"No."
"I figured out what people want. Then I helped them realize it's more important than hanging on to past demons."
My gut flips.
Carlos is a demon. That's not something I'll ever forget.
She steps closer and pets the side of my head.
I shake as she does it, but I'm too scared to step aside.
"Whatever happened in the past is over. Your future is all that matters." She leans into my ear. "That man you were with, the one you cheated on Carlos with, he's dust. Forget about him, because Carlos isn't going to allow you to pine over him."
I freeze, and my blood pounds in my ears.
How does she know about Hunter?
Carlos knows? Oh God, he'll make me pay for it.
Hunter is dust? No, he can't be dead. Please don't be dead.
"Oh, and Santiago won't be at the dinner party. Whatever you told him when he captured you, you don't have to worry about it unless, of course, he told anyone who's still alive."
A new fear washes over me. I had forgotten about Santiago.
She steps back and smiles. "Move forward, Vanessa. The ghosts of the past aren't just whatever Carlos did to you. You betrayed him. I suggest you work on getting back on his good side, instead of continuing to live in pain."
Anything with Carlos is pain. Past, present, or future, I want to tell her. But I know it's pointless and I'm only asking for trouble.
"See you tomorrow. And take a shower and put some effort into it." She turns and leaves.
When the door shuts, the click of the lock echoes, and I'm reminded of the prison I live in. For a brief moment, I was free with Hunter. Now, the reality of my life tumbles in front of me.
I step as close to the balcony edge as possible and stare at the jungle, wondering if he's out there, or if Arja is telling the truth, and he is dead.
Uncontrollable sobs take over. I fall to the ground, gripping the bars of the railing and praying that somewhere in the greenery, Hunter is there and he can see me and will rescue me.
But the more I cry, the less I see how it's possible.
An army of men with machine guns guards Carlos's fortress. Everywhere I turn, I see them.
Eventually, I force myself to shower, put on makeup, and do my hair. The straitjacket wrap is still on my bed, reminding me that one misstep, and I'll be back in it and committed to an institution for life.
When I'm finished, I go back on the balcony and scan the jungle some more, but I don't see anything.
Monkeys jump and swing from branches, and it's another reminder I'm not free. The animals in the jungle are, but I'm not. I'm a prisoner of Carlos's. An inmate for life in his fortress. How long is my sentence? I don't know, but it can't be for decades or even years.
Carlos is scheduling the wedding in a month. My nightmares all show me my fate.
I am not marrying him.
I go inside and try to find something, anything, that I could use to end my sentence in hell early, but there's nothing.
In desperation, I run out to the balcony and look down.
Two stories. Will I die if I jump or just injure myself, setting myself up for a more painful life?
I sit on the edge and contemplate shoving myself backward. I turn again to see where I would land, and if I will get the result I want. That's when I see them.
Red hibiscuses lay scattered on the edge of the jungle.
They weren't there earlier, were they?
Am I seeing things?
I peer closer.
Red hibiscuses grow in the jungle, but they could only be where they are if someone put them there.
Can it be? Is he alive? Is he here watching me?
I wipe my face and peer closer and hold my hand out as if he could magically touch me.
I stare at the flowers for hours. When Esther brings my lunch, I have her put it on the balcony. I eat a bit of the food so I don't get in trouble and lose my outdoor privileges.
The hope that Hunter is out there burns bright in my soul. It's love. It's pain. It's every emotion I've ever felt, and it overwhelms me but gives me a reason to go on for one more day.
Because I would do anything to see Hunter one more time.
24
Hunter
For a month, I've been in the jungle, watching the balcony and waiting for her to appear.
She never steps out.
It has to be the balcony she spoke of. There is only one. I study that area with my binoculars all day long, but my Flower is never in sight.
In the morning, a woman opens the curtains. In the evening, she closes them.
She has to be in there.
Carlos and other people come and go. Guards line the gates and surround the house. The more days that pass and I don't see her, the antsier I get to start taking out Carlos and his men.
That could kill her. Be smart.
What is he doing to her? Why doesn't she come out?
I search the internet on Kyle's phone for news reports about her, but nothing pops up.
The camp I set up is several feet into the jungle. I'm in camouflage and no one can see me, but I study the shifts the guards make and know them by heart.
When the time is right for us to make our move, Mack has a group of guys who are ready to be part of the stealth operation and kill everyone in our way.
He visits me every other day, swapping out remote phone chargers, and bringing food and water. I could hunt. Dirk taught me how. But a fire could bring attention to me, and I don't have time. My concentration is all on the fortress and how to remove her.
Where are you, my Flower?
It's sometime in the morning when the doors open for the first time. Two women step out, and I grab the binoculars.
When I see Vanessa, I have to hold myself back from moving closer. She's in a long white nightgown and is crying. The other woman moves toward her, and my Flower is visibly shaking.
A new rage boils in my veins. The woman leaves the balcony, and Vanessa falls to the ground, gripping the rails and sobbing.
The twisting of my heart is excruciating. I edge closer, even though I shouldn't. It's a risk one of her guards might see me.
She gets up and goes inside. An hour passes, and I start to get more worried when she appears again. She has curled her hair and put makeup on. She wears a beautiful, expensive-looking blue dress.
As she stares at the jungle, my heart beats faster and shreds into more pieces. So much sadness and pain are on her face.
Can you see me, Flower?
Suddenly, she sharply turns and goes inside.
I need to let her know I'm here.
The collection of red hibiscuses lay at my side. Every night, I've collected them from the jungle. It's the one thing I've done religiously, waiting for a sign that she is still alive, and for the moment I can show her I'm here.
Like clockwork, the guards change. It's the same as every day, and they spend a good few minutes not paying attention, talking with each other.
I quickly scatter the flowers on the edge of the lawn.
Another agonizing five minutes pass when she comes back out distraught, sobbing again.
What did he do to her?
She sits on the back of the balcony and leans back, and my heart stops.
Don't do it, Flower.
I'm here.
Baby, please don't do it.
Every second is torture. When she finally gets off, spins, and looks at the ground, her head lifts.