Page 70 of Tempt Me
Nodding, I let Isaac take charge as he marches straight up to the detective who appears in charge, asking carefully measured questions and answering them as he relays the cliff-notes version of the events of the previous evening in a calm and steady voice.
Chapter38
Rue
The police listen intently and take notes as Isaac talks, occasionally throwing in a pointed question or two. The whole time, I stand beside him, wanting to interject and tell them how it is, but that will only lead to trouble, and right now, we need less of that. So I let him take control of the situation. As Isaac speaks, my mind wanders, and I can feel the weight of my family's expectations pressing down on me. This needs to be handled delicately. Solitaire is powerful, but there was an all-out gun fight at the villa last night with multiple DBs. We can’t just brush that under the rug, although that appears to be exactly what Isaac is doing a damn fine job of. He's currently telling Frank that he has no idea what happened, we were never even here, and my parents are currently away on a quick getaway. Basically put: random men decided to shoot up our villa and each other, and we have no clue why.
Nice.
Deny all knowledge.
Not that I expect it to fly, but Frank seems to be writing it all down and taking Isaac’s word seriously.
For now.
After what feels like hours, and as soon as we’re out of earshot, I turn to Isaac. "What are we going to do?"
Isaac's expression is serious as he looks at me. "We need to leave here as they’ve asked and lay low. Your parents are one thing in this matter, we are entirely another."
"You meanyou," I mutter.
"Both of us, seeing as you are with me," he grits out. "Now move."
"Where are we going to go now?" The irritation seeps out of my words, even though I tried to dampen it. It’s not his fault I can’t go and crawl into my own bed and pretend the world doesn’t exist for a few hours.
"Anywhere that isn't here. We can return once your parents come back, but they didn't come back with us for a reason. Plausible deniability. All of us need it, and so far,Frankis buying it."
Well, the man has a point. “What about the cams?” I whisper.
“Apparently, they were all destroyed.” His calm glare makes it clear that I need to shut my mouth and move.
Cringing at the absurdity of this, I nod and follow him away from the villa. He’s moving with a practiced efficiency, marching down the road in the baking hot sun like it’s nothing.
“Where exactly are you taking me? Do you have a plan?"
"Sort of," he replies cryptically before turning off onto a side road and striding over to a parked-up sedan that is so out of place in this prestigious neighborhood, it can only be either suspicious or a getaway car.
"We're going on a little road trip,” he says, bending down to retrieve the key from the top of the tire.
"Is it far?"
"Far enough," he says, glancing over at me, before he gets in the driver’s side.
Sighing, I climb in, and we set off to the mysterious place, taking it nice and easy until we get out of the area and then he speeds up a bit.
Isaac grips the steering wheel tightly as we drive into the mountains, staying silent except for the occasional muttered curse under his breath when we hit a pothole or two.
“Back to where it all started,” I murmur.
He gives me a scathing glare, which I hope is just because he is tense and not because he has changed his mind about us—again.
Sometime later, he steers the car down a short dirt path, which opens into a clearing in the middle of the mountain woods. A small, wooden cabin stands at the heart of it. The scent of damp earth drifts on the air as I climb out of the car and slam the door.
Feeling an immediate sense of tranquility as I walk up to the door, it creaks loudly when Isaac pushes it open, and we step inside. The interior smells like a cedar chest: sweet and earthy. There is an old-fashioned fireplace against one wall that has built-in bookshelves attached to it, filled with thick hardbacks that look like they had been well used over the years. To the left of that is an intricate wine rack with an assortment of bottles that look old enough to be considered antiques themselves; some are covered in dust. In between those two pieces is a short hallway lined with pictures. The rustic feel of the place is refreshing, especially after living so long surrounded by luxury.
Notthat I plan on giving up my luxury. But this is peaceful and cozy.
The cabin seems to embody what Isaac represents for me right now: safety, comfort, love, and acceptance.
