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“Please, Em.”
“Fine.” I leaned forward and hit the video button. My father’s face, his features painted with an expression of over-the-top concern, appeared on the big TV over the fireplace. I could see myself in the corner, the camera attached to the computer on Logan’s desk.
My stomach tensed as I looked upon my dad. Just seeing him was enough to make me never want to go home again.
“There you are,” he said. “Good. You’re looking fine. It’s just… after what happened…”
“Yeah. I know. Speaking of which, where’s Marta now?”
Anger tinged his face. “Marta? Why the hell do you care about her? She tried to kidnap you, remember? She put your life in danger. If I were you—”
“Well, you’re not me. And I want to know where she is.”
Dad shrugged sadly, shaking his head. “Em, your guess is as good as mine. Whatever happened with her on the beach, she’d planned it all on her own. I had nothing to do with it if you’re wondering.”
Dad’s words didn’t sit well with me. It was almost as if he was overselling the story he was weaving.
“But I have to wonder,” he said. “Why didn’t you get on that boat with her?”
“Huh?”
“You heard me. Marta, a woman you love and trust, gave you the chance to leave the prison where that prick Stone is keeping you. I would’ve thought that you’d been eager to get away. Why didn’t you leave?”
“Are you kidding? Three men with guns pulled up to the beach while I’m wearing nothing but a bikini and demanded that I go with them, and you’re honestly wondering why I didn’t?”
His eyes narrowed. “A bikini? You know you’re not supposed to be wearing clothes like that.” The words seemed to escape from his mouth, his voice carrying the judgmental, controlling tone that I was used to.
“I was wearing what Iwantedto wear,” I shot back. “And that’s got nothing to do with the story.”
“I think it’s got everything to do with the story. If your choice of beachwear is any indication, it sounds like Stone’s giving you far more freedom than you ought to have. Makes sense that you’d use it to dress like a whore.”
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked. “I almost died and all you care about is what I was wearing?”
Dad formed his lips into a stern line, as if working past the anger he felt at the idea of me dressed in a bikini.
“You’re right, more important things than that. Though wewilldiscuss that matter when you’re back at the house.”
Just the mention of being back with my dad was enough to make me sick to my stomach.
“Why didn’t you go with her? Why didn’t you take the chance to escape Stone?”
“I told you why. And besides, you’ve always told me to be wary of people like that coming for me. You always told me that there were men who wanted to get ahold of me, and if they did, I’d wish that I was dead.”
“You should’ve gone with her, Em. Let me ask you this, how many people are there on the island with you? There’s you, and there’s Stone. Who else?”
“What? Why?”
“How many guards? I’m sure a man like Stone keeps plenty of private security. How many are there?”
I had a rough idea of the answer—probably a dozen guards, plus the staff of ten or so that took care of the property. Then there was Marianne and Pearl. However, there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to give him any concrete information. The longer the conversation went on, the more certain I was that he was lying right to my face about his involvement with the attack, and that he was fishing for information that would make the next one successful.
“I don’t know! I’m not going around counting. I spend most of my time in the house or on the beach and that’s it. Hell, I don’t even know how many guards are atourhouse.”
Dad narrowed his eyes once again, tilting his head back.
“You seem different, Emily. You’re more insolent than usual. What’s going on there with you?” Anger flashed on his face, replacing the skepticism.
The anger on his face was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and I’d seen Dadangry plenty of times.
