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Tony’s still angry with me and keeps a much closer eye on me than normal. When I’m not with clients, he makes me stay at his side. In his bed. Just like he did when he first took me to the cabin.
I don’t fight him on anything. I don’t try to defend myself. All I care about is getting out of this without anything happening to Jack.
But the more days pass that I don’t hear from Cam or Parker make the knots of tension in my stomach grow tighter. If I hadn’t spent the last six weeks getting to know Parker, I would think he’d lied about helping me. But I guess Tony hasn’t managed to beat all hope out of me, but it still burns in my chest.
When the police do show up, it’s not loud like in the movies. There’s a knock on the door, and then they burst in with guns. No shots are fired. Nothing gets broken. They pin Tony and get him in cuffs and out the door all in under a minute.
Only then do they allow emergency personnel into the house. While an EMT checks out my bruises and gets me ready to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance, more people arrive. They spread out with cameras and gloves, and start finding all the videos and photos Tony has taken of both me and Jack over the years.
I’m thankful when the ambulance starts up, finally taking me away from Tony.
***
After the hospital, I’m taken to the police station, where I answer so many questions that my voice grows hoarse. They don’t let Parker in the room with me, but I can see him pacing outside the office I’m in. Cameron’s out there too, but he’s sitting in one of the chairs against the wall.
After what seems like forever, the officer closes the file and says he’ll be in touch if they need anything else. Then he twists his pen in his hand and says, “Your family’s on their way.”
Sweat breaks out on my palms, but I just give the guy a nod. I’ve been dying to see my family again for the last five years, but now that I know it’s going to happen, I feel sick. What are they going to think of me? Will they even recognize me? Will they want me once they learn about what I’ve been doing since I left them?
The door opens, and Parker appears, his face lined with worry. “Hey,” he whispers.
I swallow and force a smile I don’t feel. “Hey. Is Jack really safe?”
“Yeah, he is. The police there took Mike down this morning.”
Relief floods me, and I squeeze my eyes shut because I don’t want to start crying. There’ll be time for that later when I’m out of here.
“He’s okay,” Parker murmurs. He moves to kneel beside me, resting one hand on my thigh and the other on the back of the chair I’m sitting in. “I’m sorry I couldn’t say anything until now. They wouldn’t let me come in here with you.”
“I know.” I lower my hand on top of his, drawing strength from his warmth. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
“Of course.” He leans up and kisses the side of my head. “I was so worried about you.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “My family’s on the way here.”
“Yeah, they told me.” His hand moves from the back of my chair to rest on my shoulder. “If you don’t want to see them yet, you don’t have to.”
“I do. I just… What if they don’t like me anymore?” It’s a childish question, but Parker doesn’t make fun of me for it.
He squeezes my hand and says, “They’re going to love you, Rhys.”
Voices raise outside our little office, and I jerk to turn for the door. For some reason, I expect Tony to come bursting in here. Even though I know he’s sitting in a jail cell now.
“It’s okay,” Parker says. “I think it’s your parents.”
My stomach twists in a knot, but I don’t take my eyes off the window that allows me to see out into the main lobby area. I see my father first. He’s thinner and his hair is a little lighter, but it’s him. Mom’s on his left, leaning over the reception desk. I can’t hear what she’s saying, but she sounds flustered.
Jack’s behind them. He’s the only one who notices where I am. And I realize with a start that he looks just like I did at that age. Back when I was innocent and Tony hadn’t touched me yet.
Jack starts toward me, and I stand but still cling to Parker’s hand. He’s a warm, reassuring presence beside me as Jack opens the office door and steps inside, staring at me.
My throat is too tight to move. My eyes sting with tears.
Then Jack crosses the room and grabs me in a tight, fierce hug that nearly takes my breath away. “It’s really you,” he whispers. “I missed you so much.”
I let go of Parker’s hand so I can return my brother’s hug, holding him tightly to me. I always knew that all those years with Tony were worth it if it kept Jack safe, but standing with him now, seeing him whole and happy, only drives that point home further. After all that time worrying about him and making sure I didn’t do anything that would make Tony hurt him, I can finally see for myself that he’s okay.
My parents appear in the doorway, and Jack steps back to give them some room, but I have a hard time letting go of him. I feel like if I do, he might disappear again. I won’t see him for another five years again.
