“I’m working on a plan,” the voice says.
“No.” I squeeze my eyes shut, try to feel at home on the bed. The bed that’s not the hotel bed. The bed where Jed is not lying next to me.
“What’s your name?” the deep voice asks.
Katelyn. Tell him Katelyn. But for some reason, I can’t. I can’t form the words.
“Moonstone,” finally comes from my lips.
“Moonstone?”
I squeeze my eyes shut and nod.
“Open your eyes. Look at me. Look at me and tell me that’s really your name.”
I shake my head, my eyes still squeezed shut, refusing to accept this new reality.
And it is new. Despite my refusal to accept it, in my heart I know I’m not in the hotel. I know this man is not Luke. I know my dog is not here.
Why? Why is this happening to me again?
“Listen,” the voice says. “I will not hurt you. I will try to protect you. But I need to know who you are. Really.”
I don’t reply.
“Was Moonstone your Treasure Island name?”
My eyes pop open, almost as if they have a mind of their own.
Whoever this man is, he knows about the island.
Which means he’s no friend of mine.
“You stay away from me,” I say between clenched teeth. “I will not go through that again.”
“No, no. I’m not one of them. But I know about the island. I work for the Wolfe family.”
I jerk upward once more. Everything is still blurry. “You do not work for the Wolfe family. The Wolfe family would never take me and put me somewhere against my will.”
“You’re right, they wouldn’t. I didn’t do this. Neither did they. I’ve been taken against my will also.”
For a split second, I wish I could see the guy’s face. I wish I could look into his eyes and see more than just a blur, because if I could, maybe I could tell if he’s lying.
“I can’t see,” I say.
“I’m sorry about that. Your vision will clear. I don’t know what they gave you, but whatever it is has probably affected your eyes. Are you feeling okay otherwise?”
“No. I’m not feeling okay. Where the hell am I?”
“As far as I can tell, at some kind of safehouse.”
“Safehouse? Does that mean I’m actually safe?”
“Unfortunately, no. Safehouses are places criminals use to hide out.”
“I’m not a criminal.”
“Neither am I. I’m trying to take down some criminals.”
“But you just said you work for the Wolfe family.”
“I do. This is personal.”
“So you’re not working for the Wolfes right now?”
“No. I’m trying to find the motherfucker who tried to kill my sister.”
I lie back down, close my eyes. If this man were going to hurt me, he probably would’ve done it by now. I don’t feel as if I’ve been violated in any way, although whatever they gave me could be masking those feelings. It’s obviously doing a number on my head and on my vision.
“Listen, Moonstone.”
I jerk upward once more. “That’s not my name.”
“I know it isn’t. You didn’t give me your real name.”
Why did I tell him Moonstone? I hated being Moonstone.
Will Moonstone always be a part of me?
The thought scares me, and although I desperately want it not to be true, I already know that it is. Ten years of my life can’t be erased in a moment. I’m not sure why I ever tried.
How I wish I were back in Manhattan now. In a session with Macy, maybe talking to Zee or to Aspen. Getting on with my life.
Why did I come here, anyway?
For Luke.
Sure, my father had been in a post-anesthesia coma post, but he turned out to be fine. He probably has his biopsy results by now, and he’s probably found out that his liver tumor is benign.
And Jed…
I rescued that beautiful dog, brought him here, which was a pain in the butt, and he probably hated being in the luggage compartment, and now where is he? I promised him a good life.
What will happen to him?
If someone took me from my hotel room, is he still in my room? He’s probably hungry, thirsty. He needs to go outside and do his business.
I certainly can’t depend on my mother to take care of him.
I choke back a sob.
No, I will not cry. I will not go back to that place.
“You all right?” The blurred figure of the man comes closer to me.
“You stay away from me,” I say. “I’m fine. Fine.”
“You don’t need to back away from me,” he says. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you, and I do not break promises.”
“Tell me your name, then.”
“My name is Antonio Moreno,” he says, his voice a deep rumble. “But people call me Buck.”
37
LUKE
We have your woman.
That’s all the text says.
Those words scare me enough, but it’s the emoji that really makes my blood run cold.
It’s a spade, like the card suit.
King’s calling card.
The king of spades.