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“Who is she to you? Your mum?”
Xavier shook his head. “Her sister.”
I lowered my voice. “Do you know what she did to me? To the others?”
He nodded and looked down at the floor like he had earlier. “She had no choice.”
I refused to believe him. “Help me get out of here.”
He stood and walked toward the door. “I will,” he said before closing it behind him.
I picked up the bandages Nonna had left, dried my feet, then applied them to the cuts. After putting on socks, I turned my body and lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.
Xavier had said he’d get me out of here, but then what? Would I be left to find someone else to help me? How would I know if I could trust them not to contact Moretti? Did everyone on the island know what was happening at the villa and turn a blind eye? If only I could somehow reach Cayman, I knew he’d be on the next flight out, and he wouldn’t come alone, especially after I told him what Moretti had done—was doing. Until then, I was stuck.
The door opened, and Nonna walked in, carrying a tray of food. I was too upset to eat. Even if I tried, I doubted it would stay down. I shook my head when she set it on the end of the bed. I tensed when she walked closer to me, reached out, and cupped my face.
“You…are…safe.” She struggled with the words.
“Am I?” I asked, knowing she didn’t understand me.
She nodded. “Safe,” she repeated.
I scooted over when she sat beside me on the bed, then picked up a plate from the tray. On it, was a piece of bread and some cheese. She handed it to me. My stomach growled at the sight of food, but I still felt nauseated by the thought of eating it. I rested it on my lap, but she picked it up and held it out to me again.
“Eat.” Her pronunciation sounded more like “ate,” but I knew what she meant. I brought a piece of cheese to my lips and nibbled it, waiting to see if my stomach rolled. Nonna set the plate on the bed, stood, and walked out of the room. I hoped she wasn’t fetching any more food. I ate two more slices of cheese and half the bread when fatigue overcame me. My muscles tightened with dread. Had Nonna drugged me? Had the woman? Unable to keep my eyes open, I curled into a ball, whispering “Cay” right before I fell asleep.
I woketo more shouting and rose, propping my body on my elbows and breathing a sigh of relief when I recognized the voices as the woman’s and Xavier’s. While still loud, neither sounded as angry as they had earlier.
I was so used to being locked in a room, it took me a minute to realize I wasn’t any longer. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, crept over to the door, and eased it open a crack. I didn’t see Nonna, and Xavier had his back to me. I could see the woman, though, and she was crying. I opened the door enough to slip out of it. The woman raised her head and studied me.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
Xavier looked over his shoulder. “There are people downstairs making Nonna suspicious. I told her they’re probably tourists.”
My eyes scrunched. “You don’t recognize them?”
He shook his head. “No, but three of them speak Maltese.”
My blood pulsed. Was it fear or hope? If they weren’t familiar, there was a chance they didn’t work for Moretti. “How many are there?”
“Four. Two couples. One of the men sounds English.”
My eyes opened wide. “What does he look like?”
Xavier shrugged. “My height.”
“No, I mean, his hair? Eyes?”
He shrugged again. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
He was lying, but I refused to relent. “Is it long?” I motioned to the middle of my arm.
“I think so.”
“Dark?”
“Maybe.”
