Page 15 of Saint

“Why do you suspect that?” asked Kane.

“Because nothing happens here without a reason,” smirked Saint. “I know it sounds crazy, but is it possible she’s possessed?” Ashley stared at him then looked at the others in the room.

“It’s not a crazy thought, but I don’t think that’s it.”

“If y’all need me, just holler,” said Kane. “I’ll get someone to take us back out to the island. Tomorrow we can figure out how to get there by ourselves. From what I understand, we get to be poked and prodded by the white-haired angel doctor today. She’s definitely prettier than Adam.”

“I heard that.”

He chuckled as he walked out, just as Marilisa came down the hallway looking beautiful in a pretty summer dress. Saint immediately pulled her into his arms, kissing her.

“I’m okay,” she smiled. “There are never any residual effects. Come on. I’m hungry.” She walked out of the cottage with Ashley and Alice, and he stared at his own father and Luke.

“She might not have any residual effects, but I damn sure will.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Marilisa tried not to think about the nightmare. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t remember anything. She never could. On the boat out to G.R.I.P., she held her face to the sun and took deep breaths, enjoying the fresh air and good weather.

For her, the glitch in the night was normal and would fade until the one tomorrow. But for Saint, it might not be so easy. She knew that.

“He loves you,” said Victoria. “He’s not going to leave you because of a nightmare.”

“I know that,” she nodded. “In my heart, I know that. I just wonder, when does it all become too much for them? I mean, we’re a lot to handle. First, it was just the few of us kidnapped and sent to a factory for the agency. Now, it’s these other people. What if it’s more than just high intelligence and strange gifts?”

“We know it’s more than that,” said Victoria. “But they don’t seem to care, and neither do I anymore. If these people are coming for us, we all need to be prepared for it. I want to keep Hayes safe, wherever he is, and hopefully, be married one day.”

“Have you heard from him?” she asked the young woman.

Younger by only about eighteen months, Victoria seemed much younger because of her lack of experiences outside the gates of Belle Fleur. A genius at just about everything except life.

“Not really. Once in a while, if he has access, he’ll text or e-mail, but Luke and the others say that’s normal.”

“I wonder if Kane could reach him? I mean, if he’s like all of us, we heard him, so he might be able to hear Kane as well.”

“It could be worth a shot. Maybe I’ll ask him tonight at dinner.”

When she was working, Marilisa was singularly focused on what was in front of her. The ability to concentrate no matter what was happening around her made others envious of her.

In spite of the nightmare, she’d actually slept better than she had in months. Saint’s presence made a difference for her whether he knew it or not. Feeling a familiar tap on her shoulder, she turned to smile at Doug, hugging him.

“You good?” he asked.

“I’m good.”

“Seems like you and Saint finally got your heads on the same train,” he smiled.

“I guess we did,” she laughed. “I’ve always loved him, Doug. I knew when I first stepped foot on this property, even as a little girl.”

“I know, honey,” he nodded. “Whatever the magic is here, it affects everyone. When you love someone, there’s no running from it. You can try, but you’ll damn sure be miserable.”

“Is that what happened for you and Miguel?” she asked.

“No,” he laughed. “I was in love with Grip.”

“Oh,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, Doug.”

“It’s alright. He did what he was trained to do. He saved our girl, Montana. Because of that, I met all these beautiful people and got a second chance at love. Few people get that.”

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