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“What do you mean? That doesn't make any sense. I woke up in that dungeon at that factory. At the factory you own.”

Vega closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, “I saved you from that trunk. I didn't put you in it.” He ran his hands over his head and looked down at the ground. “I was with Dylan when they grabbed you. I didn't realize your father had actually hired someone else. I made a stupid mistake and took my eyes off you for five minutes.” His head drooped heavily against his chest. “I should have never taken my eyes off you. None of this would have happened.”

I got up off the ground and went to sit next to him. “You need to tell me everything. I have to know.”

“I can't. I can tell you what I did, but I told you before the answers need to come from you. That's the only way you'll see the truth. You won't believe me if I tell you.”

“Fine. Then tell me what you can. I want to hear it.”

Vega went on to tell me that after he killed Dylan he went to look for me. He saw the footprints and tracked them to the edge of the road. Muddy tire prints led away from the gala, so he followed them. Lucky for him, I came to in the trunk and made enough noise for the other men to pull over and check on me.

When he saw the abandoned car with the trunk lid open, he knew he had found the right vehicle. Vega said he then went on a hunt of his own. When he came upon us in the forest, I was already out. One of the men was carrying me, and the other was making a joke about raping me first and then getting the job done. Needless to say, Vega and I were the only ones who came out of that forest alive.

“If that's true, why wait so long to tell me?”

“I wanted you to remember on your own. I didn't want you to think that your memories were implanted by me in some way. You know, like when you think of a memory from when you were a kid. Do you ever wonder if you're remembering it yourself or are you remembering a story someone told you with faux images your mind created?”

“What if I never remember? What if they never come back?”

“They will.” Vega wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in. “I know they will.”

“How can you know?” I asked.

“Because nothing is lost forever.”

Chapter Fourteen

Poppy

“You need to get some sleep,” Vega said as he adjusted himself on the pine bedding.

I was sitting up, watching the embers of the fire flicker against the pitch-black background. “Someone did just try to shoot me, you know? You honestly think I'll be able to sleep?” I picked up a stick off the ground and twirled it between my fingers. “Not all of us are used to this type of danger.”

“That's the keyword there.Tried.They tried to shoot you, and they failed.” Vega rested his arms behind his head as he looked up at the sky. “And just so you know, I'm not used to this either.”

I let out a laugh and said, “Yeah, okay.”

“I'm serious. Normally, I'm the one on the other end of the barrel. I also make it quick and painless. But you get this kind of drama with asshole hack jobs.”

I threw the stick into the fire and watched the flames devour it. Vega was so passive about what happened. He was acting like it wasn't a big deal because I didn't get hurt. Was his life that fucked up he could diminish the severity of someone trying to kill me?

“Can I ask you something?”

“You can always ask. I just can't promise you an answer,” Vega said.

I curled my arms around my knees and hugged them close to my chest. “How many times have you been knocked out and stuffed in a trunk?”

Vega rolled to his side, facing me. “Never.”

“How many times have you been kidnapped?” I asked.

Vega casually shrugged and shook his no. “None.”

“How many—”

“Okay, I get it,” he said, cutting me off. “I haven't been through any of that.”

“Which means you have no idea how I feel right now. You're a fucking psychopath. You don't have any feelings,” I said blatantly. “Only someone with no soul could be so casual about all of this shit.”