03

My panic button went off at the thought of me spending the night with Timothy at a hotel in another city, away from anyone who could help me. « Why do we have to spend the night there ? We can just leave early tomorrow morning. »

Timothy shook his head. « I’m not a morning person. Besides, I have some business at Charleston tonight. I’ll drop you off at the hotel. It so happens there’s a big poker tournament there that I can’t miss so you better start packing. Bring your nicest clothes. »

I was stunned at the speed things were going but all I could utter in reply was, « I don’t have a lot of nice clothes. »

He glanced at me with a scowl before flipping through the hangers and yanking out a couple of sundresses. He tossed them on the bed next to the yellow one I had been planning to wear tonight. « These will do. Find more of those. Bring your bikini or whatever. It’s by the beach. Bring shorts and tank tops and those kinds of things. You have half an hour. »

He quickly left and I sprang to my feet and shut the door.

I backed up against it, closing my eyes and pressing a hand at my wildly beating heart.

I was going to leave behind my new job, my friends, my summer plans all for Timothy’s whim. I could’ve put my foot down and fight him about it but other than losing the money I had so dearly counted on to get me out of this house and into the next chapter of my life, there was the threat of Timothy a couple doors down. Did I really want to spend the summer dodging him when staggers home drunk or lying awake in my bed at night, dreading the sound of his footsteps heading toward my room ? As he lost more money and the more aggressive the creditors became, the more irate he became. He was a ticking bomb at this point.

I glanced at the window, wondering briefly how to survive getting down from the second floor of the house. Even if I did manage to survive without breaking anything, where would I go ? My friends couldn’t help me ; Timothy was my legal guardian. I had no verifiable proof of his threats or malicious intentions. I could run away but go where ? I had nobody else. I had no money either. I barely scraped together two hundred dollars in cash since Timothy started giving me my allowance only every other week instead of weekly. I had some more in a savings account but it wouldn’t tide me over for very long.

Maybe I’d be safer staying with these people, strangers they may be, I thought with a resigned sigh as I went to my closet and started taking out clothes to pack.

I could at least avoid Timothy and get by until I leave for college by fall.

And if they turned out to be worse than my sleazy cousin, I at least knew Cobalt Bay. I could blend in, find a job there easily as there were more opportunities there having become an important financial center in the country. Timothy would never find me.

As I committed myself to packing, I absently wondered how my life turned upside down in a matter of hours and whether things were ever going to go according to plan from now on.

Once at the hotel, I didn’t see Timothy again until dawn after he snuck into the room and plopped down on the other double bed across from mine. He reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol.

I thought he was going to catch an hour or two of sleep but a few minutes later, he started moving around the hotel room before finally sitting down at the desk where he’d turned on the lamp and started writing something.

As tired and sleepy as I was, I didn’t dare drift off.

He behaved during the drive to Charleston and seemed to be in a good mood actually but that didn’t stop me from clutching my small flick knife under the sheets.

An hour later, I decided to get up.

He barely spared me a glance as I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom to shower and change. He didn’t so much say a word during our drive to the airport except when we stopped by a McDonald’s drive-thru for some breakfast.

It was a long flight.

After two connections, we arrived mid-afternoon in San Francisco and sat in the boarding lounge for about an hour waiting for the puddle-jumper flight up the coast to Cobalt Bay.

Despite my hunger and exhaustion, I had not once glanced away from the window of the taxi, too busy in absorbing the sights and sounds of the Cobalt Bay I remembered from more than seven years ago. It was familiar although not quite the same, the skyline now outlining tall and shiny skyscrapers set against the backdrop of the glittering sea and clear open skies.

All that Timothy told me about the family I was staying with was that they lived in the poshest part of Seaside, the exclusive, beachfront neighborhood where the multi-million dollar houses stood proudly. It was at least a half hour drive from downtown but as soon as we rolled up the hilly, scenic drive, I couldn’t help but sigh happily.

I loved the ocean and I mourned its loss after I moved to Bluefield.

Despite all the things spiraling out of control in my life, I was happy for a moment.

Soon, we were going up a more private road, steep and winding along the side of the cliff.

Then we passed an elegant sign of stainless steel letters on a black metal plate that said Cove Manor.

« They must be ridiculously rich, » I murmured as I craned my neck to see if I could spot the house in the distance but the taxi went through a few more curves.

« Ridiculously rich, » Timothy echoed with an almost bitter smile on his face. « And knows it too. »

I was going to say that he wasn’t encouraging me with that comment but I forgot instantly once my eyes caught sight of a portion of the enormous mansion gleaming white against the late afternoon sun.

The taxi stopped by the immense, white wrought-iron gate and Timothy quickly slipped out and unloaded my suitcase from the trunk.

Confused why were unloading outside of the gate, I stepped out and watched my cousin walk to what looked like an intercom device of some sort by the side of the gate. He was speaking to it in a hushed voice.

I took my suitcase and held tight to my light blue, leather cross-body bag, an old birthday gift from my aunt and uncle from three years ago, and slowly walked to the edge of the cliff where the mansion stood, staying behind the protective railing that ran all the way down to the bottom of the driveway.

« Cassie, come here ! »

I turned and found Timothy beckoning me. He now stood next to the passenger side of the taxi and a curious expression was on his face. He seemed… nervous.

He gripped my shoulder and bent low as if he wanted to whisper to my ear.

I froze, careful not to move in any way that might incline my head towards his. I so do not want to be kissed by him. Ugh.

« Cassie, listen, » he started, his voice low and serious. « It’s time you pay back this family. Do whatever he wants. Don’t question him. Don’t fight him. It’s for your own good. You think you’re afraid of me. Wait till you meet him. Don’t ever try to run away or get help. This can only end badly for you if you do. »

I blinked, as if in a daze, unsure of whether I was hearing Timothy right.

« What are you—« 

« Give this to him, » he interrupted, pushing a folded note into my cold, frozen hand. « I’ll pick you up at the end of summer. Don’t fight it, okay ? It was inevitable anyway. Either him or me. Remember, you have college riding on this. Don’t disappoint me. »

And before the truth could slam into me, Timothy leapt into the back of the taxi and sped away.

The impact hit me with a force that sent me gasping for breath.