And then I notice…
The suitcase—the suitcase that was sitting on his bed that he moved to the floor last night—is gone.
I stand, and it hits me. I woke up in the middle of the night. I woke up and he wasn’t there.
No. I nearly run to the bathroom and pull the door open. “Luke?”
He’s not standing at the sink.
He’s not sitting on the toilet.
I throw back the shower curtain.
No Luke.
I open the mirrored cabinet above the sink. The bottle of hair color is gone, but he left his contact case and solution.
No big deal. He probably has travel sizes he uses. I grab the contact lens case and open it. I suck in a breath.
A pair of contacts sits inside the case. But they’re not regular clear contact lenses.
They’re brown. Colored lenses. Made to make eyes look brown.
“Oh, Luke…” I say aloud. “What have you done?”
My heart sinks and sadness sweeps through me.
He left.
Luke left without telling me.
My eyes glaze over, but I grab hold of the sink with both hands. No. I will not lose it. I’ve worked too hard to begin taking my life back.
I will not ruin it over any man.
Not even Luke Johnson.
Except that I love Luke Johnson.
How can I? How can I love a man so quickly? Especially after all I’ve been through?
I need a friend. I need to talk.
“Get a grip, Katelyn.” The strength of my voice surprises even me. I close the mirror cabinet and face myself. My glassy eyes are front and center. I sniffle a little. “You will not,” I say to my reflection, “lose what you’ve accomplished. You will not.”
I take a quick shower, dress, and leave Luke’s apartment, not bothering to even try to lock the door.
He left me here. Without so much as a note. If he gets robbed, I don’t give a damn.
I catch a cab back to my place. Then my phone buzzes.
“Katelyn! It’s Zee. Are you all right?”
Oh no. I promised Zee I’d let someone know if I were going to be gone all night again. One mistake after another.
“I’m so sorry. I should have called. I should have let security know.”
“Katelyn, you’re not in prison. You’re not on parole. You don’t have to check in. But we worry about you.”
“I know that. I’m so, so sorry.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Trust me when I say this will never happen again.”
“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep, Katelyn.”
“Zee, I guarantee you I won’t make this mistake again. Luke and I… Luke and I are over.”
A pause. Then, “Oh… I’m sorry. Are you all right?”
“It was just too soon. You were right. Macy was right. Just too damned soon.”
“What do you… Would you like to come see the baby today?”
“No, you haven’t been home that long. I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re the baby’s godmother, Katelyn. It’s not an imposition. I want you to meet her.”
“All right. I’d love that.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m in a cab. On the way home.”
“Okay. Why don’t you come up for lunch? Reid and I would love to see you.”
Reid. Until this moment I had forgotten that Reid Wolfe offered me a job as his assistant. I start Monday.
Good. I’ll need something to take my mind off of Luke.
I never should have gotten involved with him in the first place.
Maybe all men suck.
Except that’s not true. Reid doesn’t suck.
I sigh into the phone. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you for putting in a good word for me with Reid. I’m beyond humbled to be given a chance like this.”
“I think you’re going to do great, Katelyn,” Zee says.
“I know you kind of feel responsible for me.”
“I feel responsible for all of you, but you are the one I chose to work with Reid. You’re smart, Katelyn. Anyone who meets you knows it. It’s not your fault you didn’t get to go to college and follow the path you wanted to.”
“Zee…”
“This isn’t pity. This is just a helping hand. I’m in a position to help, and I want to do it. When I’ve done all I can do, the rest is up to you.”
“I know. You’re right.”
“Good. We’ll see you soon.”
After ending the call, I think about Zee’s words.
This isn’t pity, Katelyn.
Pity.
How I hate the word.
I’ve been determined, through everything, not to succumb to self-pity. My God, I went through hell on that island. Ten years of being held captive and being forced to serve men in their depraved fetishes.
And through all of it? Never once did I feel self-pity.
And through all the hard work to get over it? I still didn’t feel self-pity.
So why am I feeling it now?
A guy walked out on me. I’m certainly not the first woman to get jilted.
No.
I will not succumb to self-pity.
Except…
Tears are rolling down my cheeks. I’m sniffling. Even trembling a bit.
And before I know it…
I’m sobbing.
I cry and I cry and I cry. Loud gasping sobs, and I’m not sure how to stop them.
5
LUKE
I’m expecting someone from my past—someone who has reason to want me to pay.
Reason to want me dead.
What I’m not expecting is—
Those fucking yellow eyes—the eyes I first saw at The Glass House, when this man was stalking Katelyn.
“What the hell is your name again? Pollack?”
“I knew something was off about you the first time I saw you,” Pollack says. “Now, you’re going to take me to Moonstone.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Moonstone. You call her Katelyn.”
Anger rises in me. Anger.
God, the anger.
But it’s different this time. It’s stronger—stronger because I love Katelyn.
I love her more than Emily. More than all the others.
I’m willing to die for her to be worthy of her.
So I left.
What was I thinking? I can’t leave Katelyn. I need to protect her.
Luke Johnson doesn’t have any means to protect Katelyn.
But Lucifer Raven?
The old Lucifer Raven, at least, could protect her. Lucifer Raven now? More people want him dead than alive.
The only thing that’s true is that I can’t leave. Not without Katelyn. Or at least not without knowing she’s safe.
With a swift roundhouse kick, I disarm Pollack. Then within another two seconds, my own piece is out of my ankle strap and pointed toward his heart.
“You’re going to be very sorry you messed with me,” I tell him through gritted teeth. “Clearly, you know my real name, but you obviously know little else.”
His hands go up in the air. “Hey, it’s all good. I’m sorry. I’ll leave her alone.”
“Yeah, and I’m supposed to take your word for that? You’re sick. You’re one of those fucking degenerates who messed with her on that island.”