“Enzo?” she prompts, timid and uncertain.
I run my hand down my face, my mind racing.
“Where did this happen?”
“Nevada in the States.”
I sigh. “Australia would turn you into U.S. authorities,” he says. “But other countries wouldn’t.”
She nods slowly. “I was never going to stay in Australia, Enzo. I've been hiding out in different states over the past six years. I finally built up the nerve to use one of the identities to get a passport and leave the U.S., so I got a flight to Indonesia. But someone I knew saw that I was at the airport waiting for a flight, and they were going to out me, so I had to make a split-second decision and change flights. I went with the first one available and ended up in Australia. I’ve been staying low for now, but I was always going to leave.”
I was always going to leave.
And now I don't know if I can let her.
“Look, I know what I did was wrong, but—”
She stops short when my head snaps to hers. Whatever she sees in my expression has her teeth clicking shut.
In the blink of an eye, her face is cradled in my palms, and she stares at me like she isn’t sure if she should be scared or not.
“Do you know how envious I am? I only wish I had been there to reward you after. And then, I would’ve made sure you were never caught for it.”
Sawyer shakes her head, confounded. “How are you not upset? I murdered someone. In cold blood.”
“Baby, I’m only sorry you spent the last six years regretting it when you could’ve been rejoicing in it.”
I focus on her pink lips. I’m also sorry I waited so long to taste those.
When I drag my focus back on her baby blues, she’s just staring at me, puzzled.
“Did you kill me back on that table? Did one of the legs impale me or something? This can’t be real.”
I grin, and her eyes widen. “Oh my God. I did die.”
“Do you want me to be angry?”
“No?” she says, but it sounds more like a question. “I guess a normal person’s reaction would be shock, a lot of judgment, and then maybe dial 911 on the low-low.”
“It’s not 911 out here, it’s 000. And we’ve been over this. We can’t call them.”
She rolls her eyes, stepping out of my hold.
“I just wasn’t expecting you to be happy,” she admits.
I inspect her closely. There’s a hint of relief in her eyes, but she still looks unsure.
“I’m happy he’s dead, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about our situation,” I correct. “You’re in a lot of trouble, and it’s going to be difficult to get you out.”
Her brow pinches. “Enzo, I don’t expect you to save me.”
“That’s because no one has ever found you worth saving.” Her mouth drops, offended, and I take the opportunity to hook her bottom teeth with two fingers and tug her into me. She nearly falls against my chest. “They were wrong, baby. You are worth it.”
She digs her little teeth into my digits, and I grin, releasing her.
“I’m capable of saving myself,” she tells me, fire in her eyes.
“You are,” I agree, brushing my thumb across her cheek affectionately. “You’ve already proven that when you ended your abuser’s life. But you’re not alone anymore. Now you have someone to serve you while you seek justice.”
She blinks. “This didn’t go how I thought it would,” she confesses in a hushed tone. She looks scared again; this time, I know it’s because she doesn’t want to get her hopes up.
Giving in, I softly kiss her lips. “We’ve known nothing but heartbreak. Maybe we can show each other something different this time, yeah?”
Her lips curl upward, just the slightest bit, then she nods and whispers, “Yeah.”
“And we’re going to figure this out together. First, we just need to get the fuck off this island.”
Again, she nods, her blue eyes shinier than usual.
Satisfied, I release her and head toward the bathroom for a shower when I hear someone moving around downstairs.
Not just their footsteps, but the sound of chains dragging.
“What’s that sound?” she whispers.
“Someone is in here. We’re not alone anymore.”
“Enzo,” Sawyer hedges hesitantly. “Don’t go down there.”
“It’s just a ghost, right?” I ask over my shoulder. “It can’t hurt me.”