- VANESSA -
Watching Dex Jr. Sunday night and Monday morning was the best part of this week. He and I draped sheets around my room to make little forts, brought snacks and books in, and fell asleep in a pile of blankets and pillows.
Now it's Friday, and I've done nothing else this week besides go through our belongings to try finding more things to donate. Because now I'm actually going to volunteer at the shelter.
I can't sit home when I'm so used to getting out of my gilded cage every weekend. Depression has already started creeping back into my body, making me more and more sluggish every morning. It's hard to get out of bed when I'm not sure what I have to look forward to anymore.
"Are you headed out?" Mom meets me at the bottom of the steps.
"Yep." I smile, and when her eyebrows thread together in silent worry, I know I'm not doing a convincing job of acting fine.
"You look a little pale." She feels my cheek with the back of her hand. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll see you later." I give her a quick kiss. "Love you."
As soon as I'm in my car, I sigh in relief to be out of my house alone. I'm not sure how much longer I can do this. I need some real freedom or I'm going to lose it.
When I get to the women's shelter, I take our boxes in. I didn't tell Mia I was coming here tonight, because I'm not in the mood to be social. It's a lot of work trying to act happy and enthusiastic about other people when your heart isn't in it. Right now I just need some time to be alone. Not just alone in my room—really alone.
That realization becomes abundantly clear when I consider my plan to volunteer tonight. The woman I hand the donations to has been through so much, it makes my heart ache. I'm not sure my mood or my sanity can handle all the secrets I might find in a place like this, at least not tonight.
Instead, I get back in my car and just start driving without any destination in mind. The city lights are beautiful at night, and eventually I end up parked near the bay.
The ocean looks infinite. It makes me feel freer just looking at it, just imagining all the places this water crashing against the shore has been. It might have been all around the world before making it here.
I wonder how far I would have to go to escape the secrets of others entirely. To be alone, to be at peace, to maybe even find myself and what it is I want from this life.
My phone rings, interrupting the thought.
"Hello?"
"Vanessa, it's Sarah."
"Oh. Hi, Sarah." I was not expecting her to call, so I'm a little surprised. "How are you?"
"Well," she pauses, and I hear her voice break. "Not great. I have this thing that came up. I can't work tonight, and Taryn is busy. Theo hasn't hired anyone yet. Do you think this one time…"
Immediately, my thoughts go to what I know about Sarah. Sarah who is always carrying this heavy weight around with her. Sarah who finds it so hard to trust people and let them get close to her.
"Of course." I push off my car and get in. "I'll cover for you."
"Really?" Now she sounds surprised.
"Yeah. No problem. I don't have anything going on."
"Oh my god, you're a lifesaver. I owe you."
"No you don't. It's fine, Sarah," I smile. "I'm happy to do it."
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- DOMINIK -
Luka and Ivan walk into Theo's bar while I watch from the back seat of the SUV. I'm trying to prepare myself for Ivan's inevitable rage. He has invested so much money and energy into this plan, the failure to secure Vanessa is going to be like when he loses a shipment.
It suddenly occurs to me that I'm likely responsible for every major failure or disappointment Ivan has ever experienced in his life. And that every one of those disappointments was because he lost the ability to own someone and use them as objects or tools. Or pets.
"That's what you get, fucker." My hands curl into fists as I watch the front door.
When did he change? I wish I could go back to that point and stop it somehow. Or was he always like this and I just didn't see it? Whatever the reason, it's gotten us to this night—to us attempting to abduct an innocent woman.
The plan tonight was for Luka and Ivan to confirm Vanessa was here and hang out until closing. Then we would have taken her on her way to the car or on the way home.
It's a stupid plan if Vanessa actually does have the type of gift Ivan thinks, but it's obvious he's eager to test it. He wants to see how she will react to him, and he's not bothered at all by the fact that it's risky as hell if she were to freak out.
I'm watching the front entrance for the two of them to emerge once they realize she's not working. Ivan's face will be screwed up as the storm of fury begins rolling in, and we'll have to talk him down, give him other ideas, pacify him somehow so that he doesn't go on a rampage. I fully expect to be at Club Redwood tonight watching him get trashed and trying to keep women out of his orbit who could end up being on the receiving end of his need to blow off steam.
What I see instead is a familiar mafia princess walking around the side of the building toward the entrance—dark hair bouncing with each step. That little liar.
With a string of curses, I throw the back door open. "Vanessa!"
She stops, startled eyes searching the parking lot until they find me. When they do, she relaxes and actually smiles. That only lasts a second until I grab her arm and start dragging her back the way she came.
"What are you doing here?" I hiss. "I told you not to come back."
"Let go!" She struggles, trying to get free. "I have to cover for someone."
"Not tonight."
"What?" She keeps trying to pull out of my grip while I force her back toward her car. I'm probably hurting her, but there's not exactly time to explain this nicely.
There's only one car parked behind Theo's that looks like it costs more than what most people make in a year. How the hell was she driving this to work and not making people suspicious?
"Keys," I say, forcing her up against the side so she won't try making a run for it.
"No," she scoffs. "I'm not leaving. I can handle Jimmy."
"This isn't about Jimmy," I growl.
That must scare some sense into her, because she stops breathing and watches, frozen, while I grab her bag and dig for the keys myself. Once the door is unlocked, I push her into the driver's seat.
"Go home. Fast. Don't stop on the way."