But I’m not one hundred percent sure. She’s tired of the lies too. She wants answers as much as I do. Although, we each have our own reasons for wanting answers.
I give her a ten percent chance of coming back on her own.
I won’t go hunt her.
I’ll wait and let her make her move. I’ll let her decide her fate. If she comes back, I’ll be more lenient on her. But if she runs…my brain fills with all the things it wants to do to her.
I won’t be doing any of them. I’ll do the smart thing. The thing that hits her where it hurts and gives me what I want.
I should get up and go talk to Phoenix. Just five more minutes of relaxing and then I’ll go to her.
A lightbulb goes off in my head.
I know what Liesel’s going to do.
I pull out my phone and stare at the names of all the contacts Liesel knows in our dangerous world.
Enzo.
Kai.
Zeke.
Siren.
Who would she call for help?
The answer is obvious. She knows me better than anyone, but I know her better than anyone too.
I dial Siren’s number.
“I’m not going to help you keep Liesel hostage. If you want to talk, you can talk to Zeke. I’m not talking to you until you let her go,” Siren huffs into the phone.
“Wait!” I say before she can hand the phone off to Zeke.
“You have three seconds.”
“Liesel is going to call you for help.”
There’s a silent beat before she answers. “What do you want me to do?”
“Help her.”
3
Liesel
“That fucking bastard! I’ll have a plane there in two hours,” Siren says when I finish telling her everything.
I let out an audible breath.
I’m getting rescued.
“Thank you.”
“Of course. And don’t worry, Langston is going to get a mouthful from me next time I see him. He’s an asshole for thinking he can just kidnap you like that, even if he’d never actually kill you. He’s just trying to bully and intimidate you into doing what he wants.”
I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate your help. I’ll pay you back—”
“Don’t you dare. You have nothing to pay me back for.”
“Not even by going with you on a girls trip?”
I can feel her smile through the phone. “Kai would kill me if I didn’t use this opportunity to persuade you to go on a girls trip with us, but I don’t think persuasion will be necessary. You’ll want to vent after all of this is over.”
“You’re probably right.” I won’t be venting to Waylon about my time here, that’s for sure.
“Hang tight. I’ll have you off his island in two hours.” Siren hangs up the phone.
Two hours until I’m free.
I stare down the road that leads toward Langston’s house as the sun begins to rise. Even if Langston comes for me before I’m rescued, I trust Siren. She’ll find me and make Langston release me.
This is truly the end of this nightmare.
Wait…
I didn’t give Siren my location. How does she know where I am? And where am I exactly?
I shake off the weird vibes. She probably just knows because she knows where Langston has been living lately and the location of his beach house. I’m sure he’s told those he’s close to before. I’m just not one of those people anymore.
I sit back down in my hut and wait.
The sun has fully risen when I hear the roar of an engine. I step out of the hut, hoping I’m not dreaming up the sound of the airplane and it’s not just Langston’s car or another attack.
I refuse to think about who those men are or why they were attacking Langston. It’s been a while since I’ve heard any explosions or gunfire—not a good sign. That means Langston is no longer occupied by fighting. He could be searching for me.
I shield my eyes and look up.
A plane.
I hold my breath while the plane lands, begging it to be Siren’s team.
Finally, the plane rolls to a stop, and the side door lowers. Siren sticks her head out the doorway.
I exhale. She’s here. I wish she had sent a team to pick me up instead of doing it herself, but I’m happy that she’s here. It means I’m getting off this island and away from Langston for good.
“Any sign of Lanston?” Siren asks as I jog toward the plane.
I shake my head.
“Good, let’s get going before he figures out I’m here. I’ll deal with his dumb ass later.”
I smile.
Siren pulls me into a hug even though I’m covered in dried dirt, leaves, and sweat.
I wince when she hugs me too tightly, agitating the wound on the back of my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, are you okay?” Siren asks as she holds me at arm’s length and looks me up and down.
“It’s okay; I’ve been sleeping on the jungle floor. I’m just sore.” I don’t want her to know I’m wounded. I want her to know as little as possible.
She nods. “There is a bathroom in the back with a small shower. The water won’t stay hot for long, but you can at least clean up. I’ll put a change of clothes outside the bathroom door for you.”
“Thanks, looking forward to getting off this island.”
“I’ll go talk to the pilot and get us out of here as soon as possible. Be careful showering during takeoff.”
“Of course.” Although, I’m not worried about getting knocked around during takeoff. I’ve been through hell; a possible bruise as I bump into the shower door is nothing.
I walk to the back of the plane and find a small bathroom. I don’t know whose private jet this is—probably Enzo and Kai’s. Siren and Zeke have money, but I don’t think they own their own private jet to my knowledge. Or she chartered this.
The bathroom is just big enough for one person to fit in. It has a small sink, toilet, and corner shower. I take my clothes off, letting them fall to the floor. I don’t dare look at myself in the mirror. If I did, I’m not sure whether I’d see a strong, determined woman or a frail, broken one.
Instead, I flip the water on and step under the spray. The water is cool; I don’t bother letting it heat up. I don’t need it to be warm. Siren also said it won’t stay warm for long anyway.
I let the water wash away the mud, the dried leaves, the blood from the bug bites and scratches. It also cleanses me of my pain and anger.
I can’t believe Langston kidnapped me. I can’t believe he threatened my life—all for a secret treasure he doesn’t even need. He has his own private island and mansion. He doesn’t need money. He just wants to hurt me.
We’ve been through a lot as kids, but I still feel like there is something I’m missing, something Langston is hiding. His rage goes far beyond the truth as I know it.
I feel the plane rising off the ground.
My body lightens, as if a weight has been lifted from my body as we takeoff.
I don’t have to worry about Langston anymore. I don’t have to spend another second thinking about him.