Stolen

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ember

    They were all staring at me. Waiting for me to respond. I couldn't form the words, couldn't get my thoughts to slow down long enough to understand what was really happening. The information that Knox had offered up had unlocked something inside of me. The fight. I could remember yelling at him. I could see it so clearly in my mind. I could feel the betrayal over and over again as it made its way through me. He'd done something more than just fight Carrson; I was so sure of that. I would have bet my life on it at that moment. He was still keeping secrets. Still lying to me. Why was it so hard for Knox to just tell me the truth? Even with Rhett and Maya here, I didn't feel like I was safe. Could I really trust anything that he was saying to me?

    If he could play this game, so could I. "Where do we go from here?" I asked softly, trying to keep the rage I was feeling out of my voice.

    Knox was a liar and for a moment I wondered if he'd see through my lies as well. He exchanged glances with Rhett and Maya.

    It was Rhett who spoke first. I had a feeling that he was the unofficial leader of this pack. At first, I assumed it was Knox. He commanded attention and people willingly gave it to him. But, it was always Rhett who was the first to act, to speak, to move. It was Rhett that Knox looked to for answers. It was Rhett who had assigned the guards to my room before Knox had tried to take over. It was Rhett that Knox had called when I began to ask too many questions. And It would be Rhett who I'd have to outsmart. "We have to find Carrson," he said, "Do you remember anything about where he took you or where he might be? Was there anything leading up to the abduction?"

    I shook my head. I didn't remember where he would be. If I had, I would be with him now. "I don't remember anything," I said out loud. Rhett nodded, accepting this easily.

    "We know he's going to come back for her." Maya said. She was right, but what she didn't know was that he already had. I fidgeted with the ring on my finger thinking that if he had come once, maybe I could get him to come again and this time, he could take me with him. I had to show him that it was safe for him. That these three were not going to find him.

    "Don't you dare suggest we use her as bait." Knox growled. His tone made me sick. He had no right to act like I was his to save.

"That's not what I meant." Maya said quickly, deflecting his anger. "If we know he's going to come back for her, all we have to do is wait him out. If one of us stays with her at all times, eventually we'll catch him."

Rhett nodded, his eyes far away. "Knox and I will take turns guarding her. I don't want you anywhere near this." He said to Maya.

She opened her mouth to object, but Rhett shook his head. Cutting off her words before they ever made it out. He wasn't going to argue this with her, and she knew that just as much as the rest of us did.

"Okay," I agreed reluctantly. "We will wait him out."

Knox raised his eyebrows in surprise but did not question it. This was a win for him, and he was taking it that way. Rhett and Knox could kill themselves over who was going to stand guard over me, but I was not going to sit idly by and let Carrson walk into their trap. The best way for me to help him was to keep these people close to me. If they thought that I believed their lies about him, they would trust me enough to let me know the plans to catch him. I could keep Carrson safe by keeping Knox close.

I let Knox walk me back to my dorm room. Once we reached the threshold, he made sure to let me know that he would be there if I needed anything. I nodded to him silently. I didn't trust my voice when all I wanted to do was scream at him. I closed the door softly behind me, enveloping the room in darkness. It took several seconds for my eyes to adjust but once they did, I noticed a box sitting on top of the desk across from my bed. The box had not been there this morning.

I couldn't stop the smile that touched my lips as I walked towards it. I could feel him in the room. His energy and presence surrounded me even though he was nowhere to be seen, like a shadow lurking in the corners. The box was black with a gold satin bow tied around it. It was much bigger than the last box that he had left for me. Excitement took over and I peeled the lid off of the box to find another small note inside.

"Don't trust them. I'll see you soon. -C"

Way ahead of you, I thought to myself. Inside the box lay a navy-blue floor-length gown. The straps were sheer and adorned with small delicate crystals that matched the sheer skirt. The dress was revealing to say the least but the idea of wearing it for Carrson sent shivers down my spine. He'd handpicked this for me. I pulled it free and held it up in front of me to admire the dress more. Graduation was two weeks away. Only two weeks! That was nothing in comparison to what I had already gone through in this place. I could fake my way through it and be with Carrson. The dress was for that night, I just knew it. This was his way of making plans with me when he couldn't be here. Because they were keeping him from me.

"It's a date." I whispered into the air. A promise I knew he would get. A promise that Knox and Rhett could not keep me from fulfilling. I would go to the ceremonies, and I would find Carrson among the crowd, hiding in plain sight. Anticipation rose inside of me as I laid the dress delicately back into the box and tucked it under the bed and out of sight.