Storm.
A bitter chuckle almost slips past my lips at this fitting weather for the chaos that my life currently represents, but I don’t let it out.
“My goodness, that’s why!” Patience exclaims and rushes off to pick up all her things, since Emmaline is finished. I take the bucket from my daughter, ushering her to the sidewalk, but she stumbles on the ground a lot and trembles a little when a hard wind blasts us from the back. When I look up in the distance and see the dark clouds heading our way, I suspect this place will be in darkness soon.
Everyone is darting from the beach. I pick up Emmaline, who hides her face in the crook of my neck, and Patience is hot on our heels. I spot Zachary on the other side of the road.
I walk toward him down the pedestrian path, gazing at him as he stands majestic as ever waiting for us to come, and I think how unfair all of this is.
But then, it’s the way of life, isn’t it?
No matter how much you try, you just can’t outrun destiny.
Did I really think we would catch the unsub and everything would be perfect?
When had my life ever been perfect and carefree without kicking me in the gut?
“We need to hurry to the house, Zachary!” Patience shouts, and I glance at her, fear crossing her face as she runs past me to her boss. “The storm is coming. And being on an island, it’ll be terribly nasty!”
“I’ve heard.”
He takes Emmaline from my arms while Eudard gives me a strange look before addressing Patience. “Please get in my car. I’ll take you home. You’ll be safe there.”
“Oh, of course. Emmaline?”
Zach hugs her so fiercely she puffs air and then complains, “Daddy!” He pays no attention to that, rocking her in his arms for a moment longer before giving her a light kiss on the forehead. “Be good, baby girl, okay?”
“I’m always good, Daddy.” And then she wiggles from his hold as well and waves at me before jumping toward Patience and Eudard, who get her inside the car.
And hopefully far away from here.
“You need to sit too. The storm will be here soon, and it takes about an hour to get to Eudard’s town.”
My brows furrow. “Isn’t this his town?”
“No, the one bordering with this one is.”
Relief washes over me so strong I sway a little, and Zachary catches me, pressing me flush against his chest. I’m ready to burrow my face there and weep.
In happiness from the knowledge my child will be safe from any disasters tonight, and in desperation of what I’m about to do.
Lydia’s voice echoes in my ears, a headache forming in the back of my head, because there is no way of shutting it up.
“Take him inside the coffee shop under the pretense of wanting tea. Near the washroom is a second door leading outside from behind the building that has a car waiting for him. All that is needed is to get his fucking friend off my back. Don’t need to deal with that.” I gotta give it to Lydia, she sure knows how to choose her battles. Or are those a natural hunter’s instincts? Knowing which prey to hunt and which to let go of in order to survive? “There, burst into tears and tell him about this conversation. So he’ll sit in the car, and the rest doesn’t concern you.”
“You want to kill him in some special place?” I ask, although what for I’m not sure. Maybe because I find it odd how well she knows this island and chose this place of all others to finally fulfill her revenge.
“Oh yes. I’ve dreamed about it for years. And figured killing him in a car accident will be the easiest way to separate you two and leave you with all this money. Can you imagine how awesome your life will be? Our lives, since we’re best friends.”
Lydia has completely lost her mind and no longer has any sense of reality, which means she has built herself a world in her head and thinks everyone will align with her illusions.
“Phoenix.” Zachary’s harsh tone pulls me back to the present, and I focus my stare on him, his eyes studying me oddly, and I realize he must’ve called me several times.
“I’d like to get some tea before we go.” His brows shoot up, and then he shouts to Eudard, “You go ahead. We’ll stay a bit longer.”
“How will you get back?”
“We’ll grab a cab. I heard you have those here.” But would they work during this weather? I imagine no one wants to drag their ass out and put it on the line for tourists.
To my shock, Eudard just nods and hops inside the vehicle, waving at me before he drives off onto the empty road with the sky darkening around us. Suddenly, I shiver, rubbing my arms.
Zachary tugs me into the coffee shop, heading toward the ordering counter, and I notice how the line to it is huge. Probably everyone wants to grab their orders before going back to their houses.
Zach stops and lifts my chin before placing his mouth on mine, his thumb pressing on my skin so hard I open up to him, sharing a harsh and, for some reason, desperate kiss that only magnifies the pain growing in my chest.
Before I can deepen it, he snatches his mouth away as we both breathe heavily, and he rests his forehead on mine. “I love you, Phoenix.” With this, he walks off to stand in line while thousands of thoughts rush through my mind, from devastation to happiness, but more importantly, it makes the choice I settled on the minute Lydia told me her plan even more difficult.
However, I push them all away, focusing only on the desire to end the nightmare that has been my constant companion for the last four years, and with one last glance toward Zachary, trying to memorize everything about him, I dart toward the backdoor, passing by the washroom and looking around to find the exit.
Finally outside, I don’t pay attention to how lightning streaks through the sky accompanied by a loud boom filling the air or the navy-blue darkness above me as I search for and spot the black car waiting for me with its engine running.
I quickly go to it and open the door, sitting inside it. I take a deep breath when the flashback from four years ago hits me so hard I grip the steering wheel with my sweaty, trembling hands.
The screech of tires.
The blood dripping down my windshield.
Angelica lying on the sidewalk dead.
My breathing becomes raspy as my heartbeat gallops in my chest. I promised myself to never drive again after what happened to me.
With one deep inhale, I press on the pedal and drive off in the direction flashing on the GPS. Lydia must have already programmed it. I’m ready to face whatever she has to offer.
I don’t agree with her plan.
There shouldn’t be any changes.
The hunter and the prey have to die together, because that’s the connection that always keeps them together, right?
So be it.
Neither Zach nor Emmaline will be collateral damage.
Zachary
Standing still among people is not a fucking easy task to do while I wait for my woman to finally spill the task Lydia ordered her to do in order to finally kill me.
After the truth Zeke sent me, I wanted to scoop them all up and drive to Eudard’s house to shield them from her insanity, only to notice Phoenix talking on the phone, and realizing Lydia got to her sooner.
Who else but the fucking psycho?
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I probably should feel remorse for thinking this about a girl whose life has been tragic with the fucking father who shouldn’t have even been called one. She experienced hell on earth, almost leaving her no chance for a normal life.