“Belle.” Dad took hold of me, pressing a soft, loving, fatherly kiss to my hand.
“What happened with the detectives?” I asked. “Did they get away?”
“They... tried,” Mom began. “Thankfully, the real authorities arrested Ortiz and Hanson before they could get away.”
“Did they try to help in the end? They sent that fake photo of Nathan dead.”
She shook their head. “It wasn’t them who did the right thing. It was a man named Dean. One of Desai’s security guard. Mr. Fuller wasn’t the only one Byrne got to. He threatened the man’s family and employed him to stay behind and kill the boys if it came to it.
“When it did come down to it, he texted Preston instead and spilled the truth. He didn’t want the reward. He just wanted to do the right thing. After the police stormed the shack and didn’t find you, Malcolm told him to carry out the deed in punishment for giving him away. That’s when we realized we couldn’t trust someone in the police,” she said.
Her eyes welled up, and I took her hand too.
“The b-boys faked the photo to let him think his plan was still running smoothly, but we were frantic—not knowing who we could trust. Your father went to buy a gun and find you himself.
“In the confusion, the boys stole Mr. Hendrix’s keys and slipped away. Nathan had been adamant Fuller’s note was connected to you. We had to find you before Friday noon, and when they disappeared, we knew where they went.”
Sighing, I let my head fall back. “I guess I know the rest.”
“We’re so sorry, Belle. We should’ve called the authorities ourselves. We should have stormed that dock for you.”
“You did, Mom,” I whispered. “You came for me. I knew you would.”
“Oh, Belle.” My father’s cheeks and beard were soaked. “How can you do this? Forgive us so easily. This wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t force you to come here.”
“That’s not true, Daddy.” I would’ve reached for a tissue to wipe his face if both of my hands weren’t held tight. “Malcolm spent his time in Bracknell working up the same plan. He told me I got on the plane only a week before he was going to grab me. Being here bought me more time and an amazing summer with three guys who’d do anything for me. I’ve officially stopped picturing the nursing home I was going to put you in.”
My dad made a noise close to a laugh. Tobias Adler had the milage in his wrinkles and salt-and-pepper beard—that was now mostly salt—that came with becoming a father in his forties and raising a wily girl like me. Even in his youth, his voice wasn’t music. He didn’t stop hearts with his smile, or command life and death with a flexing of his power.
But that was okay. For a father, I’d take a real, honest man over a siren any day.
“You may still decide to put me in that nursing home,” he said softly.
“What do you mean?”
Dad looked to Mom. She nodded.
“It’s time, dear.”
“Time for what?” I asked.
“For you to know the real reason we sent you to the cove.”
“The real reason?” I glanced from Mom to my father—who had gone silent. “Dad?”
He finally met my gaze. “The business is failing, Belle. Sea Queen cruise lines is on the edge of bankruptcy.”
“I...” I trailed off, speech deserting me. Bankruptcy?
“It’s bad, darling,” Mom said. “While you’ve been gone, we’ve slowly sold off the cars, paintings, homes, antiques. Everything. It’ll be enough to cover our debts, your school, and a modest amount for us to live on, but all we have left is the home in England.”
The homes. The cars. My homes and cars. My entire life for the last fourteen years. Gone.
“So, you wanted me to get married—”
“—for the reason we gave you, Belle,” Dad finished. “So you’d always be taken care of. Our Arabella entrusted you to us, and I f-failed you.” My lips trembled seeing him crumble. “I’ve failed all of you. But it’s you, my girl, who had so much more to lose if we couldn’t afford to protect and keep you from him. We thought the cove was our solution.”
“We were wrong,” Mom said clearly. “And we knew it before all of this happened. Our job wasn’t only to protect you, but to see you happy. This is your life, Belle, and you deserve to run into your soulmate outside an ice cream parlor. Spend your years building a life, a