Chapter 15: Chapter 15

The streets of Orenburg were dark as Ella sat with her phone in her hand, back in her own room for some privacy, trying to figure out how to tell her aunts she wasn’t dead. She had to be careful that they didn’t find out where she was and that the call wasn’t traceable. If her father ever found out that she was alive, he’d pressure them to tell him everything they knew about where she was, and she didn’t want either one of the women she loved so much to go through that.

She decided to call Aunt Suzette first. It would be easier to explain to her because she wasn’t grieving the loss of a son. A nephew, yes, one she didn’t get to fly to America to say goodbye to either, for that matter, but not a son the way Aunt Genevieve was.

She did everything she could to block her phone number and location and then dialed her aunt’s number.

Since it was an unknown number, she wasn’t sure if Suzette would answer. But she did, her voice hesitant. In French, she asked, “Hello? Who is this?”

Knowing her aunt would recognize her voice, Ella said, “Aunt Suzette? Be calm. It’s me.”

There was a long pause and then sobbing. “Ella?’

“No one else is there, are they?” she asked, hoping she hadn’t given anything away.

“No, no just me. Oh, my God! I thought you were dead! I was told you were dead! I couldn’t go to the funeral. It was all so fast. Tim and then you….”

“I know. I know. I’m so sorry. I hate that you had to go through all of that. But I’m alive. I faked my death to get away from my dad. You can’t tell anyone, okay? He doesn’t know. They can’t know.”

“Okay. Okay,” she said, still sobbing. “Where are you?”

“I can’t tell you because if my father figures out that I’m still alive, I don’t want him to try to track me down. If he thinks you know, he’ll pressure you into telling him. So I don’t want you to know where I am. But I’m safe.”

“Thank God. Oh, Ella! If I had had any idea that you were in such trouble… I never would’ve let you go back.”

“I know, Aunt Suzette. It’s okay, though. If I hadn’t gone through that, I never would’ve met Rome.”

“Is he with you, dear?”

“Yes, he is.”

“But Tim… Tim really is gone, isn’t he?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“Rome didn’t… kill him, did he?”

“No. Tim drowned. It was an accident. Rome tried to save him, but he couldn’t.”

“I see.” She was quiet for several seconds. “God, I’m so glad you called.”

“I would’ve called before, but I had to make sure I was someplace safe.”

“I understand. Your father doesn’t seem to think you’re alive, honey. He called me a few days ago, distraught, wanting me to tell him this wasn’t his fault, but I couldn’t do that.”

She wasn’t sure what to think about that. It was his fault. If he would’ve consented to her being with Rome, she wouldn’t have had to do any of this. “Do you think you can keep the secret?”

“Yes, of course. But what about Gen? Does she know?”

“No, but I’m planning to call her. How is she?” Ella wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Not well. You might actually want to let me call her. It might be too much for her, dear.”

Ella raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I can ask you to do that.”

“I don’t mind, honey. She’s my sister. I can tell her. And I’ll make sure she understands that it’s a secret.”

“Gosh, Aunt Suzette, if you don’t mind….”

“I don’t mind. Thank you for calling me, sweetheart. I’m so thankful you’re alive. Will you be able to call again sometime? When you’re sure it’s safe?”

“I will. I just have to make sure that Rome’s dad isn’t following us.”

“I see. All right. If there’s anything at all that I can do to help you, please let me know. Okay?”

“I will, Aunt Suzette. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Ella hung up and took a deep breath. She was so thankful to have that over with, and she was glad that Aunt Suzette was willing to call Aunt Gen, too. She took a few deep breaths and put her phone in her pocket, ready to go back to Rome’s room. Making that phone call made her feel free from her family in a way she hadn’t before. Now, she just had to figure out how to free Rome from his past, and then, maybe they’d be able to ride off into the sunset together, leaving everything else far behind.

The ocean was an emerald green. The wind was hardly stirring, so there weren’t waves of any size, and the sound of the birds and other wildlife calling from the jungle behind her were almost as calming as the vision in front of her. Waking up to step out onto the sand every morning, to take a dip in this heavenly sea, to know that she and Rome were completely safe, that Mary and Gus were not far away and equally safe and happy, was a dream come true for Ella. She never could’ve imagined a remote island in Thailand could be so perfect.

“What are you looking at?” Rome asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his bare chest.

“Heaven,” she said. The feel of his lips on her neck made her rethink her answer. Maybe heaven was behind her. She turned and let him envelop her, resting her head against his chest. He was so much more tan now than he had been before. They both were, which was saying something for Ella since she was naturally darker, thanks to her mother’s French heritage. A month in a tropical paradise had changed both of them for the better in so many ways. She could stay here forever.

The house they’d rented was more like a cabana. It was one room and a bathroom, but it was right on the beach, and it was quaint and lovely. Waking up every morning with Rome’s arms around her and the jade colored sea in front of her was the sort of life most people dreamt of. As much as she’d loved her job, she didn’t miss it at all now.

But Rome missed his. She could see it in his eyes. He’d spoken to the lawyer several times and found out that he had been cleared from everything associated with Tim’s death. His lawyer had also brought up charges against Monty Verona for kidnapping Rome, but in order for the district attorney to do anything about it, Rome would have to come back. He was the only one who would testify against his dad. Of course, if he decided to do so, so would Ella and their friends who had helped them. But he’d have to make the first move.

And every day she feared it would be the day he said he was ready to go. They’d talked about how they could keep her identity, possibly even her existence, a secret from everyone. It would be hard. Someone like Rome was constantly being watched and evaluated by more people than he could even count. If they were seen in public together at all, people would want to know who she was. There could be speculation. If her father saw her, he might recognize her and would wonder if she was really alive, and since she was buried in a mausoleum, it would be easy for him to go and check to see if she was still there, should he be moved to do so.

“What if we bought a place on the beach in California, just like this one?” Rome asked her as they ate fresh fruit for breakfast.

“I don’t think they make places just like this in California.” She smiled, hoping to tell him it wasn’t completely out of the question, but she didn’t think she was ready to leave their paradise. Not yet.

“Okay, so maybe not exactly like this, but close. We could find a place near the beach, make sure it had a big pool. It wouldn’t have to be too large of a house, right? As long as it had great security?”

“Right,” she agreed. “I could get on board with that. I just… don’t know how we’ll keep the fact that I’m alive from my dad.”

“I know. And I don’t want you to alter your appearance either, not much, anyway. Maybe just your hair. Even that… I don’t like.”

“And we have to be sure that your father won’t continue to chase you, too.”

“I have been thinking about that,” Rome said. “Now that we’re sure all of the charges he thought I’d be facing have been dropped, maybe he’ll calm down. Maybe my mother can convince him to leave me the hell alone so that he doesn’t run me off again.”

“Bart says they’re still searching for you, though,” she reminded him.

“But that’s because he doesn’t know where I am. If he knew, maybe he’d stop.”

“Maybe he’d drug you again and haul you back to Europe.”

“I’d definitely have to make sure that wasn’t a possibility before we return.” He ran a hand through his hair, and she felt so bad that he was facing all of this. It would be so much simpler if they could both just return to life as they’d known it before. But that wasn’t a possibility.

“I’m sorry, babe,” Ella said, meaning it. His life had been so much less complex before she’d met him.

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” He leaned across their tiny table and found her lips, and Ella tried to let all of their worries melt away and remember they were in paradise, at least for now, and that’s all that mattered.