I don’t even look to see who’s talking, but finally pay attention when Cy steps in front of the door. The guy who yelled to us is a big guy, but nowhere near as big as Cy. Cy gestures for him to go, then crosses his arms on his chest. The guy reaches for the car, the idiot, and Cy lifts the guy straight up off the ground and deposits him a few feet away. The guy scrambles to his feet and leaves. I don’t open the window or door. I’ve got no more patience for this bullshit today. I want to get to Daniel. And anyway, Cy has this sorted.
The guy leaves, but now there’s a small crowd forming a semi-circle around our car. There are people yelling at us, and someone even throws something at us as we drive away. I jolt in surprise when it hits the side of the car, and Cy accelerates.
“What the hell was that?” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “Jesus. It isn’t safe out here. We need to get to a place where we can stay and not be bothered by everyone.”
“We do,” I say. “My house?”
He shrugs. “Or something.”
“We’re not far from Daniel,” I say softly. “Let’s go there first.”
I miss my brother so badly, the separation is physically painful, pressing on my heart and making something catch in my throat. It’s awful being apart from him. Fucking awful.
“Before we got so rudely interrupted,” he begins, and I smile to myself. I don’t want him to think I’m laughing at him, but his protection is really kind of adorable. “You were saying you didn’t like being in the stores. That you missed the island?”
“Well, I didn’t say I missed the island,” I explain. “It’s just… well. I miss the isolation. How pretty it was. I miss the sea, and the sunset, the warm sand and the fruit trees.” My throat tightens. I continue, pushing through my emotions. God, I’ve gotta get a grip. “I miss being alone with you.” And that’s it, right there. That’s the most painful part of it all. Every time we’re on air. In a store. Doing an interview. Hell, even answering the phone. Every time, it’s like someone’s invading our personal space, and I hate that.
It’s only been a short time, though. Will I get used to it? Or will it only get harder?
Cy reaches for my hand and holds it. “I understand, baby,” he says, his husky voice soft.
“Do you miss that, too?”
He nods. “Very much so. Hell, last night having you alone in my bed was like a dream come true, Harper. When I found myself apart from you…”
“Can you tell me? Tell me again.” We’ve talked about what happened after we were separated, but I want to hear it again. I want to piece it all together. See if we missed anything. He tells me everything, how he figured out the two men weren’t military, and how he knew they’d been sent by Morose. How he managed to take them down, land before they got to their destination, and then snuck away to find me.
“And goddamn it, woman, when I heard your voice on the radio.”
“I knew you would,” I say quietly. I did. I didn’t know how I’d reach him, but I knew if I sounded the warning, triggered the bell, that somehow, I would find him.
“You went on the cruise ship…”
I sigh, nodding, and tell him everything. How they treated me. How I found out the truth. How I escaped.
“No matter what happens, Cy, we have to find Lila. I have to make good on my promise to her.”
“We will, baby,” he says. “But first, let’s get you to Daniel. Then we’ll get settled. There’s a lot to unpack in all this. I still can’t believe a crazy old man and a pile of money was behind this whole thing.”
“Money does crazy shit sometimes, as does ego and recognition.”
I can’t help but smile. “God, I love you, you know that?” I say with a sigh. “We have so much to talk about. So much to plan. Our whole future ahead of us.”
He grins. “Babe, all I care about right now is getting your brother and then getting some baby back ribs in my belly.”
We drive in silence to Daniel, holding each other’s hands. We’re ridiculous, but I don’t care.
On the island, we lost everything.
On the island, we gained everything.
I feel a little nervous when we pull up to Daniel’s residence. My hands begin to shake, and my heart beats a little faster. Will he recognize me? My logical brain tells me of course he will, but the separation couldn’t have been good for him. What will he think of Cy?
And a part of me actually worries about the return of familiarity. If I return back to who I was, and the way things were before the island… how is there any room in this for Cy?