Lost in the Shadows (The Lost Series Book 3) Read online

  “You make no sense. You say one thing but do just the opposite.”

  “I did not choose this life—”

  “But here you sit.” I stand and throw my arms wide for dramatic flair. My stepfather always said I was too dramatic for my own good, and usually I would tone it back because I wanted to make him happy. But right now, in this moment, I could give two shits to the things he said to me or about me. He’s the real reason why I’m trapped in this room. Him and greed.

  “I didn’t want to choose you. Hell, I didn’t want to choose anyone. I’m not this man,” he says, only there isn’t anything dramatic about the way he talks to me. Nope. He’s cool as a cucumber.

  “Then let me go. Blindfold me, drive me far away from here, and I promise not to tell anyone about you or how I got here.” I cross the room and stop in front of him. I feel more desperate now than ever. If there is a chance of getting out of this, it must be through him. And I’m willing to do anything to make it happen. “Please, you have to know you’re my only chance at freedom.”

  “I know, and that’s why I can’t let you go. Not yet. Not now. Please, if you ever believe the words out of my mouth, then believe these. You will be free one day, but it can’t be today.” His eyes plead with me, and as I study their depths, I realize he’s telling me the truth. My mother always told me you can tell a person’s character by the heartache they carry in their eyes, and in his, I see more heartache than any one person should know.

  You’re a fool, my mind rails against me, but how can I ignore the pain inside of him? Pain is pain, no matter the reasons behind it.

  “Okay,” I whisper, feeling my chest constrict with emotion. I feel like I’m giving up a big piece of myself, a piece I vowed not to lose at the beginning of this journey.

  Am I crazy? Maybe, but the whispering of fate around me gives me hope.

  Hope that at the end of this, we’ll both walk away whole and more than we were at the start.

  Chapter 10

  Damien

  I see the struggle. It’s plain as day on her face, but she never stops working through it.

  It’s a lot to ask of her. Trusting a stranger is never easy. But I’m more than a stanger; I’m her captor. She doesn’t know what I’m here to do, at least not really. And until I can tell her without putting both of us in danger, this is the role I must take on.

  “Thank you.” I take a breath, steadying the nervousness churning in my stomach. I don’t know what I would’ve done if her response had been something other than what it was.

  “Now what?” she asks, her shoulders slumped forward from the tension she let go of moments ago. I’ve never seen so much fire in a person, let alone someone in her position.

  “I have a couple of questions, if that’s okay,” I lean forward, wanting to be closer to her. She steps toward me and sits down in the opposite chair, tucking her knees under her chin and wrapping her arms around her mile-long legs.

  My eyes are once again coveting her creamy flesh. Fuck, I swear internally, once again reminding myself of how wrong it is to let myself see her as something I can have.

  Because I can’t have her.

  And the reasons behind that simple fact doesn’t just have to do with how she entered my life.

  “How did this happen to you?”

  She looks at me like I’ve grown three heads; the question, while a hard one, is one she’s eventually going to have to answer when all of this is over.

  “My stepfather, Miguel,” she explains, tucking her long blond hair behind her ear. “He sold me.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “To say he doesn’t like me isn’t the way I would put it. More like hate. He hates me, and it isn’t surprising he did this to me. I should have seen it coming; in fact, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.” I can’t tell if she’s joking or not, but the pain laced in her voice tells me there is a lot of pain in her past. My heart beats against my ribs with so much force I want to reach for her and help her forget everything about her life before this moment.

  “It shouldn’t have happened at all. He’s supposed to be a fucking father to you, not a monster,” I argue, hoping like hell she knows not all men are like her stepfather and I am grateful for my own father. “What about your mother and your real father? Where are they?”

  “I don’t know who my real father is. My mother never told me who he was, and every time I asked, she would insist Miguel was the only father I should care about. He’s the only father I’ve ever known.” She pauses a moment and stares off into the room. “And my mother, she’s back at home with my brothers and sisters.”

  “Do you miss her?”

  “I’m not sure. It happened in front of her, and she didn’t do anything to stop it. So, I don’t know how I feel about her anymore.”

  “What do you mean, it happened in front of her?” I can’t breathe without wanting to find her parents and rip them limb from limb. “Was she part of the plan to sell you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sure he threatened her if she didn’t go along with it He does that a lot. Sometimes I wish she would take that iron skillet of hers and bash him over the head with it.” She shrugs her shoulders like it’s not a big deal. But I know better. It is a big deal, and I wonder why her mother hasn’t done exactly that. “I miss Isa, my youngest sister. She was the only good thing about my life back home. I doubt the others miss me, but I know Isa does.”

  “How old is she?”

  “She’s six, no, seven now. It was her birthday last month.” She grows quiet and hangs her head. “I was going to make her a cake to celebrate. Miguel wasn’t going to be home, so he couldn’t ruin it.”

  “I’m sorry.” I lick my lips and swallow hard. “Is it safe to say you wouldn’t go back if you ever got the chance?”

  She shakes her head and looks up at me. Her blue eyes are clouded with confusion and fear. “It’s not safe. If I showed up, Miguel would be pissed, and he’d probably sell me off again.”

  “He would?”

  “I told you he hates me.” She pauses before looking away again. “Is that a possibility? Are you going to send me home?”

  “Absolutely not. But there will come a day you’ll get to choose what path you want to travel. If going home was something you wanted, I’d make sure it was an option.”

  “It’s not. I can never go home. Not while Miguel is alive.”

  “What about your sister?”

  “As much as I wish I could, I can’t help her. Hell, I can’t even help myself.”

  “But I could help her.” Her eyes focus on me, but not in a good way.

  “Is that your thing? Little girls?”

  “No, Penny—”

  “Why else would you offer to help my sister?”

  “Because I generally want to help.” I run my hand through my hair, feeling frustrated with her. “I told you I’m not a threat to you, and that extends to your family. Except Miguel. Him I wouldn’t mind hurting. No, I want to fucking kill him.”

  She sits back. Her wide eyes are filled with curiosity but also caution. She won’t argue he deserves to draw his last breath, but I don’t think anyone she’s told her story to reacted the way I have.

  I look away, needing to place some space between us. I almost slipped and revealed more of who I really am than was safe. It’s happening more and more often. The longer I’m around her, the more comfortable she becomes, even the times when she doesn’t trust me completely still.

  Chapter 11

  Penelope

  He came in hours ago, and like last night, hasn’t bothered me. He used the door from the sitting room to use the bathroom, careful to keep as quiet as possible. Not that it mattered. I heard him the moment the door to our suite opened.

  He showers quickly before going back to the couch in the other room. Ignoring the pang of disappointment in my chest, I push aside the confusing feelings flooding my body.

  When he was called away earlier, I was relieved. Eve
rything we talked about, the things I told him, it was bearing down on me, and I needed time to compose myself.

  I miss my little sister. I miss the others, too, my mother included. They’re the only family I have. Even if they’ve done fucked-up things to me, they had no choice.

  I shake my head trying to fight off the emotions building inside of me again, but it’s hard. I’ve been away from them for months now, and while I’ve grown used to them no longer being there, I’m far from accepting this life I have been thrown into.

  Taking a deep breath, I throw my blankets off me and stand up. Tony might not feel the need to check in with me, but I can’t fight the urge to lay eyes on him one more time before falling asleep.

  The sound of his voice murmuring on the other side of the door stops me before my hand reaches the knob. It sounds like he’s talking to someone. I take a step back. What if he’s talking to someone about me? What if he’s changed his mind?

  My ears strain, and I regain the step I lost and take another until I’m flush against the door.

  “I made the transfer. When are your guys going to make your move?” I hear him ask but hear no response. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Mac, this shit, I don’t know how much longer they’re going to sit on these girls.”

  Silence again.

  Is he on the phone?

  I glance at the phone on the nightstand, but the light indicating a line is not lit. He’s not on the phone in the suite. Maybe a cell phone?

  “Charles is here, and he’s getting… No, you know I haven’t touched her,” he growls into the phone, but he manages to keep his voice quiet. “The girl isn’t a plant. How do I know? I’ve talked to her, Mac. She’s a victim, just like the others.”

  He’s talking about me!

  My stomach sinks, and my heart pounds heavily in my chest.

  “The plan stays the same. She changes nothing.”

  What does he mean, the plan stays the same? Why would me being here change it? Unless he was forced into choosing someone that night. That would explain why he’s all but set me aside. He saved me from the auction block and that woman, Mirabelle.

  My hand reaches for the knob, but I can’t bring myself to turn it, not without hearing everything.

  One thing is clear to me: he isn’t talking to anyone here in this building. Whoever is on the other side of the call has nothing to do with the world we live in, and yet they do. One thing is clear: Tony is the link between to the two.

  *****

  I listened to Tony’s phone conversation, straining to hear every detail, but the longer it lasted, the lower his voice became. It was almost like he knew someone was listening.

  After he hung up, the room grew silent. It wasn’t until I heard his soft snores that I moved away from the door and climbed back into bed. Not that I was able to sleep a wink, not with everything I heard him say.

  The man I have come to know, everything about him, finally makes sense, and I’ve determined he’s a good guy, playing the bad guy. Maybe he’s undercover.

  I heard him dress and leave this morning. I contemplated getting out of bed and confronting him with it all, but I lay there listening to him. He brewed the coffee, drank his usual cup, and walked out the door.

  But now it’s lunchtime, and while I don’t expect him to join me, I’m hoping he does. I’ve seen so little of him in the last twenty-four hours, it doesn’t sit right with me. My day has been spent with him on my mind and thinking of ways to tell him what I heard. I’ve also spent time building the courage to ask him to explain what it all meant. Something inside of me believes something big is going to happen.

  I look at the clock, and it reads ten to one.

  He’s not coming.

  I don’t know why I thought he would. He’s never stopped in to have lunch with me. Or dinner for that matter.

  I’ll just have to save my courage for tonight when he comes in for bed. I don’t care how late it is; I need answers.

  Chapter 12

  Damien

  It’s happening.

  The call came in only moments ago. My cue to get out now before shit gets real.

  I run through everything in my mind. Where I’m supposed to go, where the vehicle will be waiting for me. I’ve run through the plan every day for the last nine months, anticipating this exact moment.

  So, what’s stopping me?

  I grabbed everything I needed from the suite this morning, but I can’t help feeling like I’m missing something important. No matter how many times I mentally run through it, I can’t shake it.

  Instead of heading out like I’m supposed to, I find myself heading in the direction of the main house.

  What am I doing? I think as I bound up the stairs and turn toward the hallway my suite connects to. My heart races in my chest, bumping hard against my rib cage. I need to hurry. I need to get out. But I can’t.

  Throwing open the door, I step inside wild-eyed, seeking what I know I’m missing. I find it. Or rather, I find her. Seated on the couch with her legs tucked under her and a book in her hands.

  She looks up at me and swallows hard.

  “Tony,” she whispers breathlessly, pulling me out of my trance. I blink once, twice, and then I move. I know what I’m missing.

  Her.

  Crossing the room, I throw open the door to the bedroom and beeline to the closet. All I can think about is how crazy I must seem to her, grabbing a plastic bag and using it as a makeshift suitcase to stuff her clothing in.

  She walks into the room, stopping at the door to watch me. I feel the uncertainty of her gaze, but I keep moving. Grabbing whatever clothing my hands touch.

  “Tony, what’s going on?”

  “Penny, I need you to trust me.” I pause long enough to look at her face, hoping she sees that she can trust me. “Something is about to happen, and you need to come with me.”

  She teeters, wanting to trust me but frightened about what is happening outside. The sound of gunfire somewhere on the grounds rings through the night air. Her eyes widen with fear, and she moves further into the room, stopping next to me, looking at the mess I’ve made.

  “Didn’t they bring any kind of bag with your wardrobe?”

  She shakes her head but runs over to the bed and removes both pillow cases from the large king-sized pillows. She walks over to the dresser before tossing me one of the cases and ransacks the drawers. I follow suit, heading back to the closet.

  A deafening boom fills the room, causing the room around us to shake and shudder, knocking us both to the ground. I call out to her, but the sound of ringing fills my ears. Trying to shake off the effect of whatever just happened, I get to my feet and look around the room for her. She’s standing by a pile of rubble that moments ago used to be the ceiling.

  Needing to waste no more time, I grab her case along with my own and take her by the hand to get out of here. I pull her toward the door of the suite, but the moment I open the door, a cloud of black smoke billows in around us.

  Fuck!

  “Tony,” she chokes and sputters as it fills her lungs.

  “This wasn’t supposed to go down like this.” I shake my head, worried we might not get out of here alive. Looking around, I try to think of another exit. We’re on the second story, and I don’t want to risk her getting hurt if we must jump out of a window.

  “I don’t understand. What’s happening?”

  “A raid.” I pull her back into the bedroom, trying to escape the smoke pouring into the room. Remembering her idea with the pillow cases, I come up with one of my own and pull the sheets off the bed, planning to lower her down safely to the ground.

  A quick look about the room reminds me there isn’t anything I can tie the end to, so I will have to physically support her weight and find another way down for myself. Spotting a group of bushes a few feet in front of the building, I know aiming for them to soften my fall is the best chance I have to avoid severe injury.

  I knot the material and reach for
a heavy chair to shatter the window with, since there is no way to open the single pane of glass.

  “Step back,” I tell her before lifting the chair and striking the window with it. It shatters from the force. The hot desert air greets us, but it also drags the smoke quicker into the room, as it can now snake out into the night.

  I clear as much debris as I can, then another explosion sounds off; this time, I can see it from my vantage point at the window. The building the women are kept in has been blasted. My stomach drops, and I look over to Penny, who is now standing beside me. Screams and shouts ring out across the property as the sound of wicked hot flames lick the building and dark billowing smoke fills the air.

  “Tony, the girls.” She lifts a hand to her mouth, unable to say anything more. I say nothing either, because I’m hoping with everything in me that what both she and I are thinking isn’t true. I knew the building was rigged with explosives for an event like this; we all did. So, I can only hope the girls were saved before someone managed to set the explosion off.

  “There’s no time,” I tell her, wrapping the sheet around her waist and securing it. “We have to get out of here.”

  She nods, blinking back her tears and any emotion she’s feeling. I cup her face in my hands for a moment, wanting the words to take away her fear, but I can’t give them to her yet. When she relaxes her hand into my hands, I know we’re good to go.

  “Who’s going to lower you to the ground?” she asks as I let go of her and she turns toward the window.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to tie my end of the sheet off and be right behind you.” It’s not a complete lie. I will be right behind her, but it’ll be a little different than I’m sure she’s imagining.

  When I help her over the window sill, she gives me a nervous smile before allowing me to carefully lower her to the ground. The moment her feet touch the ground, I toss the sheet and the pillow cases out the window.

  “Tony!” I hear her yell, and I stick my head out of the window to find her staring up at me with worry crinkled in her brow. I place a foot on the sill, and she steps aside, her eyes widening with fear. “You can’t jump. It’s too far. You’ll hurt yourself.”