Desolation

“It was the best thing that could have happened. I was fucked up, Pip. I still am.”

“No,” I say, reaching over and taking his hand. “You’re not.”

“I am. I struggle to trust, I have nightmares, I drink a fuck load more than I should, and I can’t keep a relationship if I try. I don’t know that I’ll ever be the same.”

“I know the feeling,” I say.

His eyes study my face. “But please don’t think I gave up because I didn’t want to save you,” he says, and there’s true heartbreak in his voice. “Because I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to find you. I just didn’t have the means.”

“Don’t,” I say, squeezing his hand. “You can’t hate yourself for something you had no control over. We’re both here now—that’s all that matters.”

“You live here?” he asks.

I nod.

“All this time.”

I bite my lower lip to stop the tears. “Yeah,” I whisper.

“I hate to do this, but I have to go back to work. Tell me you’ll meet me, have a drink, lunch, something so we can talk. I can’t lose you again, Pip.”

I nod and he reaches out, stroking my hair back. “I’m sure you know, but this has been the best night of my life.”

He smiles. “Mine too. Have you got a cell?”

We exchange numbers and with a heavy heart, I leave the bar. He has to work, and I think we both need time to process our emotions.

After all, reliving our pasts in each other isn’t an easy thing to do.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THEN – Pippa

Today is a particularly hot day. The sun is burning down over us, and our flimsy straw hats aren’t enough to keep it away. My frail body is crumbling under the pressure. Rainer tries to position us near trees or large crops, but then the sun shifts and we find ourselves right back to being in its line of fire.

Whoever Artreau works for has him on edge a whole lot more these days. He barely notices us, leaving all the work to his guards. He used to find pleasure in taunting us, but now he simply keeps to himself. That’s fine by me—the more he stays away from me, the safer I feel. He hasn’t reclaimed his debt, but I have no doubt one day he will try.

I only hope I’m strong enough to fight.

A loud crashing sound causes my head to jerk up. I see a set of slaves, a young boy around sixteen, and a girl who could be no more than maybe eighteen, rushing towards the massive fence surrounding the property. My eyes widen and I turn to see the guards are chatting under the shade of the trees lining the front of the house.

Alarm fills my body.

“They’re trying to escape,” I whisper to Rainer.

He’s stopped working and his head jerks up to watch the pair, who are scurrying at quite a speed considering they’re chained. They’re moving towards the fence, chains jerking, bodies heaving. Fear grips me and I take Rainer’s hand. None of us are going to interfere because we know, we just know, there’s no way they’ll ever escape.

When they reach the base of the fence, they maneuver themselves so they’re both jumping at the same time. It’s the only way, since chains connect their feet. They manage to get their fingers over the top of the fence, but come to a problem when they need their legs. The girl cries out in frustration and they use their bodies to try and get over.

They manage to get their bodies up, and put their feet flush on the top of the stone fence. All they would have to do now, is roll off the other side and they’re free. My heart pounds as I watch, flicking my eyes to the guards, and back to them. Just as I think they’re about to get over, a loud shot sounds out. My mouth opens in a silent scream and Rainer’s arms go around me as my knees give out.

The girl’s head is no longer on her shoulders. Her body slumps off to one side, the side of the fence we can’t see. The boy, his eyes so wide with fear, jerks as her body falls. Instead of going with her, his body tips back over this side. The problem is, their legs are still joined. I hear the sounds of his shins snapping as his body jerks down. Then he’s just hanging there, arms flailing, screams echoing through the air.

I lunge forward, but Rainer jerks me backwards. “No,” he growls into my ear. “You don’t go to him.”

“He’s . . . he’s . . .”

Rainer is so much bigger than me; there’s no way I’ll ever move us. A sob is ripped from my throat and then, through the silence, comes another gunshot. This one comes from the guards running towards them. It hits the boy in the head and his struggling ceases, and his body just hangs there. My mouth opens and Rainer twists me quickly, pressing my face into his chest.

“Don’t look, Pippa,” he murmurs into my hair. “I’ve got you.”

There’s the sound of shouting and then Artreau’s voice pierces the air.

“Were any of you in on this little plan?” he barks.

No one answers.

“Answer me!” he bellows so loudly I flinch. Rainer holds me tighter.

“No,” one of the older men croaks. “They just ran off. If we were in on it, we would be with them. We ain’t so stupid.”

There’s silence for a moment, then Artreau bellows, “Just to make sure, I’m going to be putting permanent lines in the ground. No longer will you move freely. You will be stuck in a certain area until the guards move you.”

No.

God no.