Hailey's Truth (34 page)

Austin led them to his own room, opened his door, and closed it behind them. “Have a seat on my bed if you want.”

She sat on the edge, relieving legs that were quickly turning to jelly. “Austin, what’s going on?”

He settled next to her and stared down at the floor. “I heard Donte showed up at the Humane Society.”

And here we go again
. She closed her eyes and blew out a weary breath. “Yeah, he did. He was there for an hour or so.”

“That’s about sixty minutes too long.”

She stood. “I don’t want to argue about this, Austin. I really don’t. I know you asked me to keep my distance and I’m trying.”

“Really? From what I understand, you were with him the entire time.”

A hint of anger cut through her nerves. “So, what, are you having Jackson spy on me now?”

“No.”

“You seem to know my every move.”

“I’m just pointing out—“

“I know what you’re pointing out. I told you I would stay away from Donte, but I didn’t. I tried busying myself with paperwork, but he asked me to tour the facility with him. I wasn’t going to be rude—especially when he donated enough food, supplies, and money to keep the place up and running for several years to come.”

“Hailey—“

She held up a hand. “I’m not finished. The goal of Project Mexico is to help the people here. Donte has more than helped many of the families on this island. If he wants me to walk around and look at a few sweet-faced puppies and kittens with him, I’m not about to say no.”

Austin scrubbed his hands over his face. “This is exactly why I brought you in here. I want to show you something. I’ve been trying to tell you that Donte’s not all he’s cracked up to be, that he’s dangerous. Your brother too.”

“I’m not going here with you again,” Biting off her words, she started for the door.

Austin rushed up from the bed, took her arm. “Wait.”

She whirled around, her temper soaring. “Why should I? Why should I stand here and listen to this? I’ve had the opportunity to watch my brother work. I’ve seen him interact with the women and men of this island. He’s patient and sweet with the children. He sweats away each day on the rebuilds, like the rest of us. You tell me how that’s dangerous.”

“It’s a front, an act.”

Hurt and fury mixed together. “Nothing he does will ever be good enough for you.” She yanked on the doorknob, but Austin held it closed. She walked away, wanting her space.

Austin wrapped his arms around her, nestling her body to him.

She struggled. “I don’t want you to touch me right now.”

He tightened his grip until she went still. “Let me explain,” he said close to her ear. “Let me show you. Do you think I would say this to you, do this to you, for no reason? I know how much this rips you apart.”

Above all else, she knew Austin would never hurt her on purpose. “Okay,” she said wearily, “show me your proof that my brother is the next thing to a monster.” Shuddering nausea churned her stomach as she prepared herself for the worst.

“I’m sorry, Hailey.” Austin pressed a kiss to her hair, and she closed her eyes. He turned her to face him. “I’m sorry I have to do this.” He touched her lips in an attempt to soothe her.

Hailey wrapped her arms around him, holding on to his strength as Austin brought her head to his chest. She took a deep breath and eased away. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Come here.” He took her hand and sat with her on the bed. He pulled his laptop over to them, wiggled the mouse, and clicked a button. Two grainy images popped up side-by-side.

Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t this. “What is this?”

“It’s footage I received today.”

She stared at her brother sitting at the bar, sipping a beer, noticed Mateo across the room doing the same. She slid Austin a glance, confused, before she looked at the laptop again.

“This is security footage from last night,” he pointed to the left side of the screen, “and about a month ago.” He pointed to the right.

“Yes, I noticed the dates.” She shook her head, growing more perplexed. “Austin, I don’t see anything wrong.”

“Look right here.” He pointed to the images of the two young women in the corner of the video. “Do you recognize them?”

She moved closer. “No, I don’t. Wait. Oh, oh, yes I do. Those are the girls that went missing.”

“Exactly.”

She scrutinized the screen again, watched the girls leave the bar. Moments later, Mateo got up and left. Two minutes later Jeremy did the same. Austin fast-forwarded through the second set of images before he played the footage on the right again. “Now look here.”

Hailey watched as Mateo left again, and much like in the first video, Jeremy got up as well. Austin closed the laptop as Hailey pressed her fingers to her forehead. “I feel like I was supposed to see something.”

“The footage on the left was from the night the girls disappeared while we were still at the resort. The footage on the right was from last night. The girls were at different bars, but in both instances the bar was the last place they were seen before they vanished.”

Frustration nearly brought her to tears. “Take me to the point here, Austin. I’m clearly missing it.”

“Hailey, both incidents happened on a night when Mateo and your brother went out for drinks. Although we can’t see the victims in the second tape, we sure as hell saw them in the first. Jeremy and Mateo left moments after they did. We can assume the same of the second tape.”

The implications finally hit home. “Wait a minute. Wait a minute.” Hailey rushed to her feet, her heart thundering, her stomach sick with disbelief. “You’re suggesting my brother and Mateo kidnapped four young women?”

“I’m not suggesting anything—I’m telling you.” His voice was rough with frustration.

“My God, Austin. Do you truly understand what you’re saying? Do you understand you’re ripping me to pieces over two videos that don’t show me a damn thing?”

“What are you
talking
about?” He yanked the laptop open, played back to the part where the teens left before Mateo and Jeremy. “I see it.” He stabbed his finger against the screen. “Ethan sees it. Jackson too. But you still don’t. You won’t.”

“What do you want me to
see
?” She threw her arms out to her sides.

“The
truth
, goddamnit! I want you to see the truth.”

“I’ll tell you what I saw. I saw my brother and Mateo drinking a beer before they got up and left. And somehow, that makes them kidnappers?”

“If they were there together, why were they sitting apart?”

“I don’t know,” she shouted. “I haven’t a clue, but that sure as hell doesn’t make them kidnappers.”

“They were staging, making sure they didn’t look suspicious!” Austin rubbed his hand over his jaw, trying to gentle his voice. “Sorry, Hailey. It’s three against one here. Three sets of experienced, trained eyes telling you your brother is in this up to his eyeballs.”

She clutched at her stomach, struggling not to be ill. “I think you’re seeing what you want to see, what you’re choosing to. You haven’t liked Jeremy since the day you met him. You haven’t liked Donte either. This was supposed to be about Donte too, right? I guess he was driving the getaway car?” She burst into tears from the injustice. “Oh, Austin, why are you doing this? Why can’t you just accept you made a mistake, that you’re wrong?”

“I’m not
wrong
. I’m not. Think, Hailey. Think.” He grabbed her arms and yanked her against him. “Why does Donte have well over a dozen bodyguards? And why are they armed with fucking machine guns? I’m a bodyguard. I’m a fucking former Navy SEAL. Do you see
me
walking around with an AK-47? Have you ever seen me with a weapon like that? Have you not noticed they all have the same tattoo? Mateo has it on his arm. Some of the guards have it on their necks. They’re Zulas. Do you get that? Do you understand their capacity for violence? Wake
up
, Hailey. Wake up.” He turned away, his voice going sharp. “The violence, the kidnappings. None of that stuff started until Donte dropped anchor here.”

“Have you ever thought these could all be coincidences? Donte was at the school when we were shot at.”

He whirled again. “They were shooting at
him
. He’s the ringleader. He’s in charge of this whole thing.”

She choked out a breath as she swiped at the tears pouring down her cheeks. “So, my brother’s a kidnapper and Donte’s the leader of the mafia.”

“Yes.”

She scoffed out a humorless laugh. “I can’t believe this. You’re jealous. I can’t believe you would do this to me. I told you I loved you,
only
you. I don’t want to talk about this anymore; I really don’t. Let’s take a night off.” She hurried to the door, ready to sob.

“We aren’t done here, Hailey. Don’t walk out that door.” His voice grew low, dangerous.

She turned. “We need to be finished for tonight.”

“Not until we get this straight. What I’m telling you has nothing to do with jealousy. Donte and Jeremy are exactly who I’ve told you they are.”

Utterly confused, Hailey could only stare at the floor. “I’m not so sure. I’m not sure of anything anymore.”

Austin sat on the bed and pressed his hands to his face. “I don’t know what else to do here.” He looked up and met her eyes. Something in his hopeless expression had her heart lurching. “I have the facts, Hailey. I’ve shared them. I’ve shown you, and you still won’t believe me. I can’t keep doing this with you.”

“So what are you saying?”

“I don’t know what I’m saying.” He scrubbed his hand over his chin, rubbed at the back of his neck, his voice desperate. “I guess I’m telling you to choose. Me or them.”

She stumbled back from the shock of his words. “You—you want me to choose between you and my brother? How can you ask such a thing?” This was so huge, too huge to truly comprehend. “I can’t. I don’t know how. I can’t choose.”

He shook his head, his eyes full of sorrow. “You just did.”

“No, I—I… Austin.”

“I thought we could do this. I thought we could make this work, but now I see we can’t. This isn’t working for me, Hailey. I can’t be with someone who thinks I’m a liar.”

“I don’t think…” Her world dropped out from beneath her as the meaning sunk in. “Are you telling me this is over? That we’re over?”

“Yeah, I am. I can’t stand by and watch this anymore, be a part of this anymore. I don’t want to watch you laugh and smile while you talk to him. I don’t want to walk in and hear you having phone conversations with a Mafia King. I’ve given you the truth you asked for, and it’s still not enough. They’re going to hurt you; I won’t be there when it goes down.”

She struggled to concentrate on what he said as she fought for each breath. “
Hurt
me? Do you think they can hurt me any more than you’re hurting me right now? You said you loved me. I let myself believe that you loved me.”

“I
do
love you.” His voice was drowning in agony.

“Please don’t say that.” The first sob escaped. She pressed her hand to her mouth. “Please don’t. I can’t stand to hear it. You promised me, Austin. You promised me, and I believed you.” She reached blindly for the doorknob as she struggled to suppress the next racking shudder.

Yanking the door open, she rushed to her room, oblivious to the laughter and noise down the hall. She slammed her door, yanked open the window, and gulped in fresh air. It was too hot, too crowded in here. The walls closed in around her as she fought for each unsteady breath. She had to go, had to get out. She popped the flimsy screen from the window and lowered herself to the rocks. Jumping to the sand, she ran, desperate to escape the agony that threatened to send her to her knees.

Hailey ran for what could have been minutes or hours; she’d lost track of time, trying to outdistance her pain. She sprinted until she was dizzy and fell, collapsing to the beach. On hands and knees she panted until the first keening sob stole her breath again. Austin was gone. They had just begun, and she’d lost him.

Trembling, too tired, too defeated to stand, Hailey fell back, curling into a ball, shuddering, freezing in the balmy Caribbean air. She cried herself dry.

With her last tear she clutched herself tight, unable to get warm. Would she ever be warm again? Would she ever be whole? She’d given Austin all of the pieces. He’d promised to take care, but he didn’t. He said he loved her but he couldn’t, not really, not the way she wanted. Not the way she needed. If he loved her, nothing would’ve stood in their way. Love wasn’t asking someone for the impossible. Love wasn’t asking someone to choose between two huge pieces of their heart.

Lost, drained, Hailey focused on each breath in, each breath out, matching the ebb and flow of the waves crashing against the rocks beyond. The violent rush of sound competed with the thoughts racing through her mind.

Austin didn’t love her. How could she have been so foolish? How could she have let herself believe he did?

She stared into the dark until moonlight faded, until the sun began its rise in the east, until her eyes finally grew heavy with the burden of true exhaustion. She slept.

Chapter 22

“H
AILEY. HAILEY, COME ON. WAKE up.”

“Hmm?” She blinked against the bright sunshine. “Jackson?”

He crouched beside her. “We’ve been worried about you.”

She sat up, head aching, eyes burning, sleep still fogging her brain. “You have?”

He pressed his hand to her brow. “Yeah, we have. We’ve been searching for you for hours.”

She glanced around at rocks, the water, confused, before reality rushed back to slap her. Hailey covered her face with her hands as her heart broke all over again. The glaze of shock no longer coated her raw wound. “Oh, God, Jackson. What am I going to do?”

He sat in the sand next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.”

“You make it sound so easy. Even that seems like too much right now.” Overwhelmed by despair, she swiped at tears she couldn’t keep at bay.

He hugged her close. “It’s definitely not easy. I’m not exactly sure what happened between you two… Maybe you can work it out.”

She wanted to grab hold of hope, but ruthlessly squashed it. It hurt too much to believe in anything but an ending. “No, I don’t think so. He told me we were finished.”

“Sometimes people say things they don’t mean, things they regret and wish they could take back.”