Page 106 of The Curse Defiers

He reached for the mobile. “That’s no burner.” I handed it to him and he frowned. “It’s aniPhone. How much money do these people have?”

When he tapped the screen, I recognized the screen saver and instantly felt like I was going to throw up. “Oh, God, it’s David’s.”

I reached to snatch it back, but Collin refused to release it. “Ellie. There’s a video on it.”

My breath caught. “I want to see it.”

He held it close to his chest, pity in his eyes. “I think I should see it first.”

His pity only made me angrier. “Why? Are you trying toprotectme? Too goddamned late for that. I’ve had to face more shit in the last couple of months than I did in my entire life before meeting you.”

“Ellie.”

“You can’t protect me from this, Collin. You can’t protect me fromanything.”

He looked devastated. “I know.”

His hold loosened and I grabbed the phone with shaky fingers, holding it out so we both could see it.

Then I pressed play.

The video started with Miriam’s face. “Hello, Elinor. If you’re watching this, then you’ve discovered who I am. I want you to be completely aware of what you’re dealing with.” She stepped away from the frame, revealing David. He was tied to a chair, his face bloody.

My stomach jolted and I sucked in a breath. Collin snaked an arm around my back, pulling me to his side.

David looked at the screen, so I could tell that one of his eyes was starting to swell.

“Tell Elinor what we instructed you to say.”

“Go to bloody hell.” He spat blood at her and it landed on her skirt.

The man next him—the man who had gone out to talk to Miriam before she left—hit David in the face and his head slumped to the side.

I felt wobbly, but Collin’s hold tightened.

“I expected better manners from you,Dr.Preston,” she reprimanded in a disapproving tone. “Now tell Elinor what she needs to do.”

He looked at the camera, anger radiating from his body. “Ellie, don’t listen to her. Don’t do it.”

The man hit him again.

Miriam released an exaggerated sigh. “Dr. Preston, we really don’t want to have to do this, but you leave us with no choice.”

Blood dripped from his nose and down to his light blue dress shirt. The one I’d ironed for him that morning, even though he’d protested he could do it himself. Hysteria bubbled below the surface and I struggled to keep it under control. “All right, but I want to give her a message first.”

Miriam hesitated. “Fine. But then you must deliver the message you were instructed to give.”

He looked into the camera, his face softening. “Ellie, listen to me.”

I released a soft whimper. They were beating the shit out of him, and he was still only thinking about me.

He leaned forward as though he could get closer to me. “If something happens to me, don’t blame yourself. I wouldn’t give up a single minute with you. Give Myra’s boyfriend my regards. And remember that I love you, Ellie. I’ll always love you. Not even death can separate my love from you.”

“Enough,” Miriam shouted. “Deliver the instructions.”

“They want you to meet them in the Manteo aquarium at eleven on Tuesday night.” His gaze dropped as though he was ashamed, then he looked up again. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I didn’t want to tell them where the gate was, but they forced me.”

“He lied to them,” I blurted out.

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