Page 80 of A Light in the Darkness
“Taissa’s been begging to see you for weeks.” Kent says coldly, making my head turn to take him in. It’s clear his words aren’tmeant for me, but Remy, who is standing just inside the now closed door, glowering. “I’ll show you to her room.”
“I don’t want to see her,” Remy snips, glancing at me. “Just give me a room I can take Claire to while you try to strong-arm me into playing the savior.”
“You’re not a fucking savior.” Kent snorts. “You’re the biggest pussy I’ve ever met. You put on a good show, though.”
Remy raises an eyebrow, looking bored. I’m not sure if Kent was just trying to bait him into something or if that’s how he really feels, but either way, Remy could care less. “I don’t want a room.” I say, turning to address Kent myself. “What is going on? What is this place? Who is Taissa?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” Rich murmurs, shaking his head as if I’ve just exhausted him.
“Taissa is one of the captives we freed from a brothel a few weeks ago. She’s just one of the ones who’s asked about him…” Kent’s eyes slip to Remy, letting him notice the obvious disapproval.
I can’t blame them for wanting an audience with Remy. He saved me, too, and that left a mark on me… maybe not an obvious one, but it did something to my soul. We had a connection before I was taken, but he showed up for me in my most hopeless moment, and that does something to your brain chemistry. I don’t honestly know how to separate any of it from the thing before it to try and decode my feelings for him.
I think I love him, but I don’t know what love is, what it is supposed to be. Somewhere along the way, all the different things I admired about him blurred together—the infatuation of my best friend’s mysterious and gorgeous older brother, my respect for him and what he does, the impossible to deny chemistry between us.
“Can I meet them?”
“Of course,” Michael says, at the same time Remy says, “Absolutely not.”
But it doesn’t matter what Remy says, because I’m already following the others out of the kitchen.
Chapter forty-eight
Remy
Not for the first time, I find myself marveling at my sister’s best friend as Kent and Rich lead her on a tour of the place, explaining the setup they’ve worked to establish in such an impressive amount of time.
The entire ground floor serves as common area—the therapists have their sessions in the former meeting rooms, and group sessions in the larger business spaces. A library has been set up behind the check-in desk, and the lobby seating serves as a space for people to curl up with their books. Little tables from the breakfast area offer a neutral gathering space between meals.
Despite their insistence that people have been asking about me, we don’t get swarmed as we walk through the hotel. In fact, most people just give us side-long glances, their eyes following our movements with unveiled curiosity. It’s Michael who breaks first, leaving us to go chase after a woman who shyly looked away from him before running up the stairs. I have half the mind to yell for him to leave the girl alone, but he’s been here when I haven’t. Besides, this isn’t my circus, and Michael isn’t my monkey. Not anymore.
“You’ve done well.” I tell Kent honestly as he leads us to the back of the building. He ignores me, opening up one of the doors to gesture to the enclosed swimming pool, where two guys are in the shallow end, sharing a close conversation. When they notice they’re not alone anymore, the smaller of the two pushes away from his companion, his face red as if he’s been caught doing something wrong.
Claire waves delicately at them, and then she notices the view beyond the pool and her mouth falls open in shock.
“Who’s the new girl?” The larger man in the pool asks, tipping his head toward her.
I assess him plainly, deciding he’s not a threat. His voice holds more curiosity than anything else, and the way he squints at her is predictably intrigued. I’m preparing to tell him to mind his own business when Claire introduces herself, kneeling on the concrete so she can extend a hand to them.
Her offer is met with hesitance on behalf of the smaller man, but the larger of the two only hesitates a second before standing to walk toward us. He’s younger than either of us, if I had to guess, though his dark eyes somehow make him look older.
“Luca,” he offers, slipping his wet hand into hers and shaking it.
“Claire.” She grins, glancing behind him to his friend. “And you?”
It’s Luca who speaks, jerking his head over his own shoulder. “Pollo.”
“Pollo.” Claire repeats, testing the name out for herself.
“Chicken.” Luca laughs. “Pollo means chicken. His real name is Pietro, I just call him that when he acts like this.”
Behind him, Pietro slaps the surface of the water, sending a ripple toward Luca that does nothing to stop him from laughing at his friends’ expense. Pietro dips beneath the water and swims further away from us, to the other side of the pool that looks out on the stacked mountains.
“Sorry about him.” Luca explains, dropping his voice. “He was locked up too long. It’s made him scared of people.”
“But not you?” Claire surmises, studying him.
“No.” Luca shrugs. “I’m just happy to be alive… to see the sky and not have to smell rot and shit.” He takes a deep breath as if to illustrate the point, then grimaces. “Sorry, I’m not great around girls…” His cheeks turn red as he reconsiders that. “I mean… women.”
