He lowered his eyebrows. “Let you go? Brooklyn, I’m protecting you.”
“By keeping me locked up?”
“You’re not locked up. You’re in a hospital recovering from surgery.”
The door’s locked, you psychopath. I’d checked countless times. “So you stole my kidney, told everyone I know and love that I’m dead, and now you expect me to just roll over and be your prisoner?”
He sighed. “Of course not. And just for the record, I love you. I love you so much that I moved mountains to keep you safe. And as for the kidney stealing thing, would you please stop saying that out loud? That sounds terrible.”
“It is terrible.”
“No, it’s an excellent lesson, don’t you think? Always read the fine print. Speaking of lessons, I’ve hired a great tutor for you once you resume your school year. It’s virtual of course. We can’t let anyone else see you.”
It wasn’t an excellent lesson at all. What he’d done had to be illegal. I was a minor. I couldn’t sign my kidney away even if I wanted to. And why was he changing the subject? “I’m not doing virtual learning. I’m going back to Empire High.”
“No. You’re not. You’re not stepping foot back in New York City until I tell you it’s safe.”
“That’s not fair…”
“Not fair? Life isn’t fair, Brooklyn. If life was fair I’d still be with your mother. We would have raised you together. We would have had everything.”
I swallowed hard. He didn’t need to tell me life wasn’t fair. But we had a really different picture of what our lives would be like if life was fair. Because I wasn’t picturing him in mine at all. I was picturing my mom still alive and just the two of us back in Delaware. Happy and carefree and whole.
“You have to let me go. Please, Dad. I can’t stay here. I can’t.”
He shook his head. “It’s too late.”
“No it’s not. Just undo whatever you did. Say it was a prank or something. And we can all laugh about it in a few years.”
“You don’t know Isabella like I do. You need to stay dead, or you’ll actually be dead. Do you understand me? I’m protecting you. I’m doing the best job I can under impossible circumstances. So you will stay here for as long as I say you’ll stay here. And you’ll have no contact with the outside world, other than with me. Do I make myself clear?”
I could feel the tears spilling down my cheeks. My father was usually kind to me when he wasn’t snatching organs. But I’d seen him mad like this before. Like the anger was oozing out of him. He was probably seconds away from breaking his cane in half.
I’d lost this argument. Because I was too scared of him to continue it. But it didn’t matter. None of it mattered. I wasn’t staying here. I’d figure a way to get out. And I’d run to Matt. I’d tell him I was sorry. I’d apologize to Kennedy too. I’d apologize to everyone.
Because I didn’t want to be dead. I didn’t want to be forgotten. I didn’t want to start over again. My dad couldn’t erase my existence as easily as he wanted. Because the dead had to agree to stay dead. And I didn’t agree to any of it.
Chapter 10
Saturday
I didn’t say a word as Miller let himself in that night. I’d had hours to think about what my dad had told me. Hours to try and think of a way out of this mess. But it was a little hard to think of a way out when it felt like my brain had stopped working. Maybe the nurse was right. Maybe I was slowly killing myself by not eating.
“Are you awake?” Miller asked.
I didn’t turn to him. “I’m dead. How can I be awake?”
He laughed and the bed dipped as he sat down next to me. “So your dad told you everything?”
“He said my funeral was well attended. Apparently I should be happy about that.” I turned to face Miller, but I couldn’t see him in the dark. “Can you turn the light on?”
He didn’t respond.
“Miller, please let me see your face.”
“You wouldn’t recognize me even if the lights were on.”
I swallowed hard. “Why did my dad do this to you?”
“He wanted it to look like I’d disobeyed his orders. Like I crossed him for the last time.”
“But you said there was no out in my dad’s line of work. Why would any of his staff believe he just got you beat up and then fired you?”
“Because he beat me until it looked like I was dead. You’re not the only one who just disappeared, kid.”
I sat up in bed. No. “But what about your family? You took this job in part to pay off your dad’s debts. Isn’t your dad going to…”
“Going to what? If my father cared about me at all he never would have let me take this job. I don’t have anyone in my corner. It’s just me. It’s been just me for a long time.”
“I’m in your corner.”
He didn’t respond.
I reached out and gently touched the side of his cheek. It felt swollen. And it felt like there were stitches on his jawline. My dad said that Miller was one of the only people that knew I was actually alive. “Why did my dad ask you to disappear with me?”
“Because he knew I’d be willing to do it.”
Willing to get beat up within an inch of his life? Willing to pretend to be dead? Willing to give up his whole life in New York? There was only one reason my dad would think someone was willing to do all that. I let my hand fall from his face. My dad had told me to stop sneaking down to the lower floor. He’d had cameras watching me all the time. But he made it seem like he didn’t know I was sneaking down to see Miller. Why had he pretended not to know?
I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. My dad said he’d been planning my fake death for a while. He must have known he’d need to send at least one bodyguard with me. Why not the one closest to my heart? “How did my dad know that you’d be willing to come with me?”
“It’s late. You should probably get some sleep.”
“Miller.” I grabbed his hand.
He sighed. “You really don’t want to know the specifics. But he knew you were sneaking down to my room at night. He knew there was something going on between us. He must have known the whole time. I think he enjoyed beating the shit out of me for touching something that belonged to him. His words. Not mine.”
I put my hand over my mouth. Miller never pursued me. I was the one who kept showing up at his door. He’d tried to tell me to stay away. But I…couldn’t. He’d been my salvation when I lived with the Pruitts. He’d given me hope that my new life wouldn’t be awful. He’d helped me hold on.
And he’d never touched me inappropriately. He was always a complete gentleman. It was only ever stolen kisses between us when we thought no one was looking. If my dad wanted to beat someone up for touching me, he was beating up the wrong guy. Matt was the only boy that had ever touched me. I’d given him everything.
I didn’t even know what to say. I just shook my head. “I’m so sorry, Miller.” It felt like my heart was breaking all over again. “We need to get out of here as soon as possible. I was thinking that if we…”