Page 83 of Taming Liberty

Don’t move. That seems like a ridiculously stupid command to obey, but I’m pathetic enough that I do it anyway. I need to see where this goes, even if it makes me a moron.

Angel disappears inside Julia’s house, then reappears a minute later. He comes toward me but stops when he’s a few feet away.

My spine stiffens, and I swallow.

I don’t know what I expected him to do, but when he pulls the key to the rental car from his pocket and tosses it to me, I’m so surprised that it fumbles in my hands and nearly drops.

“You’re right,” Angel says, his voice hard but still somehow full of emotion. “I never meant to ruin your life, please know that.” His face falls with a frown as he gestures to the car. “There’s a plane waiting at a private airport on the outskirts of the city.” He pulls a cell phone from his pocket and closes the distance between us to hand it to me. He has to take my hand to rest the phone in it because I’m too numb to do it myself. I stare down at it in wonder.

“The address is already pulled up on Google Maps. The pilot’s name is Peter Shaw, and I’ll make sure he’s aware of your arrival. He loathes the island, so he won’t say a word about any of this. You may have to wait on him to get there since it’s the middle of the night and I haven’t informed him of this yet … but he’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

I blink, glance down at the phone, then peer back up at Angel. “I can’t leave Naomi. Or—or the other women.”

He blows out a breath. “I’ll figure out a way to explain this to Sawyer. They’ll be fine.”

I look down at the phone again, then lift my other hand with the key, moving my gaze between the two.

“Naomi would kick your ass if you went back when you had a chance to leave,” Angel says in an attempt to dispel some of my guilt. “Not only does she care for you, but I’m sure your plan to get her off the island will be more effective this way.”

I gape at him. “You’re not going to stop me from talking to the police?”

“I don’t think anyone could possibly stop you from doing what you want,” Angel says, a sad smile tugging his lips. “I will do what I can to protect Sawyer and myself, so you should keep that in mind. I’ve already told you, I’m not a good man, and I will hurt people if I feel that I have to… But I’m through hurting you.”

I stare at him, my body heavy enough that it feels like I’m pushing down into the earth. I couldn’t move if I tried.

I know what he’s saying. If I talk, they’ll dispose of all evidence. I’d be the only survivor, and that’s if Angel somehow stopped the hundred or so people who would want to kill me.

“If I didn’t go to the police…” I inhale a shaky breath and force my mouth to move. “Would you protect Naomi?”

Angel’s quiet for a minute. “No.”

I look down at the ground and consider protesting, but I’m too shaken to know what to say. This whole thing… I wasn’t expecting this.

“In order to do that, I’d have to buy her,” Angel goes on. “I’m not willing to do that again. I’m sorry.”

Then I have to go back.The thought is strong, certain, but it’s weighed down by my cowardice. I like to think I’m strong, brave, ready to fight for others as much as myself. But I let Angel’s words smother my guilt, justifying my betrayal the best that I can. Naomi wouldn’t want me to come back. Until now, I never thought I’d leave her.

I’m leaving. I can barely process it. Where will I even go?

“Take care, Lib,” he says, his words full of pain and longing. He turns to walk away, and the same pain and longing I heard in his voice settles in my stomach like heavy lead.

“Angel,” I say, my voice cracking.

He pauses and halfway turns, and the objects nearly slip from my hands when my lungs seize picturing this as the last image I’ll ever have of him. I toss both objects into the grass and force my feet to move.

When I reach Angel, he turns the rest of the way, and I push up onto my toes to kiss him, closing my eyes and cupping his face with both my hands.

Hesitant hands find my waist, then he raises them up my sides and kisses me with the intensity of a proper goodbye. Like a lover heading off to war instead of the hell that he created.

When we pull away, I stare into his eyes and draw in a shuddering breath. “I love you too.”

He caresses my cheek and roams his gaze over my face, savoring this moment the same way I am. With my heart thrashing against my eardrums, he slowly nods like he’s accepting his decision to let me go. His hand lowers, and he pulls away from me as he turns.

And then he leaves. I stand in the road and watch him, not moving until he disappears inside Julia’s house.

I grab the key and phone—the image of two boys on the phone screen letting me know the cell is Julia’s-–and I head for the rental car, destination unknown. Only one thing is for certain...

I have to leave.

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