Page 189 of Brainwashed

My Love is gone. The only person I had in this world…The only person who ever understood me, whosawme.

And I’m invisible again.

Ididn’t want to leave him.

When Callahan called me, he was frantic. After all, he’d been treating Trevel for weeks since I left. His killing again would surely reflect on Callahan’s abilities. But I know better…

Trevel killing has nothing to do with Callahan. And as much as some people may think otherwise, it has very little to do with me either.

It’s about him. Trevel killed because he wanted to.

Regardless of all that, I knew I probablyshouldgo attend to the matter. But the thing was that even if I’d wanted to just ignore it, that was no longer an option.

Because The Ivory had gotten involved.

Somehow, Manuel Blanco found out about Trevel and his killings. My thoughts are that he started paying attention to Trevel when he started paying attention tome, though I can’t be certain, because he wouldn’t answer me when I asked about it.

It was mere moments after I hung up with Callahan that Yari called me and told me to meet Manuel in his office. And when I got there, he presented me with his ultimatum.

“I want him,” Manuel had said, fully serious while leaning back in his desk chair, swiveling from side to side. “I would like to add Trevel Fenwick to my collection, and you, my dear Love, are going to fetch him for me.”

I didn’t know what to say or do, so I simply asked, “And if I can’t?”

His lips curled as he peeked at me, dark eyes radiating a sly certainty. “That would beunfortunate, wouldn’t it, Lemuel?”

My last words to Trevel echoed in my brain…

That would be unfortunate, wouldn’t it…?

I couldn’t help the way I gaped at him bewilderedly, like the evil warlock he so obviously is.

Manuel straightened. “There is a car waiting for you downstairs to bring you back to the mainland, and then to the airport. You will return with Trevel, or not at all.”

Then he sort ofshooedme away as Kent opened the door to the office, wordlessly telling me this needed to happen right now.

Frustration and unease swam in my veins. “But I don’t need to leave the island to get him here,” I argued. “Let me make a few phone calls, and—”

“I’m sorry if I led you to believe this would be a brainstorming session, Lemuel.” The Ivory peered at me gravely. “You will go,right now, and get me Trevel.” The words came out slow, pronounced. A surefire command. Then he began swiveling his chair again. “After all, maybe some time away from this island will do you good.”

My gut sank while my muscles stiffened in desperate frustration. He wanted to get me away from Felix…

Why? What game is he playing here??

I couldn’t fight the feeling that this whole thing was a test. And I’ve always been a great test-taker. That said, there was no way I could justleavewithout at least telling Felix what was going on. I couldn’t let him think I abandoned him without a word.

My lips parted to say that, but The Ivory’s obsidian irises shot an unsettling urgency at me, and it all dried up my throat. He froze me, like Medusa, with the reality of the situation. I couldn’t speak those words to The Ivory. I couldn’t let him know I wanted to stay with Felix… About how much I care for him. It would derail everything.

It would give him even more leverage against me than he already has.

And in that moment, I had a flash in my brain. Like a premonition…

Felix and I curled up on the chaise lounge in the atrium outside the mansion, surrounded by flowers. Felix lifting his head off of my chest to look down at me with a sated smile, pushing his glasses up his nose. Me kissing him. Him tasting like lemonade and strawberries and summer.

A corny love song from the eighties playing in the background…

I have no idea where that image came from, but I knew I wanted it. Idowant it. Perhaps even more than that. Ineedit.

Of course, I could just leave Alabaster Isle and never look back. I already completed the job I’ve been dreaming of for decades. I could go back to my regular life having checked this off my list…