"Aren't they?" she asks.
"No. Their day is coming," I vow. I don't know how but the Global Leaders aren't going to win. "I promise you."
She kisses me, and no kiss has ever meant more.
"When did you rescue me?"
"Two days ago. I tried to get to you before, but I couldn't. For the first month, I didn't know for sure you were there. Then I had to wait for an opportunity. He had so many guards. I'm so sorry." I turn and blink, hard.
"Shhh. It's not your fault."
I can't speak, or I'm going to fall apart, so I kiss her again.
"I-I've been asleep for two days?"
I stroke her hair. "Yeah. You needed rest. You still need rest."
She glances around. "Where are we?"
"On a cruise ship."
She scrunches her face. "I don't understand."
"It's our transportation to Bermuda."
I give her some time to grasp our situation, but she suddenly trembles. "You didn't tell me. Am I married to him?"
"No."
"Where is he? Will he find me again?"
"No. Never again. He's dead."
"You killed him?"
"Yes. He was carrying you up the church steps when I shot him. You didn't even enter the building."
"No?"
"No. You don't have to worry about him ever again."
More tears fall. "He's really dead?"
"Yes. I promise."
"Did…" She swallows hard. "Did anyone see you shoot him? The Global Leaders—"
I put my finger over her trembling lips. "No one saw. I had some help. You're safe."
She nods and leans into my chest. Then slides her engagement diamond off her finger and clasps my palm around it. "Please get rid of this. I never want to see it again."
"Okay." I wrap my arms around her. "You're shaking, Flower. What can I do to help?"
She says it so quietly, I barely hear her. "I... I had to kiss him. I betrayed you."
I don't know what he made her do, and every day, the thought of him touching her and having to watch him force her to kiss him made my blood boil. The notion that he was making her do other things with him makes my gut flip, but I know it's not her fault. "You did no such thing."
"He...he tried to have sex with me, and I threw up on him."
"He never—"
"No."
I shouldn't smile. Carlos touching her isn't funny. But I'm relieved she was able to stop him from raping her.
"It is kind of funny, isn't it?" She smirks.
I try to bite back my laugh, but I can't stop it. Vanessa softly joins in.
There's a knock on the door, and she jumps and trembles.
"Don't worry, Flower. It's probably the doctor."
"Doctor?"
"Yes. Let me go let him in."
"I don't want anyone to touch me."
"Okay. He doesn't have to."
I let him in. Vanessa scoots back on the bed until she's against the headboard.
I go to her side and sit next to her. "Flower, this is Faron."
He stays near the door then pulls the chair out from under the desk to sit. "I'll stay right here if you're okay with that?"
"O-okay."
He smiles. "I'm glad to see you're awake."
"Are you Brazillian?"
His grin widens. "Yes. How did you know?"
"I'm from there. Faron is Brazillian."
He says something, and I assume it's in Portuguese.
Vanessa says something back.
"I just asked Vanessa if she still speaks Portuguese, and I'm happy to report she hasn't lost it."
I glance at her. "I'm happy she's not lost it, either." I wink at her, thinking about when she spoke dirty to me at Julieta's house.
She puts her hand on my thigh and scoots closer to the edge of the bed.
"Would it be okay if I took your temperature? You've had a fever for several days."
She hesitates but then says, "Can Hunter stay with me?"
"Sure."
"I'm not leaving you, Flower."
"O-Okay."
Faron takes his time and asks her permission anytime he is going to do something new. It takes a while, but he gives her an examination. "You still have a slight fever, but it's lower. I'm sure it'll pass soon. Do you think you could eat some food?"
"Any chance of getting fry jacks on this ship?"
He grins. "I think that can be arranged."
"What is that?" I ask.
"Belizean breakfast food. I'll let you try mine."
"Deal."
Vanessa takes a deep breath. "So..."
We both wait for her to finish.
She nervously says, "Am I crazy?"
"No, you aren't," I blurt out.
"Hunter, let the doctor answer, please."
I take a deep breath, and she squeezes my hand and puts her head on my shoulder.
Faron smiles. "You aren't crazy. But you've had severe trauma, and when you get wherever you're going, I highly recommend you find a great therapist. This isn't something that's going to go away on its own."
"I'm always going to be messed up?"
"No. I'm not saying that. But I think you'll struggle to deal with all you've been through without therapy."
I turn to her. "We'll find someone you're comfortable with when we get settled."
She bites her cheek and nods.
"I can give you some anti-anxiety medication. It might help with your panic attacks for the time being."
"If I take it, do I have to for the rest of my life?"
"Not at all. But it could be a big help right now."
She arches her eyebrows at me.
"Why don't you take it, and if you don't like it, you can stop using it?" I glance at Faron. "Is that okay, or does she have to wean off of it?"
"With what I'm prescribing, that should be okay."
"Does that sound good, Flower?"
She hesitates then says, "Sure."
Faron rises. "Why don't I talk to the chef about those fry jacks? I'll tell the pharmacy to fill the prescription. Jerry can bring it to your room. Try to get some more fluids down if you can."
"I will," she says.
I gratefully shake Faron's hand and lock the door when he leaves. I hand Vanessa the bottle of water, and she drinks a quarter of it.
She sets it down and rises on her knees and straddles me. She laces her hands in my hair. "Thank you for saving me. I... I still can't believe it's real, and he's dead."
"He is. But don't thank me. I love you. It was hell without you. And I hate myself for not getting to you sooner and that you had to go through all that."
"Don't. I love you so much. The only reason I'm still here is because of you. Every day, when I saw the red hibiscuses, I knew I couldn't end it. I almost tried, and the first day you put them on the edge of the jungle, I knew it was you. When Carlos told me it was him, I... I thought you died, and I just... I couldn't..."