Page 39 of The Tourist

“Chloe, take my phone from my jacket pocket and call Felix. I need him to come here, so he can help me tidy everything up.”

I nod, my hands still shaking as I remove the phone from Diego’s pocket and use it to contact his second-in-command. “Felix, we need you. Now. It’s urgent.”

While we wait for Felix, I stand silently watching Diego as he continues to hold the man down. The effects of my adrenaline rush start to fade, and the reality of what just happened hits me.

“I thought all men involved in trafficking were evil, and they all enjoyed hurting women. I believed they were all devils like Richard Armstrong.” My voice trembling. “But this man...he doesn’t seem evil. What he’s done is wrong, but he was given no choice.”

I look down at the man Diego has pinned to the ground. I can see he is terrified of what comes next. He doesn’t have the same evil look in his eye as the man who took me or the one who bought me.

“What is your daughter’s name?” I ask.

“Chloe, you don’t-” Diego interrupts, but I silence him with a wave of my hand.

“Please tell me,” I address the man.

“Emma. She’s three,” he responds. “It would destroy me and my wife if anything happened to our daughter. I fell in with the wrong crowd, and when they threatened to hurt her, I believed I had no choice but to follow their orders. I’m sorry.”

I can’t be sure if this man is telling me the truth. He could be lying to save his life. But something tells me he’s being honest.

“You must always protect your daughter and make sure she never experiences what I did,” I tell him. Then turning my attention to Diego, I ask, “Can we help this man?”

Diego looks up at me with a look of surprise. “I should kill him for attacking us, but we can help him. Not everyone is beyond saving. It’s a lesson I’ve learned while searching for Serena and you.”

Felix arrives and takes control of the situation, ensuring everything is handled efficiently. Diego tells him that the man’s life must be spared, which I’m grateful for. I’m not stupid, though, I know he’ll be interrogated to make sure they get all the information they can out of him.

When we get back in the car, the silence is heavy between us, and I can’t stop thinking about the man’s desperate confession as we journey home.

“Diego,” I break the silence. “I realize now I lived for most of my life with my head buried in the sand. The only issues I was aware of were those I investigated for my news articles. My eyes have been opened over the last few months. I thought everything was black and white, but it never is and never has been. As a journalist, I should’ve known that things are seldom as simple as they first seem.”

He glances at me. “Life is rarely simple. There will always be a curveball thrown to challenge us. For some people it can be life changing, like the experience you went through, but whatever it is, it can make us stronger. As I said in my letter, I didn’t think you’d survive when I first found you, but I’m so thankful you did. Your courage and determination have given me something I never thought possible. It’s given me hope.”

CHAPTER25

Chloe

The events of the previous night replay in my mind as I lie in bed. The fear, the desperation, and then the sudden surge of strength. It all feels like a dream now.

I turn my head to look at Diego, who is still sleeping beside me. I keep asking him to stay with me for comfort, but that’s not been the real reason for a while now.

The truth is I’ve fallen for him. Totally and utterly.

I feel a warmth spread through my chest and into my heart as I watch him. Diego’s face is peaceful as he sleeps, his expression a complete contrast to the turmoil in our lives. He’s my rock, my protector, and my salvation. I need him, not just for security, but to help me reclaim the parts of me that were lost in the darkness.

Diego stirs, and as he opens his eyes, I lean toward him and kiss him gently on the lips.

He smiles sleepily. “Good morning,” he murmurs.

“Good morning,” I reply. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

He sits up, his expression turning serious as he rubs his eyes. “What is it?”

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I need you. I need you to save me completely. Last night proved to me that I can fight back. I can be strong. But there’s still a part of me that feels trapped, dirty, and broken. I need you to help me feel clean and whole again.”

“You’re already so strong. But if there’s anything I can do to help, I will. What do you need?”

I look into his eyes, feeling a mix of vulnerability and determination. “I need you to make love to me, Diego. I was a virgin before I was taken and abused. I want to learn to enjoy sex. I need to claim it as something beautiful and not a weapon to be used against me. I need you to show me that it can be good. It can be healing.”

He nods, his eyes filled with understanding, compassion, and a flicker of excitement. I like that last part the most because it means he wants me as well.

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