a glimpse of a plane, and the feeling of Sean picking me up. There was a flash of someone else—a man named Dimitri? I don’t know if that’s real or a dream.
There was a bed that moved, and Sean was holding me.
But then he was gone.
I remember crying and kicking my legs, then another pinch on my arm. Sean was holding me down while I screamed, and then it all went black again.
* * *
My body aches. I feel like I’ve been in the same position too long, and I roll over to stretch. I can’t remember what day it is, but it’s warm all around me, so I must be with Sean.
I reach for him, but there’s nothing beside me.
Sitting up, I see that I’m in a big, white fluffy bed surrounded by tons of pillows. There’s a canopy over the top of it with pretty gauzy material hanging from it, which rustles in the breeze.
I look down and see I’m completely naked, but I smell Sean all over me. I don’t feel like I had sex, so he must have just slept on top of me.
Looking beyond the bed, I see the room is white and bathed in light, courtesy of giant windows and two huge glass doors that lead out onto a balcony.
I wrap the bedsheet around myself and get out of bed.
The cool tile feels nice against my feet, and my legs wobble a little as I take a few steps.
When I’m at the balcony, I can finally see everything clearly. There’s sand and palm trees and an ocean that stretches out as far as the eye can see. It’s utterly beautiful and looks like something out of one of my fantasies.
Standing there looking at paradise, everything comes crashing back to me. This isn’t the place of my dreams, it’s a lie from a thief.
Chapter 21
Sean
“She refuses to eat. She won’t talk to me. Hell, she won’t even fucking look at me. But I don’t want to push her. Not yet.”
“She’ll get there. It won’t happen overnight, Sean. You’ll have to earn it from her.”
Sal’s words offer me comfort and remind me that I’ll have to fight for what I want. I reach out and hug him, needing his support.
When Dimitri first offered me the job, I set my plan into place. I knew that I would need a location that was isolated, and I knew Sal would have to come with me. Until Tessa, I’d never had any family besides him.
I bought the island in the South Pacific through a private sale.
Laura's father, a reclusive billionaire, had owned it. When he died, she didn't want the place, but she knew it could be of use. I’d never met her, but if Dimitri said she could be trusted, then I knew she could. Now that I know just how much he cares for her, I understand that she’s probably the most trustworthy person in the world. Especially after all he’s done.
The name of the island is Veilig. It means ‘safe’ in Dutch.
The island is only accessible by boat, but luckily it’s only a short ride to the mainland. Sal hired a couple of people willing to work and live here full time—a few who keep the grounds and a couple who maintain the inside of the home.
Two of the women he hired are certified midwives, so when the time comes, they can monitor Tessa while she’s pregnant. Seems you can get anything set up if you have the money.
When I told Sal my plan to live on Veilig and cut all ties, he was more than willing to agree. He’d spent his whole life digging snow in Chicago and trying to keep safe from street thugs. An isolated paradise was just what he was looking for.
My original plan didn’t include Tessa, but as soon as I saw her, things changed. My idea of a home changed. My modified plan didn’t include drugging her and bringing her here, but after what happened with Nick, I couldn’t risk it.
There won’t be any blowback from Nick—he’s not someone Heavy will miss—but I knew after Tessa recognized me she wouldn’t come with me here willingly, and I couldn’t risk it. I had Sal go by her place the morning of the robbery and pack up a few things, leaving a note and some cash for Harper. The note just said she was safe and wouldn't be coming back. I think the money I left for Harper will keep her quiet. At least for a little while.
Sal hopped on a plane to South America right after and took care of business, meeting us here later. We needed to travel separately, just in case. Neither of us is worried about the police. I’m not sure they’re working too hard on tracking down the killer of a local criminal with a rap sheet a mile long. And my hitting the alarm in the vault on the way out was my ace in the hole.
The cops arrived just in time to catch some of Heavy’s men, but the money still got away. So while Heavy has his money right now, I don’t think it will be for long. The two guys they picked up will sing like birds once they know what kind of sentence awaits them, and they’ll be the ones to blame when the cops come knocking on Heavy’s door.
The bank gets its money back, Heavy and his team go to jail, and I’m long gone. Not necessarily a free man, but I plan on spending the rest of my life living here with Tessa, so I’m not worried about what I am in the eyes of the law.