Page 6

6

ARELLA

For a second, I’m relieved to see someone I know. However, when Trey doesn’t immediately punch Mustache Man and carry me out of here...

“The girl’s grandmother is expecting her to call,” Mustache Man says. “I’ve asked her to call the old lady back and act normal, but she’s refusing. Think you can persuade her?”

Trey’s body goes stiff. Anger radiates off him so strongly, I can’t sense Mustache Man anymore, or Katie, who has returned herself to the folding chair in the corner.

Trey barely moves as he glares at his older look-alike. “What the hell is she doing here?”

Mustache Man speaks calmly yet firmly. “I figured that since you’re gonna be busy working your new mission, we could go ahead and accelerate your first one.”

I’ve got to be dreaming. There’s no way that Trey, my Trey, is a part of this.

Trey doesn’t stop glaring at Mustache Man. “Why wasn’t I consulted first?”

Mustache Man narrows his eyes at Trey. “What makes you think I need to consult you before making any decisions? Now, do you think you can convince her to call her grandma or not? If the answer’s no, get the hell out and go be useless somewhere else.”

Finally, Trey turns his attention to me. His chest rises and falls like he’s not getting enough air. I hold back tears as we lock eyes and I silently plead with him to stop whatever’s happening.

He must not hear my plea, because he clears his throat and says, “I’ll convince her to call.”

I burst into tears, covering my mouth with my free hand. This can’t be happening. My breaths are sharp as Katie hands my phone to Trey, and he accepts it.

Mustache Man heads toward the door. “Katie, send me a full report when it’s done, then return her phone to me. I’ll be in my office.”

“Yes, sir.” Katie stands to open the door for him.

Mustache Man points to the bulkiest of his three bodyguards. “I want round-the-clock security on this Ordinary. You’re first.”

“Yes, sir,” the man replies.

Even with the door shut, my baby senses Mustache Man and his two guards as they head down the hall. After several footsteps, I don’t sense them anymore. I’ll assume that’s because they’re out of my baby’s range, not because they disappeared off the face of the planet.

Now I’m left alone in a silent bedroom with Katie and this master of deception I used to call my boyfriend.

Suddenly, everything starts to come together: Trey’s late-night phone calls, his irregular sleeping habits, the mysterious air about him. He’s been living a double life this whole time. He’s a criminal. I think I prefer him being from an alternate universe over this.

“Could you give us a few minutes?” Trey asks, slipping my phone into his back pocket.

Katie nods. “Sure thing.”

Trey waits until the door clicks shut behind her before he eyes the charred walls. At first, I think he’s looking for an escape route like I did, but once his eyes land on the camera behind him, he turns back to me.

For a moment, he just stares. It’s nothing I’m not used to. He’s always had a habit of staring at me, except this time, it’s not in admiration. He’s looking for something. I’m not sure what.

I jolt back a little when he drops to his knees at my feet. Silent tears roll down my cheeks as he continues to scan my body up and down.

“Did anyone hurt you?” His question comes out in barely a whisper.

I can’t respond, because if I do, I’ll burst into tears again.

“Arella...” My name comes out like a plea. “Did anyone hurt you?”

There’s no evidence of it on his face, but the baby senses relief from him when I shake my head. I want to tell him that, technically, no one’s hurt me. Not as much as it hurts to see him here and to know that he’s involved in this.

“How did you get here?” His voice is still a whisper.

My words come out through choked tears. “I woke up here.”

He grits his teeth together. “So they fucking kidnapped you?”

It’s nice to hear someone call it what it is. I want to say, Of course they kidnapped me. Do you think I willingly drove here myself? What I actually say is “Who’s they ?”

He ignores my question. “Why are you handcuffed to the bed?”

I glower at him and wipe my damp face off with the bottom of the gigantic T-shirt I’m wearing. “You’re asking me like I should know? When I woke up, I was already cuffed to this stupid bed, and that Katie girl was sitting on that chair, watching me sleep. Do you think I have any clue what’s going on? I don’t even know where I am.”

“You’re in Three Rivers.”

“Your hometown?”

A nod.

“Why am I here?”

My question is met with silence. Trey springs back onto his feet and groans while running a hand through his hair the same way Mustache Man did. They’ve got to be related. Mustache Man is probably his dad. Trey’s story about how his parents were killed was just a cover-up for his parents being criminals or to gain my sympathy. I can’t believe I trusted anything he ever said to me.

In a regular tone, Trey asks, “Can you call your grandma back?”

“No.”

“Arella, you have to.”

“Says who? Mustache Man? The guy who a minute ago was choking me by the neck and?—”

“He did what?” Trey’s entire body goes rigid.

I shoot dagger eyes at him. “Don’t be so surprised. If he’s willing to sedate and kidnap me, he’s probably willing to do much worse.”

“You were sedated?” To himself, he says, “That explains why I didn’t feel it right away.”

Feel what?

Trey’s hands clench into fists as he sucks in a deep breath. When he lets it out, his fists relax. “Did he do anything else to you?”

How can I explain that Mustache Man probably tried to melt me with his black eyeballs without sounding like I’m crazy? Does Trey know he can do that?

“Who is he?” My tears are starting to let up because I’m more angry than shocked now. I want to know what’s going on, how Trey is involved, and most of all, I want to go home.

“His name is Victor. He’s the CEO of ZIRDA California, which is a secret organization that, um...” Trey’s gaze falls to a burn spot on the carpet. “It’s complicated.”

A secret organization? That, along with some words Katie said earlier, like mission and underground facility surrounded by about two hundred trained agents , makes me feel like I’ve been sucked into some messed-up spy movie.

“Better question,” I say. “How do you know Victor?”

“He’s, um... my uncle.”

I knew they were related. Maybe that means Trey wasn’t lying about his parents getting blown up. Victor is probably the abusive uncle who took him in after the explosion. “Did you help your uncle kidnap me?”

“No. Fuck no. If it wasn’t obvious, Arella, I’m just as shocked to see you here as you are to see me.”

“He’s your uncle!” I shout. “You really want me to believe you had nothing to do with this?”

“I didn’t!” he shouts back.

I must be dumb, because I actually believe him. Mostly because my baby senses how angry he is about this. Correction: our baby. Oh my god, I’m pregnant with a baby who belongs to a man with a PhD in lying. How is this my life?

Trey paces the room, pulling at his hair before finally turning to me. “Could you please call your grandma?”

Does he really think saying please will change my mind? “I said no.”

“Look, I know you’re probably scared right now, but trust me, everything’s gonna be okay.” The way he says all that makes me think he’s trying to convince himself, not me.

“Why should I trust you ? You’re one of them!”

How could I not have known? This should have been the first question I asked him on our first date: Hey, is your uncle a crazy dude running a secret organization in an underground facility crawling with secret agents? My second question should have been Are you one of those secret agents? The next guy I meet, I’ll make sure I know the professions of all his uncles before even considering having dinner with him.

I glare at Trey with the most venomous look I can muster. “You’ve been one of them this whole time, haven’t you?”

His silence is all the answer I need to lose any hope I had left in him.