Josie squeezed her lips together. Her first day back had been easier than she had expected. It wasn’t a trend she expected to continue. If the Duke was here and the portrait of Mina had gone missing the situation was likely about to explode. She realized the normalcy that she experienced through this day was because of Gray. He had been careful not to overwhelm her with the troubles he had relayed to her before she came back. She glanced up to him; leaving him would not be easy when eventually she needed to return to her life.
She pushed the thoughts from her mind; she couldn’t dwell on that now. “We must make sure Michael and Damien are on the first train home on Monday.”
“I agree. I had quite the unpleasant visit from them earlier.”
“What?”
“Yes, they somehow convinced the children to lead them to me and then proceeded to grill me on how I tricked you into coming here. They are more than a little curious why everyone here calls you Celine.”
“They can’t learn the truth, they need to leave. I wish they could have left earlier.”
“You’re worried about them getting hurt here?”
Josie nodded her head in affirmation. “And stumbling on information that they shouldn’t have.”
“Monday will be here before you know it.”
“But will they leave?”
“Celine, if they don’t, it’s on them, you need to accept that.”
“No, Gray, they MUST go.”
“Is there some other reason you want them to leave? I understand the danger and the complication of finding out the truth about you, but this seems like something more.”
“Every day that they stay here leads me one day closer to not being able to be me.”
“By me you mean Josie?”
“Yes, you knew when I came that I intended to stay Josie and return to my old life once this was settled.” Gray pulled his arm away, leaning forward on the swing. “I need you to make sure they leave on Monday.” He didn’t answer. “Gray?”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure they’re gone.”
“Thank you,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He smiled, settling back into the swing and wrapping his arm around her, giving the ground a kick sending the swing sailing faster. “You’re welcome. You know I always have your back, Celine.”
Josie returned her gaze to the water. She knew what he said was true. He did always have her back, and she trusted him. Leaving Gray would prove difficult, but she had more pressing concerns now. She focused her gaze on the beauty in front of her, the calm before the storm. She would need every bit of strength she possessed to get through this, she couldn’t waste it on needless worrying.
Chapter 21
Damien laid in bed, listening to the silence in the house. He couldn’t sleep; too many things raced through his mind. There were so many unanswered questions, things he couldn’t figure out, things he couldn’t process. He had never seen Josie like this; she was different somehow. It wasn’t only how she was treating him; it was also her general behavior. There was a shift in her personality. It had to be something they were doing to her. Were they drugging her? Was it some form of mind control? He struggled to find answers, solutions that made sense. One aspect that bothered him was how familiar she was with these people. She exhibited a level of comfort with them he’d only seen her display with her own family.
As he grappled with the situation, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the silence. He shot upwards to sitting, listening in the darkness. At first he heard nothing more, but then he overheard voices, one sounded like a child crying. Within a few moments footsteps pounded toward his room. They stopped nearby, and he overheard Charlotte’s voice. “Gray, it’s Maddy, something’s wrong. Get Celine, perhaps she can help.”
Damien crept out of bed and opened his door a crack, peering out. Moments later, both Gray and Josie came racing past. “What happened to her?” Josie asked Gray.
Gray responded, “I’m not sure. She’s been having nightmares, talking strange…” their voices faded as they disappeared down the hall.
Damien exited the room, creeping down the hall after them. As he rounded the corner into another wing, light streamed from a door that was ajar. Voices came from inside. Sneaking closer, keeping to the shadows in the hallway, he listened to the commotion coming from inside the room.
Maddy was still sobbing. Damien crept closer, risking a glance around the corner into the room. Josie was sitting on the bed, holding the child in her arms. Gray sat on the bed’s edge on the other side of Maddy. Avery was looking on from the foot of the bed. Her mother, Charlotte, had her arms around Avery. Damien crept back so he would remain hidden but within earshot.
“No, no,” Maddy shouted through tears, “I don’t want to close my eyes, I don’t want to see him again.”
“It’s okay, Maddy,” Gray said. “Aunt Celine is here now. What did I tell you before I left? I said I was bringing Aunt Celine back to help you. She won’t let anything happen to you.”
“But I still saw him tonight.”
“I know, but Aunt Celine wasn’t here with you, but she is now. She won’t leave you for the rest of the night, she’ll make sure you’re okay.”
“That’s right, Maddy. I’m here now, just close your eyes, I’ll make sure everything is okay,” Josie said to her.
Was this the reason that Josie agreed to come, Damien wondered? Was it to help this child?
“Tell you what,” Josie continued. “We’ll both get under the covers and get comfy. You don’t have to close your eyes until you want to. Okay?”
“Okay,” the child said, sniffling but seeming to calm down.
“Okay,” Josie said. Damien overheard the covers rustling. “There, comfy?”
“Yes,” Maddy said, still sniffling.
“Put your head down, that’s it. You relax, I’ll be here with you, I’m not leaving.”
“See? I told you she’d take care of you,”
