Rumor Has It: A Bad Boy Romantic Comedy (34 page)

Genevieve

I drummed my fingers on the table nervously. My hands were pruned from my long swim. My mind went to Luke. What was he doing right now? Was he worried about me? Hopefully, he understood that this was not my idea. The thought of my mother manipulating him into believing I was a part of this scheme made my stomach turn.

The server returned with a mountain of food. He set down several small plates on the table. Each contained different breads and seafood. It smelled amazing.

“What do you think?” the server asked.

“This looks great. Thanks,” I said.

He set a bottle of wine down on the table.

“Oh, I didn’t order wine.”

“My treat,” he said with a wink. He poured a glass for me then left me to dig in.

For a brief moment I was so consumed with the smell of spices and the heat radiating from the plates my plight was completely forgotten. My morning sickness seemed to have taken a turn. Before, the thought of food made me want to puke. Now I was ravenous. I ate like a death row inmate who’d just been given their last meal. It was one of the best meals I’d ever tasted. After a few minutes, I was surprised to see every plate was empty. I stared at the glass of red wine. One glass wouldn’t hurt, would it? I closed my eyes and took a sip. The rich flavor mixed with the spices in the food perfectly.

For a brief moment, I was totally at peace. Then I opened my eyes. Carmine stood outside the bar with two men. He was giving orders to one of them while the other cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed his face to the bar’s window. His eyes scanned the crowd looking for me. I recognized him as the friendly man on the yacht who had brought us drinks. He didn’t look so friendly now.

I sank down in my seat, hoping the packed room would keep me hidden from view. I couldn’t see them from where I was; hopefully, they couldn’t see me either.

The server walked over and started to gather the empty plates from my table. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“What? Oh, yeah- everything’s fine.”

He watched me closely, as if he didn’t quite believe me.

“Does this place have a back exit?” I asked.

“Of course. Why?”

“No reason.”

“Is someone looking for you?”

I debated whether or not to tell him the truth. I had nothing to lose.

“Yes,” I said. “Could you do something for me? It’s asking a lot, but it’s extremely important.”

He nodded, unsure of what I was going to ask of him.

“Could you call this man at this number?”

I grabbed a pen from the server’s apron and wrote down Luke’s name and cell phone number.

“His name is Luke. Tell him Genevieve wanted you to call him. Tell him I’m in- Where am I?”

The server narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know where you are?”

I shook my head.

“Ibiza.”

“Ibiza…” It was on my list of places to visit someday. I never thought I’d travel here under these circumstances. “Tell him I’m in Ibiza. They’re after me, but I escaped. Tell Luke not to give them any more money, no matter what they say. Tell him not to trust my mother. Everything she says is a lie. Do you understand?”

“No. If you are in trouble, I can call the-”

“No. Don’t call anyone except Luke.”

I didn’t trust the police. Every man my mother met fell for her lies. She’d probably convince them that I was her escaped, mentally ill daughter. The cops would hand me over and I’d be back where I started. It was best to lay low until I could get in touch with Luke.

“Also, tell Luke that I love him.”

I handed the server the paper with Luke’s info on it. He looked it over, then glanced at me.

“I know how crazy this is,” I said. “
Trust me
- I know. I’ve been living it my whole life. All I’m asking is that you make a phone call. That’s it.”

I put the money I’d stolen down on the table. It was all I had in the world.

“No, no,” he said. “You keep the money.”

“What about my bill?”

“Don’t worry about it. There is an exit through the back, behind the bar. Get out of here.”

I jumped up. “Thank you.”

I wanted to hug him or kiss him. This was the nicest thing someone had done for me in a long time.

“Take care of yourself, Genevieve.”

“I will.”

I stayed low as I moved through the crowd to the back exit.

Luke

I was about to board the company jet when my phone rang. Thinking it was Val, I answered rudely.

“I thought I told you I wasn’t going to make a deal?”

“Um, hello?” a heavily accented voice responded. “I am trying to reach Luke.”

“This is Luke.”

“Genevieve asked me to call you.”

I put down my bag and stopped. “Who is this?”

“I just work at a bar. She came in looking frightened. She wanted me to call you.”

“Is she hurt?”

“Not that I know of.”

A small amount of the fear I carried lifted.

“She said to tell you not to trust her mother. She is a liar.”

Genevieve didn’t have to worry about that. I would never believe anything Val said ever again.

“She also said to tell you she is in Ibiza and not to give anyone any money.”

I’d been right about Ibiza at least. I was headed in the right direction.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“I’m not comfortable saying. I don’t know what this girl is mixed up in, but I don’t want to be a part of it.”

“I understand. Can you tell me where you last saw Genevieve?”

He gave me the name of a street, but refused to say anything more.

“Excellent. If you see her again, tell her to wait there. I’m on my way.”

I started to hang up.

“One more thing,” he said. “She wanted you to know she loves you.”

The line went dead. I stared down at my phone. What was the last thing I’d said to Genevieve? I couldn’t remember, but it wasn’t, ‘I love you.’ It should have been.

I noticed I had a missed call and a voice message on my phone. It was from Genevieve. My heart started to pound in my chest. Then I saw the time stamp. It was from earlier this morning, before she’d met with Trent. I played the message.

“Hey, it’s me… Genevieve. Just wondering where you are. Give me a call or a text when you get this. Bye.”

I listened to the message a second time, then a third. Hearing her voice made my blood rush to my head. I felt as I was going to pass out. I had to find her. If it was the last thing I ever did, I would make sure her life and our baby’s life was free of danger. Even if it meant killing Val.

Genevieve

I couldn’t trust the server in the tapas bar to come through for me. I hoped he would, but I wasn’t going to put my future in his hands. I needed to find a place that sold international calling cards.

After I got in touch with Luke, it would take a while for him to get here. Unless, he wired money to me. Then I could leave. Except that I’d never be allowed on a plane without a passport. I had no ID. I could go to the American embassy. Surely, they’d help me. I just had to figure out where it was.

I walked to the end of the street and looked left, then right. I didn’t see Carmine or his men. The street was full of traffic, but empty of taxies. Just my luck.

My leg cramped painfully. I wouldn’t make it far walking. A bus hissed to a stop in front of me. Maybe my luck was changing. I took a painful step and climbed inside. I showed the driver my money. He looked annoyed. He spoke to me angrily in Spanish. I wasn’t sure what his problem was. Did he not have the change?

I shoved the ten dollar Euro at him. He could keep the change for all I cared. I just wanted off the street. I needed him to take me far away from this place. He took the money and rolled his eyes.

“Sientate,” he said.

‘Sit down.’ I understood that much. I wasn’t going to argue. I took a seat a couple rows back from the front. I took a deep breath and rested my head against the seat. It would probably take a few hours for Luke to arrive once I got into contact with him.

My eyes shot open. How could I have been so stupid? It suddenly occurred to me that I’d failed to come up with a meeting place. If the server in the bar managed to get ahold of Luke, he wouldn’t know where to find me.

I’d have to talk to Luke first. But I didn’t know where I was; arranging a meeting spot would be difficult. A girl my age sat down next to me.

“Do you speak English?” I asked.

“Si,” she replied.

“Do you know where I can make a phone call? I need to call home to America.”

She pointed ahead. I didn’t know what she was gesturing at, then I saw it.

I smiled and said, “Gracias.”

The bus came to a stop in front of what looked like a huge tourist center. I jumped out and started to run inside when a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around violently. I turned to find the bus driver leering at me. His face was twisted with annoyance. He threw loose change and a few Euros at me.

The money fell to the ground. I bent down to pick it up and watched as he got back in the bus and drove away. I assumed it was the change he owed me. I shook my head. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about. I had to deal with a bus driver’s bad attitude.

I was gathering the change when a shadow fell over the sidewalk. Afraid to look up, I kept my eyes on the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the pants leg of a crisp white uniform.

I was so close. My salvation was within sight. I jumped up to run. The man grabbed me. I kicked and twisted my body, but it was no use. He was much stronger than I was. I was doomed, but that didn’t mean I was going to make it easy for him. I drove my heel into his foot and shoved my elbow into his chest. It was like punching a brick wall. I’d never hurt him. He didn’t even react to my kicking and punching.

He wrapped an arm around my chest, pinning my arms down. He lifted me off the ground as if I weighed nothing at all and started to carry me away. Several people were staring.

“Help!” I cried, only to have my words silenced by the man’s hand.

People watched with confused looks on their faces.

I was led to a car where Carmine stood.

“We’ve been looking all over for you,” he said sweetly.

He combed my hair back out of my eyes. I bit the hand of the man holding me, then spit in Carmine’s face. He flinched, but somehow managed to force a smile on his face.

“You are a spirited girl just like your mother.”

He wiped the spit off his face then ordered the deckhand to put me in the waiting car. I stared pleadingly at an older couple near the entrance to the building. They whispered to one another then turned away.

It was infuriating, but not surprising. In the neighborhood I grew up in people behaved the same way. They didn’t want to get involved in other people’s business. The unspoken rule was that if a situation didn’t directly involve or affect you, then mind your own business.

No one wants to get involved in other people’s drama. I don’t blame them, but I was in desperate need of help.

The deckhand shoved me into the backseat of the car. Carmine slid in beside me while his two accomplices sat down in the front. The car started; we quickly peeled away from the scene, burning rubber.

Carmine pulled out a needle and a vial of liquid.

“Until you learn to cooperate, we’re going to have to keep you quiet.”

I backed up into the corner of the car. I pulled on the door handle. It opened. Even though we were driving fast, I was determined to jump out. I was too slow. Carmine stabbed the needle into my thigh and depressed the plunger.

He grabbed my arm, stopping me from jumping from the car. I wavered nearly collapsing on top of him.

The drugs had a curious effect on me. They didn’t knock me out; they left me feeling detached and strangely euphoric. My problems didn’t feel like problems at all, only small amusements.

I turned to Carmine and started to laugh. He returned my smile and shook his head. I had no idea what I was laughing at. The situation suddenly struck me as funny. Carmine petted the top of my head in a weirdly paternal gesture.

“You’ll be fine,” he said.

“Yes…”

I didn’t recognize my voice as my own. It sounded hollow and far away.

“Your mother and I will take care of you and the baby.”

I found myself smiling. It would be nice to be taken care of, I thought dreamily.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Of course,” I replied.

“Good girl. Now, let’s go back to your new home.”