Page 22 of The Devil of Hollywood

I groaned, kicking off my sandals and falling back onto my bed to lay and look up to the ceiling.

“I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know that man, Penny. It’s been more than ten years since I’ve seen Drayton, and he was never that possessive.”

“Maybe he didn’t have a reason to be back then. If he has been kept from you like he said.” Penny paused. “Desperation can drive people mad. It did with… you know who. Sometimes he’d have to leave me in that basement room for days. When he returned⁠—”

My head rotated to face her, and the red tinting her cheeks had me slowly sitting up. It wasn’t often Penny talked about her time with her kidnapper.

“What?”

“It’s going to sound so weird.”

“Tell me.”

Penny nodded, licking her lips and dropping her face. “He was desperate. Ravenous. Like… I was the only one that could sate his insanity. And that’s what it had to be, Marian.” A tear fell to her lap as she stared down. “He was crazy. He said he loved me more than all the air in the world. More than the water. Without me was death. You wonder why I know he’ll come back for me?” Her head lifted. “Because he couldn’t stay away for days. It’s been almost a year. What happens when he finds me? What happens when he gets to me like Drayton got to you? Our meetings won’t be the same. Yours could be a happily ever after if you could forgive each other. Mine… will be an end—a forever I can’t escape.”

I swallowed hard, easing from my bed to climb onto hers. The moment I put my arms around Penny, she dove to my chest, breaking out in sobs. All I could do was hold her as I let the details sink in.

Minutes passed.

Flashes of Drayton took over.

Then, fictional flashes of Penny and her masked abductor.

He’d killed her parents. It was no secret that although elite, her father wasn’t a good man. Did that make it okay? Worse? He didn’t harm Penny. Not really. He kept her hidden, albeit it was underground in a basement-type room. Why kill her parents? Why take her captive?

Greed? Love? Money?

“Penny, can I ask you a question?” Her head lifted and she sniffled, nodding. “The man that took you, you said he was desperate for you. I know you managed to escape, but… did you feel the same way for him? Did you love him?”

Her lips parted. Nothing came as her eyes began to roam the room. A tear slid free, but still she stayed silent.

“It’s okay to tell the truth. There is not a right or wrong answer to this question, and I’m not going to judge you. You were there for a long time. Months. Hearing him speak those words. Feeling… loved, especially since you were traumatized and confined. It wouldn’t be your fault if you were to develop feelings for this stranger.”

“But he killed my parents.”

“He did, and I’m not excusing that. But that doesn’t make you numb from feeling emotions.”

She nodded. “I should hate him. I know I should. I just—” A sob did break through, then. “Sometimes I just wish I wouldn’t have run at all. I’m so confused.”

My arms opened, and she came back to me to hold. Murder was not excusable, but unfortunately it was part of our elite world. Families conspired. They battled. They married or killed for what they wanted. It was just what we did. Who hated Penny’s father? Who was his enemy? It might be worth talking to Katia about.

But that discussion was for another day. We were both mentally exhausted from crying. This was not how I wanted this vacation to go.

“Penny, why don’t you go take a shower and clean up while I try to get ahold of Elliot. I need to call Drayton too.”

“I think a shower is exactly what I need.”

Penny stood, heading for her suitcase. While she got her clothes together, I tried to call Elliot again. Still no answer. When his voicemail kicked on, I shook my head, continuing to leave a message.

“Elliot, it’s me. Where are you? Bastian said you had an emergency. You need to call me back.”

Hanging up, I dialed my father as I watched Penny close herself inside the bathroom. Then, I tried dialing my mother. Nothing. It went straight to voicemail for both.

I looked down at my phone, wishing I didn’t still have Drayton’s number memorized. How was it even possible after so much time? I knew how. I had called that number a million times over the years. It hadn’t worked. Would it now?

I dialed, closing my eyes through the rings. The huskiness of his voice nearly had me hanging up.

“It works. Holy shit.” He paused. “I wasn’t sure you would call.”