Determined to Obey (13 page)

60. Celia

“Abra la puerta!”
Celia growls outside Caleb’s door. She doesn’t like that Felipe is alone, even if her presence would do little to quell hostilities should they arise. She is many things, but an expert killer is not one of them.

The door opens and Celia bursts into the room and is greeted by Caleb and a knife trained on her throat. Kitten is on the floor crying by the side of the bed. There is a gun in her hand.

“What’s going on?” Caleb snarls in her ear.

“I came to warn you. Rafiq and his men are here. They’re downstairs with Felipe. They want to see you.” Celia is sure to hold on to Caleb’s forearm to keep pressure off of her throat.

“Caleb, let her go,” Kitten sobs. “She came to warn us.”

“We don’t know, Kitten. She could be here to separate us.”

Not for the first time, Celia witnesses Kitten’s fire. The terrified girl raises the gun. “Let her go, Caleb. I’ll keep her here.”

Celia is on the verge of actually being afraid. She doesn’t fear Kitten for a moment, but Caleb reminds her of a cornered animal and he has been known to behave erratically on occasion. His arm only loosens after Kitten pleads with him a second time. He keeps a tight grip on her nape.

“What’s the plan, Caleb?” the girl asks with feigned calm.

“I need to go meet them.”

“You can’t! What if they’re just waiting to kill you?”

“If everything is as Celia says, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t go downstairs.”

“No,” Celia interjects, “Felipe sent me to warn you.”

“Why would he warn me?” Caleb insists on being skeptical.

“Felipe knows what’s been happening between the two of you and hasn’t said a word to Rafiq. He doesn’t want to deal with the fallout. You’ve been here for months, instead of the few days Rafiq originally promised. The last thing he needs is bloodshed in the house,”
Celia snaps out in Spanish. Her eyes are beginning to water and she hates that she can’t stop her voice from cracking. Soon. It will all be over soon, she reminds herself.

Caleb speaks to Kitten, “Stay here with her until I get back.”

“Caleb, please don’t go. Let’s leave. Right now.”

Celia cannot abide Kitten’s wishes, no matter how much she wants the beauty to find happiness with her beast. Felipe needs Caleb. “I’ll get her out if there’s trouble,” she says. Caleb stares at her incredulously. “There are passages in the walls. Felipe had them built in case we needed to escape. I’ll get her out, I promise.”

“Why would you?” Caleb asks, bewildered.

“Not for you,” she spits. “I don’t want her to suffer.”

Caleb nods. “Thank you, Celia. I’m in your debt.”

“If anything happens to Felipe, I’ll be sure to collect,” she warns, because threats are beneath her.

Caleb removes his hand from Celia’s neck and grabs a shirt. “The library?” he asks. He leaves after a single nod of Celia’s head.

Kitten breaks the silence.
“Caleb says Felipe’s been watching us. He said you’ve been watching us. Why would either of you help?”

“Felipe trusts no one, Kitten. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but Felipe means more to me than you. I love him.”

The girl is a sobbing mess and her arms shake with the weight of the gun in her hands.
“Did you really come to warn us, Celia? Is Caleb walking into a trap right now?”

“I swear I came to warn you. As far as I know, Caleb is meeting his friends and nothing more. The worst thing you could do right now is panic.”
It’s not
exactly
a lie. She meets Kitten’s wary eyes and witnesses her open longing. She wants to believe. She
has
to believe.

“I believe you,” she says and lowers the gun.

61. Felipe

“Celia?” Felipe knocks softly on Caleb’s door. Uneasy about Celia’s absence and Caleb’s hesitancy to speak on the subject, he went to investigate the matter just as soon as he was able. After several long minutes, he repeats his query. “Celia?” He switches off the safety on his 9mm. Plans aside, he has to prepare for any deviation.

“I’m in here with Kitten,” Celia says through the door. Her voice is strained, as though she’s been crying and is now trying to hide it for Felipe’s benefit.

“Why is the door locked?” Felipe rattles the knob. He’s going to have keypads installed on all the doors as soon as possible, not just his and Celia’s rooms.

“Caleb was worried,” she says cautiously. “Where is he?”

“Downstairs with Rafiq. Open the door,” he commands. It takes a while, but Celia gingerly opens the door. Felipe’s heart clenches in his chest at the sight of a tearful Celia. He enters the room with his gun raised and his eyes vigilant.

“Tell her Caleb is all right,” Celia says. She stands firmly between Felipe and the girl.

“Why have you been crying, Celia? What happened here?” Felipe’s tone is deadly calm.

“Nothing, my love. I’ve just been keeping Kitten company.”
She attempts a rueful grin.
“She’s scared, Felipe. Tell her Caleb is all right. She’s worried about him.”

“He’s fine,” Felipe relents. Whatever has caused Celia such distress, he’ll root it out later. For now, it’s more important to him that he get Celia and Kid to safety. Whatever is to pass, it’s going to happen tonight. “He and Rafiq are having a drink. He should be up here shortly. We can all wait for him,” he says without lowering his gun.

“Why didn’t he come himself?” Kitten frets.

“He couldn’t, not without raising suspicions. As it was,
I
suspected something might be happening up here. Why were you crying, Celia?” Felipe asks again more softly.

“It’s just girl talk, Felipe. Please don’t make a fuss. She was terrified you were coming to hurt her, and it made me think about…”
Celia’s voice trails off. Slowly, she raises her hand to his cheek.
“Don’t you remember what it was like in the beginning?”

He does. He lowers his gun and presses a fervent kiss to Celia’s forehead
. “I’m sorry she made you remember,”
he whispers,
“especially when I’ve tried so hard to make you forget.”

She reassures him.
“I have, Felipe. I promise you, I have.”

With that, Felipe returns his attention to the other woman in the room. “Go wash up, sweet girl. Your master should be coming back any minute, and I suggest you’re ready for him when he does. You don’t have much time together.”

“What do you mean?” Her lip quivers.

Felipe is not without a heart, and this girl’s boundless capacity for love and forgiveness prods at his idle conscience. “I wish there was more I could do for the two of you. I’ve enjoyed watching your relationship unfold. Good luck to you, Kitten.” He means every word. He takes hold of Celia’s hand and escorts her out of the room.

62. Kid

Kid has been beside himself with worry for several hours, waiting for Felipe or Celia to come and retrieve him…or for someone else to take him prisoner…or to hear that one or both of them has been murdered. He’s angry with Felipe all over again for locking him away. His fingers rub the spot where Felipe’s punch landed. He’ll be tender for days.

Finally! A voice comes over the intercom; it’s Felipe’s. “Open the door, Kid. The code is 27-44-56-29.” Kid wastes no time in punching in the code. Celia envelops him in her arms and sobs into his neck.

“Felipe? What’s wrong?” Kid holds Celia to him as though she’ll fly apart if he doesn’t.

“There’s no time to explain. Put on these clothes. We’re leaving.” Felipe brooks no argument and Kid knows better than having to be told twice when his master is this serious.

Still, Kid can’t help but laugh as he zips his pants. “Did you have to bring me the lime green suit? I look like a gangly lizard.” Celia laughs and sniffles, Felipe shakes his head, and the three of them rush out of the panic room.

Outside, Reynaldo is waiting for them in a pitch-black Cadillac CTS. Kid barely has time to admire the vehicle before Felipe’s hand lands on his head and urges him into the backseat. Celia and Felipe slide in beside him. “Where’re we goin’?” he asks. Despite his cooperation, Kid is more than a little nervous about the night’s events. “What’s going on, Celia? Why are you both acting so strange?” His mind quickly fills with all sorts of awful scenarios.

“Sit back,” Felipe snaps. He places one hand on Kid’s chest and reaches across for his seatbelt. Kid looks at Celia who is already with the program and latching her belt. Felipe makes sure hers is secure anyway before he sits back and secures himself. Reynaldo is seriously hauling ass down the driveway.

Once they’re off the property, Reynaldo slows down and Felipe visibly relaxes. It’s odd to see this side of the older man and he doesn’t particularly like it. He prefers his master’s haughty and over-confident demeanor because it makes him feel safe. Kid doesn’t feel like he’s out of harm's way right now. He rubs his abdomen.

“I apologize,” Felipe says softly. He turns his face toward the window and reaches out to hold Celia’s hand in her lap. “I shouldn’t have hit you. Rafiq surprised me and I didn’t want to discuss your safety.” He meets Kid’s eyes and says, “I won’t ever do it again. A man has the right to choose his own destiny.”

Everyone looks so grim. It makes Kid nervous. “Hey,” he smiles, “just because I’m more of a lover than a fighter doesn’t mean I can’t take a punch. Ask Amanda Simpson; she punched me all through third grade and I still went out with her in junior high.”

Felipe grins in spite of himself and covers his mouth. “I still should not have done it. You’re my lover, not
just
my ‘fuck toy’ as you so eloquently put it once.”

Kid scrunches his nose. “Gross! Do you have to say it like that? Lover? Sounds so…
old.
” He winks at the other man, instantly pleased by the charmed look in his master’s eyes.

“You’re free.” Celia’s broken voice hits Kid’s ears like a slap.

“Excuse me. What?” Kid takes Celia’s free hand in his and squeezes. It isn’t until Celia hisses in pain that he loosens his hold the slightest bit. “Celia, what the hell are you talking about?”

She turns her blotchy face toward him and looks up at him through spiky lashes. “Is that what you want?” She’s so sad. Kid’s heart feels like it’s pulling apart in his chest.

“Celia,” Felipe says in his ‘I know what you’re up to’ voice. “Stop trying to manipulate him.
You know better than I do that if we don’t give him his freedom, he’ll resent us no matter how well we treat him.
”

Kid has never been more glad or miserable for his lessons with Celia.
“You’re letting me go?”
He covers his face with his hands. The worst days of his life begin typically. Kid’s parents went out for lunch and never returned. His uncle went out for a beer and wound up with his head separated from his shoulders twenty-four hours later. The normality of the events leading up to each catastrophe has always sat heavy in his gut. This morning, he woke up to Celia’s warm kisses and Felipe’s hot mouth on his skin. He was happy.

“Isn’t that what you want, boy?” Felipe asks. “Your freedom?”

“Yeah…I guess.”
Please. Don’t send me away.
Celia thrusts her face onto his chest and sobs. “Celia—”

“—We’ll travel by car for a few hours to a private airstrip. Reynaldo can take you anywhere you wish,” Felipe says. His tone gives nothing of his emotions away. Except…Kid can see how hard he’s gripping Celia’s hand. He can’t look away.

Kid has been wary of ever feeling safe and secure. Wary of the happiness those things might bring him. Terrified of what might happen if he ever found himself completely alone.

Terrified of
this
fucking moment.

“Boy. Look at me,” Felipe says.

Kid calls upon every lesson Felipe and Celia have taught him. He meets the other man’s eyes without sobs or protests. He sits, quiet and patient, as
this
world crumbles around him too.

“Do you remember what I asked you when we met in the dungeon?”

Kid answers steadily. “You asked me what I wanted most in the world.”

“Do you remember what you said?”

Kid doesn’t dare look down toward Celia who is still sniffling on his chest. Felipe has a fondness for poetry, and Kid has to hand it to him—this shit is poetic. He’s going to give Kid his freedom now that he doesn’t want it anymore. Felipe has somehow found a way for him to provide his own send off and break his own fucking heart in the process. “I said…” he wipes at a tear that has somehow escaped, “I said I wanted to go home.”

“Yes, and you said you couldn’t because there is no one left to love you,” Felipe whispers.

“That too.”

“Do you still believe you’re unloved?”
Celia’s shuddery words are softly spoken against him.

Kid shrugs. He’s getting fed up with this shit. “I guess.”

Felipe stares at him for several minutes as though he’s trying to decipher truth from fiction. “I’d wager you’re wrong,” he says simply.

Kid can’t take any more. “What are you saying?” He glances first at Felipe, then Celia. “You want me to go? I’ll go. You want me to stay? I’ll stay. Stop being so shy all of a sudden because we all know how ridiculous it is and tell me what to do! You’ve been doing it for months. Nothing new.”

Felipe kisses his teeth but a smile lurks in his expression. “I’ll take your desire for instruction under advisement, boy. For now, I’m
asking
you: Will you
choose
to stay with Celia and me? Will you choose us? Will you give us the chance to love you?” There is a hint of yearning in the question.

Simultaneous emotions bombard Kid’s every synapse. He’s falling and flying. Terrified and yet elated. He wants to cry and to laugh. But he settles for spewing out a stream of consciousness. “Fuck!” Kid exclaims. “Why the fuck didn’t you just say
that?
I thought you were getting rid of me! I’m over here choking down my dinner so at least I have something in my stomach when you toss me out. I’m wondering how I’m going to live without you guys, and the whole damn time, you never said I can stay?”