Page 43 of Isabela

My words feel as if they’re being ripped from me, and I know he’s not doing anything to me.

“Shhh, I’ll help. I want to fix it. Please let me come get you. I’ve been losing my mind… Aria threatened to cuff me to the damn bed and not for fun reasons,” he complains, making me snort out a laugh.

Nothing about my life is funny right now.

“My uncle has people watching me outside of my apartment. I shouldn’t have called you. I’m just… running out of time. I don’t think I’ll be me anymore after tomorrow,” I sigh. None of what I’m saying makes sense.

“I can figure out the muscle. Isabela, I need to see you. I promise I can make whatever this is go the fuck away, Baby. Can you trust me?” he asks. Gael’s voice is raw with emotion, and my heart clenches.

I don’t think I’ve had anyone care this much about what happens to me for a long damn time. Rubbing my chest, I close my eyes.

God, I hope I’m making the right decision.

“Yes. Promise not to use me?” I whisper. Tears run down my cheeks as I think about how tired I am of being a pawn in my uncle’s plans. Ever since my parents died, he’s been using me.

“I would never use you,” he promises. “The Society doesn’t use people, they help them. But fuck all of that. I want to help you because your face when you left last night gutted me. I’m leaving my house now. Pack a bag?”

His words are so different from my uncle’s, yet my stomach still rolls with unease.

“Alright,” I promise. “Don’t fuck me over.”

“Isa, if I’m planning to fuck you, you’ll know it,” he growls before the line goes dead.

My lips twitch at how insufferable Gael Murphy can be, and then I put my phone on the nightstand and grab a duffel bag. Moving quickly, I toss in some clothing, my toiletries, and laptop into the bag. Unhooking the car keys, I leave them on the table, because I’m fairly certain he’ll find me if I take them.

I’m overthinking everything as I change into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that says, “This is my resting bitch face.” My hands shake as I start to pace, wondering if I’m making the right choice.

A knock on the door makes me flinch, and I go to answer it without my bag or phone. What if it’s my uncle again? I don’t want to have him ask questions I don’t have the answers to.

Checking the peephole in the door first, I shudder in relief as I see Gael standing there. Unlocking it quickly, I open the door to let him in. Stepping inside, he hugs me to him, closing the door behind him with his foot.

“Where’s your stuff, Isa? I knocked them out, but I want to be gone before they come to,” he says. “Why does he have four guards fucking watching you?”

“My uncle is paranoid, and I’m his paycheck,” I mutter, pulling away to walk to my bedroom. “I didn’t know if it was Uncle Eli coming back to check on me, so I didn’t want to answer the door with my things.”

I can feel the tears drying on my face, and wipe them away quickly.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?” he asks, following me down the hall.

“My uncle is selling me to his friend the mayor because he’s in debt,” I tell him, shuddering. I said that so calmly, but the truth is my heart is thundering in panic. My fingers are twitching from the stress, and it takes me a couple of tries to pick up my phone. “Apparently he’s also drained my entire inheritance, so that’s wonderful. Uncle Eli is a cretin.”

“Woah, wait. Honey, come here,” Gael says, tugging me into his arms. “Look at me.”

My eyes are trained on his shoulder, and I shut them briefly. “I’m barely keeping it together, Gael. I can’t look at you or I’ll break,” I confess. “I’m at a raging fucking red right now.”

Gael flinches at my words and he steps away. “Okay. Isa, I’m sorry. Keep talking to me?” he asks carefully.

“Yeah,” I rasp. I’m panting as if I ran a marathon as I move past him to pick up my bag. “Uncle Eli is skimming from Cohen Security and Communications, and it looks as if he has been for a while. It started as small amounts, but it’s tens of thousands of dollars now. There’s also evidence that he’s money laundering for shady ass clients.”

Turning to face him, I shrug. “Apparently my life is shitty and meaningless enough to him to throw in selling his niece.”

“That’s not happening,” Gael says grimly. “I have a few theories about your uncle, and one of them includes what may have happened to your parents.”

“It was just a car accident, right? My dad never ran red lights though,” I mutter. “He was so careful, and always said he had precious cargo when I teased him about it.”

“Careful people don’t suddenly run red lights, Isa,” he grunts. “Grab your charger, and let’s get going. You’re making me twitchy just watching you. I think it may help if you can feel a little safer.”

Tears fill my eyes unbidden, and I smile sadly. “I don’t know what that’s like,” I tell him, swallowing back an inappropriate laugh. I’d probably never stop once I start. “I’m just staying afloat right now, and barely if that.”

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