I pick up my duffel and Mara’s shopping bag and walk up the stairs. After dropping my bag in my room, I walk down the hall where I can hear Mara and Noah talking. I notice Mara’s room is just a few doors down from Lizzie’s old room. I wonder if that was a great idea but with all the guests, we’re running out of space. Lizzie’s room has been turned into Alessandro’s room in any case.
The door is open, and I see the pair of them standing at the window. Noah is pointing something out. I clear my throat and they turn.
“I’ll take it from here, Noah.”
He hesitates, then nods. “Sure thing.” He walks out of the room. I close the door and go to her.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure. I barely remember my grandmother. I mean, I don’t. Not really.”
“You were five. That’s understandable.” I open a dresser drawer, see the clothes inside. Scarlett took care of buying clothes for her so everything would be ready. She did it before I even went to get her never doubting that I’d bring Mara home.
Since all that happened with her brothers, Rinaldi, her own uncle, she’s been working with trafficked women all over the world. Helping to get them home and reintegrated within their families and society. Mara has always been top of mind for her. I wonder if that’s because it was her brothers who took her to begin with. I wonder if Mara’s put that together yet.
“There are clothes. Everything you need.” She nods and I go to her. “Listen, why don’t you have a shower then get some rest. You don’t have to come downstairs yet if you don’t want to. You just take your time. We all just want you to feel okay. All right?”
“What happens now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Felix. Why did he come after me? Why does he want me back?”
I consider how much to tell her, my mind split between here, her and what I need to do. I need to talk to St. James. Figure out if he had anything to do with the attack at the warehouse. I need to talk to Charlie and Cristiano about what went down and find out about this new buyer. Tell them what St. James said about this alleged recording. There’s so much to do but taking care of her, making sure she’s okay, it’s the most important.
“He’s going to sell me again, isn’t he?”
Fuck. I wasn’t going to tell her that. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks he’s going to do.”
“Was he planning to get me back all along? With Samuel giving me that bracelet, he’s known my location for a long time.”
“Don’t worry about Felix, Mara. I’m not going to let him near you.”
“You don’t know him. You don’t know how determined he can be.”
I brush a hair behind her ear. She looks tired. “Try to relax. Get some rest.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I head back tomorrow,” I say, knowing she won’t like it but biting the bullet and getting it over with. “Matthaeus and I.”
“What?”
“You’ll stay here.”
“Here? Without you?”
“You’ll have Noah,” I can’t help but say.
She looks confused. “You can’t leave me here. I don’t want to be here.”
“This is your home. This is where you’re safest.”
“No, you said…You said I’d be safe with you.” She shakes her head, panic making her eyes wide and bright. “And this is where it happened. Where it all started. This is where…just…” she stops, squeezes her eyes shut for a long moment as she drags in a deep, shaky breath. “Down the hall, a few rooms away, it’s where they did it. Where they…”
I take her arms, rub once, hold tight. “That’s over. Years in the past. It’s safe here now. You’re safe here, Mara. There’s life in this house again. Laughter. A life for you.”
She shakes her head violently and tries to pull free of my grasp. I don’t let her go. “I can’t be here. Not without you. I won’t.”
“You will,” I say with a finality that surprises even me. “You don’t have a choice.”
She shoves against my chest. “Let me go.”
I do and she takes two steps away. “You drugged me again.”
No luck she’d forget that. “That was a mistake,” I say, no sense in mentioning it was Matthaeus, not me.
“What if I hadn’t woken up in time. What if he’d—”
I go to her, take her arms again. Squeeze. “He didn’t. And you did wake up and we got to you in time. You’re safe. No more what-ifs.”
“I’m not safe! Don’t you get it? I will never be safe again!”
I give her a shake. I can’t help it. “You’re tired. Overtired. And stressed—”
“I’m stressed because you brought me here!”
“I brought you home!”
“This isn’t my home. I don’t have a home!”
“Fuck, Mara.” I take a breath in, count to ten. I shift my gaze over her head. I need to be patient. I know that. “You need to fucking help me out here. I’m doing the best I can.”