Page 67 of Blind Sin

All eyes then pivot to Nix

He’s the only one that can hold all this together now. “You know I love you Luce,” he says, shifting his eyes to Lucinda. “I doubt I’ll ever be able to let that go.”

“Shit man, anyone else wanna bring this into a fiveway freaking hug?”

“Not so fast.” Dacre calls out, spoiling my fun as usual. He looks up from his phone, a look of dread on his face. “We might finally be playing happy families, but we still have a major problem. I used my father’s credit card to pay for Lauren’s operation.” He holds up his phone. “I just got a text from my father. He knows we’re here. He’s giving us two days to get off the island and then he’s going to call the police.

44

LUCINDA

Inever thought I'd find myself in any sort of friendship with Joshua. After all, we've gone from hating each other with every fiber of our being, and now... now, it's something else entirely.

I watch Josh and Lauren on the beach, and I feel a pang in my chest. But it's not the sharp, searing pain that used to come with the thought of him with someone else. No, it's a dull ache that I can manage. And now, as I watch him with Lauren, I see a part of Josh that was never mine.

Sure, we had passion and intensity and the first flush of love, but there's something in the way he looks at Lauren that he never had with me. It's not just the burning desire in his eyes or the protective way he acts around her. It's a calmness in his soul that's palpable whenever she's near. And I know that I'll never have that with him.

As I watch from my window, Alexander and Nolan come into view. Lauren jumps up from where she was laying, her head on Josh’s chest, and greets them both with a kiss that makes me turn my head away. It’s not a scene for me to watch. She’s happy. When I thought of her and me in the years after we escaped our father, I had abstract thoughts about her settling down, but after all the shit she’s been through, fuck that. She shouldn’t have to settle, and she hasn’t. I’m still not completely over my distrust of the three of them they did things to her that hurt her, and while I don’t think they’d hurt her ever again, I’m going to make sure I stay around long enough and remind them I’m a crack shot if they even let any hurtful thoughts enter their heads.

The doctor's visit this morning was as successful as it could be. Lauren’s already gained a lot more sight than the doctor expected and maybe one day, she’ll be able to see as well as the rest of us. Alexander managed to do a deal on the boat, so this is our last night on this island. Tomorrow we’ll have to leave, give the boat up and go on the run, this time as thieves, not kidnap victims. As Lauren and I have no passports, we’re going to have to figure a way to get off the island without flying. Josh called Ed last night, but there was no answer. Our situation is hopeless. At least it felt that way before I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I set up Alexander’s phone and check my reflection in the mirror before pressing record.

“My name is Lucinda Waldgrave,” I say, looking directly into the phone. “A month ago, my father announced to the world that I was kidnapped. It was a lie. I ran away. Then, less than a week after I was found, I ran away again.”

I press the stop button and lick my lips. I know this is the only way I’m going to get them out of this. I hate that I’m going behind their backs, but this way, only one person will get hurt, me.

I’m going to tell the world the truth and turn myself in. In doing so, I’ll probably get jail time, but I don’t care anymore. I’ll go back to my father and Lauren, Josh, Alexander and Nolan can escape somewhere. No one even needs to know their involvement in the great kidnapping plot of Lucinda Waldgrave. I’ll live out my life as my father sees fit and Lauren will finally be safe. It was always me he wanted anyway. I’m doing him a favor.

I compose myself and reach to hit the record button again when a noise takes my attention away.

I hear a sound in the distance, like the gentle hum of a motor. My heart races as I race back to the window, trying to catch a glimpse of what's making the noise. In the distance, I see a small boat, much smaller than Dacre's, making its way towards the island. Panic sets in as I think of my father finding us. The others have noticed it too, and as I quickly run out to the beach. Nolan rushes past me with Lauren in tow.

“Who is it?” I ask, my voice higher than I intentioned.

“I don't know,” Nolan replies, his voice tight with tension. “But we're not taking any chances. It's probably just a sightseer. Get back in the house.”

I shake my head. “If it’s my father, he’s here for me.”

Nolan gives me a dark stare. “Exactly. So get your gorgeous ass back in the house.”

Having Nolan call me gorgeous would irk me at the best of times, but now I’m not letting pretty words dissuade me. I move to go past him but he grabs my arm and gives me a look that tells me he’s taking no shit. Well, neither am I

“Take Lauren back inside. He never wanted her. I’m the one he uses to parade to the media.”

“And made you fuck other men to gain him power.” His fingers dig into my wrist so they hurt but I don’t cry out.

I can feel the heat of his body, the tension in his muscles as he leans in closer. “You think we only give a shit about Lauren?”

“Yes, but that’s nothing to do with this. I can’t let my father get to her.”

He shakes his head. “Fuck me, you’re one crazy chick.”

“Come inside,” Lauren pleads. “I’ll never get over it if he takes you back.”

“I’ve got this!” Nolan says, picking me up and hauling me over his shoulder. The urge to cry out in indignation is more than I can bear, but we’ve run out of time to have this argument.

I struggle against Nolan 's grip, but his hold is too tight. I can feel his muscles flexing under my weight as he carries me towards the house. I hear Lauren's footsteps following us as she pleads with Mercier to put me down.

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