“I hope you’re right 'cause if she says yes, I’ll have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“I wish you could find a way out of here. You’re too good for this place.”
His chipper tone quickly faded as he grumbled, “Not gonna happen. I’m stuck here. That’ll never change.”
“No one knows what the future holds.”
I walked into my room and waited for him to respond, but all I got was the click of the door closing behind me. A response wasn’t necessary, however. I knew he was upset. He was upset for the same reason I had been for almost five years. He was DeLuca’s prisoner, and he would remain his prisoner until the day he took his last breath.
That was something I learned the day I ended up with three gunshot wounds to the back. It was a thought that turned my happy memory into a bad one. I was on the verge of tears when I heard Billy ask, “You okay?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay?” Billy asked as he rushed over to the sofa. “Are you hurting?”
“No, I’m not hurting. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? I can get some more of the pain meds Doc left for you.”
“No, that’s not necessary. Really, I’m fine.”
“Okay, then how about a bite to eat or some more coffee?”
“Could we just talk for a minute?” His eyes narrowed, making me worried he might refuse, so I quickly added, “It won’t take long. I just have a few questions.”
“You have questions I can’t answer.”
“How do you know? I haven’t asked them yet.”
“Because I would be asking the same damn thing if I were in your shoes.” He walked over and sat down at the end of the sofa. “But I can’t tell you how I found you because knowing that would put us both in danger. And I can’t tell you why I saved your life because I don’t know why I did it. I just know I couldn’t let you lay there and die.”
“I’m really glad you didn’t.”
“Me, too.” He ran his hand through his thick hair as he grumbled. “Now, I just have to figure out how I’m going to keep you alive.”
“What are you talking about?”
The air rushed out of my lungs when he answered, “You don’t really think you can just go back to your old life, and everything will be like it was, do you?”
“I... um.”
My stomach twisted into a crippling knot. I’d been so focused on my present that I hadn’t really considered what my future might hold, but now that he’d brought it up, I could see that he was right.
If he found out I was alive, DeLuca would have me killed. Not only would he kill me, but if he thought someone had helped me or if I talked to someone, he’d kill them, too. I was no longer in his house, but I still wasn’t free. I would never be free. No matter where I went or what I did, I would always be his prisoner.
It was a thought that brought more tears to my eyes. I looked over to Billy and shook my head as I said, “I just don’t get it. Why did you bother saving me? I was better off dead.”
“Don’t say that,” he snapped. “We will figure this thing out. It’s just going to take some time.”
“I’ve already lost too much time because of him.”
“I’m well aware of that, and if I could get that time back for you, I would.” His eyes remained fixed on mine as he promised, “But I can make sure he doesn’t take any more from you. I just need you to trust me to handle it.”
“Handle it how?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out,” he responded. I could tell there was more he wanted to say, but he was holding back, and I still didn’t know why. “You never really told me about the work you did for Antonio, but if I had to guess, I’d say it wasn’t good.”
“No, it wasn’t.”