“Be careful.” Megan shoots me a warning look. “I wouldn’t do anything stupid if I were you. I just want us to say goodbye.” Pushing my weak arm aside, she turns back to Sadie. “Sweet girl, it was lovely having you with us. We had so much fun, didn’t we? We played games when Alice visited and had such a lovely time together.”
Sadie doesn’t respond to Megan, just sits there, curled up, staring ahead.
“I would have wanted more for you. You deserve better than what’s out there, a world that pollutes kids’ minds. Here, I could have kept you safe.”
My hand itches to slap her hard in the face, to wipe that self-satisfied smile off her lips, but I keep my hands by my sides, thinking of Sadie and what Megan might do if I step out of line.
My gaze moves to the guard outside just as a disturbing thought sneaks into my mind.
What if this is all a trap? What if she’s luring Gabriel here to kill him, or kill all of us for that matter? To shut us up forever?
“How can I be sure that you are not going to kill Gabriel like you killed Scarlett?” I ask before I can think. “Aren’t you afraid he will go to?—?”
“I have no plans to kill your husband.” Megan straightens to her full height. “He’s proven himself to be trustworthy, keeping our little secret to protect Sadie.” Her mouth tightens a little. “Though he did test me, hiring that PI to nose around. But I handled it.”
Handled it? I want to ask what she means, but it’s best to keep my mouth shut.
“Gabriel knows what will happen if he tries something again.” Megan narrows her eyes at me. “I’m sure he loves you enough to keep this new arrangement as well.”
The irony doesn’t escape me. I can’t believe the thing I will never forgive him for is what might keep Sadie and me alive. Gaining Megan’s trust.
Megan checks her watch. “Seven minutes left. Can I give you a hug, Sadie, to say goodbye?”
Sadie hesitates, then gives a small nod. Rising to her feet, she inches toward Megan with her shoulders hunched and her hands clasped tightly beneath her chin.
That does not seem to bother Megan who proceeds to put her arms around my daughter. One hand slides to the back of Sadie’s head, stroking her matted hair. If someone didn’t know better, they would think this was a tender and loving gesture.
It takes everything in me not to yank her away from that monster.
“You will be missed,” Megan whispers as Sadie writhes a little in her arms but does not pull away.
Then my phone rings in the guard’s hands and Megan breaks the embrace. Sadie stumbles back like she was standing a little too close to a bonfire and is only now realizing it.
The guard hands Megan the phone and she presses it to her ear, listens and nods. “All right, Gabriel. That’s good. You will be escorted in. I will meet you in the reception lounge.”
If Gabriel has already arrived, he must have been close to the camp, perhaps on his way to try and sneak inside.
“He’s here,” Megan confirms when she hangs up. “I knew he would come. Sadie, are you ready to leave with your father?”
“I…” Sadie looks at me. “Can I have a few minutes with Mom, to say goodbye?”
Megan thinks for a moment, then shrugs. “That’s fine. In the meantime, I’ll go and meet your father, explain everything to him. I’ll come back for you in a bit.”
As soon as she’s gone and the door is shut, Sadie falls into my arms, sobbing. “Please be careful. Do what she says.”
“I will find a way to get out,” I promise her, my tears soaking her hair. “I’ll come home.”
“I know,” Sadie whispers and pulls away. But she reaches for my hand and presses something into my palm. “Hide it. Don’t let her see it.”
FORTY-SEVEN
I did not expect Megan to bring Gabriel with her. I thought she would come alone or with her guard.
But when the door opens, there he is. My lying, cheating husband, behind him the same guard, who is almost double his size.
Gabriel’s face is flushed and the wrinkled dark forest-green shirt he is wearing and the rough stubble on his chin makes him look like he slept on the streets.
When he sees Sadie, his hands fly to his face and a sob escapes his throat. He lunges forward, but the guard blocks his path with one arm. Gabriel’s eyes narrow to slits.
