Page 2 of Voracious

I’m starting to think Kade is forced to take drugs too, because he hated them when we were teenagers.

I manage to gulp down three mouthfuls of the water then place the glass on the table between us. “I have a question. Do you work for them? Or Kade?”

He clears his throat, straightening his already flat tie. “Mr Mitchell is my boss. He pays my salary and bonuses. But I’m very aware of the Sawyers and his position with them.”

“Who’s the wife?” I ask, leaning my elbows on the table. “Her name and everything else you have on her.”

“There’s no reason for you to know. You can’t do anything. No one can. Do what Mr Mitchell said – move on.”

A tear slides down my cheek. “How can you just sit back and watch these people control him?”

“Do you care about your family, Miss Rhodes?”

My teeth grind together. “Partially.”

“Then understand that if you keep digging, your family will suffer the consequences. Stop while you’re ahead. That is my only piece of advice.”

“Will you go back for him once I’m home?”

“No. I’m to monitor you for the foreseeable.”

“Can you please go back for him?”

He wipes his face, exasperated. “We land in four hours,” he replies, changing the subject, and my heart sinks. He really isn’t going to do anything? “Once we land, contact your brother to pick you up. I’ll follow behind. Don’t tell him about any of this or pay any attention to me or my colleagues. We’re ghosts to you.”

My stomach plummets. What if they see Chris?

Regardless of the twisted feeling in my gut, I nod. “Okay.”

He gets to his feet and buttons his suit jacket. “To put your mind at ease, if the order comes in, then yes, I’ll go back for him once I know you’re safe. But I doubt we’ll hear from Mr Mitchell for a while. He’s blocked all comms to his phone and deactivated the system. He’s untraceable. The last time that happened, he was gone for three months.”

My lip trembles. “Kade wasn’t always like this. I… I’m so worried about him. They could be hurting him right now. I feel useless.”

The lights dim, and he refills my water.

“Mr Mitchell has been in a lot of situations where his life has been at risk. Trust me when I say this is minor. He’s too valuable to be killed. Many have tried and failed. He’s good at what he does because of what he’s gone through.” He gives me a tight smile and gestures to the cockpit. “I’ll be right through there if you need anything. Get some rest. Miss— Stacey.”

I’m not sure how much time passes; the music playing from the speakers is all I have to focus on. “When the party’s over” by Billie Eilish is on, and my heart sinks with every lyric. Memories rush through me. Me inverted on the hoop; Kade kissing me upside down while this song plays. He often used to interrupt my routine to kiss or touch me. Other times he’d sit to the side and watch me, as if he was watching me dance for the first time.

I knew that version of Kade was in love with me. I could see it in his eyes.

I’m not sure I’ll ever see that side of him again.

I go to use the bathroom. My eyes are swollen from crying, my headache teetering on the edge of a full-blown migraine. I stop outside the cockpit door, hearing Barry’s voice.

“A girl?” he asks in a happy tone. “What else did the midwife say? Yeah. That’s awesome. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there, baby. I’ll be home in a few weeks. Work is a bit hectic.” Then there’s a long silence. His partner must be talking.

“Honestly, she’s not what he described. I think they need their heads knocked together and to actually talk it out. Yeah. I miss you too. I’ll be home before our wedding anniversary, I promise. I love you too.”

I move away and stop eavesdropping on Barry and his wife. It’s good to hear people still have joyful moments, even when it feels like the world is swallowing me whole. I remember how excited me and Kade were when we found out we were having a girl. We’d impatiently waited until the sixteen-week mark and paid for our own ultrasound instead of waiting the extra four weeks.

It stayed a secret until I figured out a plan to escape Chris without risking Kade’s life. I used the excuse of not wanting Luciella to know yet. I took it easy with dancing and told my friends I’d torn my rotator cuff, so I couldn’t do rigorous exercises; that I couldn’t drink on nights out because I was on certain meds, and they bought into the lie.

So many lies.

I had the faintest swelling at the bottom of my abdomen that I blamed on bloating when around Lu and Ty, but despite how small I was, the midwife said everything was perfect. We started planning even more. Where we’d move to, the house we’d build, how many children. Listing names.

Kade was mortified with half the names I suggested.I am not fucking calling my daughter Vixen. And then:Georgina? Really? She’s not ninety. My favourite was:You’re trying to fucking annoy me now, Freckles. That’s a dog’s name.