“Reyna,” Meghan said softly in her nurse voice. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said unconvincingly.
Nothing was okay. As she slid the blindfold over her eyes, she didn’t know if anything would ever be okay again.
* * *
—
Their truck came to a stop.
Reyna yanked the blindfold off as quickly as she could. She had an elevated heart rate and her hand had shaken the entire way. She hadn’t removed the blindfold before it was time, but it had taken great effort.
“Honey, we’re home,” Tye singsonged with a wide grin.
It had been so long since Reyna had seen anyone this genuinely happy. She honestly couldn’t even remember seeing a smile that vibrant before. Had his life been that much more pleasant? Joy was not something that came naturally to her. Even before the kidnapping. And now…well, let’s just say the glass was half empty.
Jodie pursed her lips at his enthusiasm, which made Reyna feel marginally better. Meghan and Tye got out of the front seat and then corralled her and Jodie out of the back.
Trepidation bit at Reyna. What was Elle anyway? What would she find on the other side of that door? What would they expect of her? Had she traded one prison for another?
One thing propelled her forward: Beckham was part of this organization.
If he trusted them, then she would give it a shot.
Then her heart fluttered.
Beckham.
All those weeks she’d had to put him away in a far-off place. He helped her through the tough moments, but she couldn’t think of him without breaking. So she’d had to teach herself to compartmentalize everything that had to do with him. Seeing him that night at the ball had been a punch to the gut…and also…everything. His face, that body, those hands, the eyes, the lips. It had all flooded back. And hurt so bad.
Through all of that…she’d never let herself think that she would really see him again. Be in a room with him, hold him, touch him, love him once more. She’d left that part of her life for her dreams. Those sweet toxic dreams.
But now she was here.
He was here.
She would see him.
They could be together again.
Her heart expanded with hope.
And it was all right behind that door.
Meghan looped her arm through Reyna’s and strode inside behind Tye and a fearless Jodie.
The door opened to a sky-blue room with wooden floors and paintings hanging from the walls. It was clear and light and even…comforting. No whitewashed walls or white tiled floor. No antiseptic or hospital smell. No bright blinding light overhead. Just…a room. An empty room at that.
She didn’t know what she had been expecting. A welcome party maybe? Beckham standing there with open arms? Anything would have been better than nothing.
“Welcome to Elle,” Meghan whispered to Reyna. “Welcome home.”
Home.
Home was only a foggy memory. Of her parents when they had still been alive and her two brothers wrestling in the yard. Of her house with a red door and a white picket fence. Home was multicolored leaves on the ground, fresh mown grass, and laughter in the air. The smell of pumpkin pies baking in the oven and the soaps on television in the background. It was crisp fall days bundled up and spring mornings. It was early morning dew and big bear hugs.
Home was that unreachable existence. Home would never exist again.
Brian and Drew had become her home. Wherever they were was where she belonged.
Until Beckham.
He had changed everything.
But home was definitely not this room.
Not without the people she loved.
Chapter 10
“Where is he?” Reyna asked. The room was empty. Beckham was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be waiting for her. She’d been anticipating this moment for eight long weeks. Her chest ached at the thought that he wasn’t here.
He had to know. He couldn’t have cut himself off from Elle entirely. Not if there was a chance she could get out. That just…that seemed impossible.
“He’s not here,” Meghan said.
She whirled around. “He’s not here?”
“Beckham?” Meghan asked warily.
“Who else?”
Meghan swallowed. “He uh…he hasn’t been here in weeks.”
“What?” Reyna nearly shouted.
“Or at least…I haven’t seen him in weeks. Tye and I are a step down from high command. From what I know, he’s been trying to keep a low profile. He was under investigation after your disappearance. From what I heard, he went to Harrington himself and told him that you’d run away once he found out what had happened to you.”
“How…how long have you known?”
“We knew you’d been kidnapped almost right away, but it took weeks for us to find out where he’d taken you. We thought we’d lose Beckham and the information he provided, but from what I know, he had to play it off like nothing had happened.”
Reyna winced. Nothing had happened. He’d had to act like he hadn’t cared what happened to her for eight long weeks. He must have been convincing for Harrington to allow him to stay in his position as a senior vice president of Visage. Because the alternative wasn’t possible. She couldn’t conceive that he actually didn’t care about her. Or what had happened.