“Scar?” Mia touches my leg, but I can’t speak. I just stare out at the lake.
“She’s in shock.” Beckett’s voice is soft and kind. “They had her in partial sensory deprivation—eyes covered, mouth gagged, arms and legs bound. She had to be scared out of her mind. She needs a little time.”
I hate that he is right. Idoneed more time after all I've been through. I just need things to be small and manageable.
“I'm going to take her to the boathouse where we’re staying. Thank you for watching Rayne for us. The night nurse who's working with you—I believe her name is Celeste—has been hired through Marcel. He's a friend of mine who hires people for underground work. She's been thoroughly vetted. Your job is just to play with Rayne during the day. Celeste will watch her overnight, and I'll take care of her for the rest of the time.”
“Youare going to take care of a baby?” Mia says with a sharp biteto her tone.
“Scarlett and I will watch her, and if you can help us, that would be amazing,” Beckett says. “Right now we need to rely on family. I think keeping the people in Scarlett’s life to a minimum is of paramount importance. I've canceled all of my hours at the hospitals and have called out for an indefinite amount of time. I think with the three of us and a night nurse, we’ll be able to take care of one baby.”
“It's summer break so I'm fine to stay as long as you need me. However, do you think Scarlett is going to be okay?” Mia sounds really worried.
“I can’t predict how she’ll recover from this trauma after already enduring so much, and admittedly I don’t know her well, but I’m going to make her my priority.”
“Really?” Mia sounds shocked and, frankly, I am shocked too, but don’t have the bandwidth to show it.
“I know you see me as a monster. I'm not going to argue; however, I've never been placed in a situation where I've had the opportunity to care for anyone. I now have a daughter, a wife… and a sister. The three of you are women I’d very much like to know better. Am I going to do well with the three of you? Probably not, but you’ll have my sincerest effort; that's all I can offer.”
“I’ll take it. It’ll be nice to actually have a big brother.” Mia throws her arms around his neck, and he flinches back, but then reluctantly hugs her.
“This is going to take some getting used to,” he says with a laugh and strokes my leg, including me in the conversation.
I touch his hand and hold it. It is all that I am able to do.
I stay on the couch looking out at the lake for hours while Beckett receives a grocery order, and he and Mia prattle around in the kitchen making food. Mia loves cooking and knows my favorite dishes, so she and her brother ensure I have meals prepared ahead of time. When the sun starts to set, Beckett comes and sits with me on the couch.
“We’re staying in the boathouse. It will be just the two of us tonight. You haven’t seen Rayne yet, and I know you want to see her.She’s upstairs, but I spoke with a neurologist a few hours ago and they recommended that we take a few days before we add her into the mix. She’ll be good for your soul, but you’re in shock. Right now we need to prioritize your mental health, so keeping the stimulus to a minimum is imperative.” All I can do is touch him in response. He is speaking too many words, but maybe oversharing the minutiae is his way of being nervous. “I knew you’d understand.”
Beckett helps me walk to the lake house. In my mind, a lake house is a small shack where boats are stored. I should have known that nothing is small in Beckett's universe. The house is on a lake several yards away from the main house. It has a large sitting room with the same wall of windows looking out on the lake as the main house, but it also has an indoor spa-like pool and a master bedroom with a massive bed. In addition to this, there is an underground room with a view of the rocks and fish below the house. The way the lighting plays on the water, you can see the little fish and animals swimming around the lake.
“Can I fix you some tea before bed?” Beckett asks me as I sit out on the deck overlooking the lake.
“Tea,” I say, testing my voice. Tea sounds good.
My mind is a cluttered mess.
“I told you not to fucking speak, bitch.”My captor's odd metallic voice keeps ringing in my head.
“Perfect. Honey or no?” Beckett is being good.
He isn’t a good man, but he is being one for me.
“Honey,” I say, watching the water roll along.
“Perfect.”
He makes my tea and brings it out to me, and we both sip on our hot beverages while watching the lake. He doesn't say anything, and neither do I. I think we both are marinating in our feelings. After sitting there for an hour until the sun fully sets and the mosquitoes start biting, he finally speaks.
“Time for bed, tiny dancer.”
He helps me shower, dry off, dress in sleepwear, and get into the massive bed.
The sheets are clean and crisp, and I nestle into the soft pillowy covers. What I didn't expect, but probably should have, is that Beckett gets in with me. Just before he turns out the lights, he kisses my temple and strokes my cheek.
“Good night, sweetheart. I’m glad you're here.”
“Me too,” I whisper.
