“Excuse me, sir.” Daniels comes jogging over to me. “The FBI are here.”
“I’ve gotta go. Your friends are here,” I tell Peter. “I’ll call you back.”
My residual anger at my friend is slowly fading away as I realize the magnitude of what he’s been dealing with. Alone. With no one to confide in. No doubt worrying about his Uncle Arthur’s legacy and the company he spent a lifetime building.
The silence that greets me as I enter my condo later that evening is unnerving. As the door clicks behind me, I suddenly feel lonely. I’ve never experienced that feeling at the end of a long day before. My home has always been my refuge from the world, from my business. Somewhere I can relax and be alone. But I no longer want solitude. It was not until these past few days, with Lily within arm’s reach, that I realized how much I wanted someone to share my life—my bed—with.
Dumping my luggage onto the floor, I shrug off my coat and hang it in the hall closet before moving into the kitchen. As I walk down the hallway, I wonder what Lily would think of my place. Would she like it? Grabbing a beer from my always-stocked fridge, thanks to Mrs. White my housekeeper, I wander into the living room and drop onto the squashy leather couch. Staring out into the room, I notice for the first time how sparse, empty, it is except for the flatscreen TV that takes up the opposite wall. Smiling, I imagine Lily is with me, tucked up against my side as we watch a movie, or simply unwind together after a stressful day. It’s too late, or rather too early, in London for me to call her now. I imagine she’s long since gone to bed.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I scroll through the pictures we’ve taken together. Her beautiful smile as we wrap our arms around each other on the top of the Eiffel Tower. The wind, blowing her soft light-brown waves in all directions. Our first picture together. After several clicks, I make it into my lock screen. Every time I look at my phone tomorrow, I’ll see my princess. There are a few more selfies we took together and then several I snapped of Lily while she was sleeping. I choose the one Kitty took of us overlooking Mayfair as my phone’s wallpaper. I wonder if she’s dreaming of me.
Chapter Seven
~ Lily ~
Finn and I are sitting in a booth at my favorite diner. We’re drinking strawberry milkshakes and feeding each other French fries covered in mustard. My man is smiling, sending a flutter of excitement through my chest. It turns to ice-cold fear as my stepfather replaces Finn. He reaches over and steals a French fry, shoving it into his mouth piggishly. James goes to grab for my milkshake, but I snatch it from him, and we play tug-of-war before he wins. His gloating smile twists my stomach.
I’m home, running down the spiral staircase. Someone is chasing me. I shut myself inside of my father’s office. The desk is a mess, and I straighten the papers, knowing how much Dad hates disorder. A loud knock on the door makes me jump. I hold my breath as it swings open, and Dad is standing there in the shadow. He enters the room, and I run into his arms, feeling the love flowing between us.
Pulling back, it’s Finn who’s holding me tightly. He pulls away and picks up a familiar-looking envelope bearing my name from the desk. He hands it to me with a grin before turning and walking back toward the door.
“Finn,” I cry out, reaching for him as he walks away. My heart twists painfully as he leaves. The echo of his footsteps rings in my ears as it fades further and further away. Someone grabs my arm. I am next being pulled along the snow with skis strapped to my feet; they trip me, landing me face-first into the suffocating wetness. I’m now drowning.
“Wake up, sweetie.” A distant voice is calling to me through the darkness, pulling back to wakefulness. “You’re safe now.”
“Auntie,” I croak, blinking my eyes open against the harsh light that had been switched on near the bed.
“I’m right here.” Aunt Kitty’s face comes into view as she strokes my head and back gently. “And no one is going to hurt you.”
Her eyes are gentled with concern. Seeing how much she truly cares for me etched on her face twists my heart, and something within me burst open. Choking sobs follow as I cling to her. She tucks me tightly against her and slowly rocks me side to side.
“I’ve got you,” she murmurs, rubbing my back. “Let it all out.”
I do as she says. For the first time since my abduction, I let myself feel everything. The fear, the anger, and the helplessness all rolled together into a storm of emotions. Maybe it was dreaming of Dad. Feeling his love flow through me.
It’s a long while before I can even begin to choke back my tears and reign in my feelings. Aunt Kitty continues to comfort me even after the worst of the crying has stopped, and her unconditional love brings it all back.
“Thank you,” I hear her say in a normal tone, and I pull back, confused. To my embarrassment, JoJo is handing Aunt Kitty a glass of water. She presses it gently into my hands. “Drink this, sweetie.”
“Thanks,” I mumble, gripping the glass between my hands and lifting it to my lips. I take a slow sip, drinking in the cool wetness that soothes a thirst I didn’t know I had. After downing half the glass, I look up and bite my lip. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Aunt Kitty assures me, running her hand along my arm. Soothing my jumbled nerves. “It’s important that you release your emotions. You can create all kinds of physical problems if you hold them in. I had neck spasms that were caused by my last ex-husband, and you know Peter’s been a pain in my ass for years.”
I find myself giggling softly as I take another slow sip of water and feel the anxiety leave my body fully.
“You’ll need to talk to a therapist,” Aunt Kitty says gently but in a firm tone. “We could find you one now who’ll consult over the phone, or you can wait until you get home. But you do need to talk to someone.”
“I’ll wait,” I tell her quickly, not wanting to think about talking to someone. Reliving my living nightmare to a stranger.
I wake the next morning starving. After a delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we return to the suite. I use my phone to check my email and make arrangements to gain access to my dorm room, with the plan to clear it of my personal belongings.
Sitting on the bed, I attempt to video chat with Finn, but there is no answer on his end. My mood deflates. I haven’t spoken to him yet today. I wonder if he’s thinking of me or if he still misses me as much as I miss him. The five-hour time difference sucks.
Giving up on being able to connect with Finn, I wander back into the living room to see if Aunt Kitty and JoJo are ready to leave. Yesterday, we went shopping, and Aunt Kitty was insistent on buying me shoes that fit and on purchasing me several pieces of luggage. I ended up with a comfortable pair of walking shoes, some new clothes, and two large rolling suitcases.
“I gotta go, baby,” JoJo is saying to her phone screen, smiling brightly. “Don’t give Pop any lip, you hear?
I can hear distant female voices saying goodbye and telling JoJo they love her. She must be talking to her two daughters, Sophie and Lee. When she spoke about them earlier, it was clear how much she loves them.