Free Saving Scotty by Annie Jocoby Page B

there.
    Over dinner that night, I made my proposal. “So, uh, Paul,” I began. “I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday. About how you would take care of my mother if I married you.”
    “Yes, Princess. And I meant every word of it.”
    “Okay, then. If you open up a trust fund for my mother, and make it conditional upon her staying sober, then I will marry you.”
    Mr. Lucas clapped his hands together excitedly. “I knew it. I knew it. I knew that there was a kind person under that impetuous bitch exterior. I knew that you loved me.”
    I felt nauseated just thinking about how Mr. Lucas imagined, in his warped brain, that I somehow loved him. But I continued on. Look at the big picture, Scotty. Your sacrifice can save your mother and brother. I tried not to think about Nick. Just thinking about how I would never get a chance to see him again…I wanted to burst into tears just thinking about it.
    It didn’t seem fair, that my time with Nick would be so short. It wasn’t right that something so magical and pure could be taken away from me so cruelly. But that was the way that fate worked. It was often cruel. In this case, I got a chance to see paradise for a fleeting moment, so that, when hell was visited upon me, as it was since I got into the clutches of Mr. Lucas, it would be that much more devastating.
    I took a deep breath. It would have to be soon. I didn’t want to live much longer. I wanted to put myself out of my own suffering as quickly as I could. “Okay, then. Let’s do this tomorrow. Can you get a trust set up between now and then?”
    “Of course. I’ll call my lawyer about it tomorrow.”
    “Good. I’d have to have proof, of course, that you did it. But then we can be married.”
    Mr. Lucas smiled, and got up to stroke my hair from behind. “That would be amazing. I knew that you would see my point of view. I knew it.”
    I smiled back. I was looking forward to the next few days myself. But not for the reasons that Mr. Lucas was looking forward to them.
    I was looking forward to finally being out of my misery.

Chapter 14
    Nick
    The plane ride to St. Croix was interminable. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but finding Scotty. I barely talked to Ryan on the plane, because I was just too lost in my own head. For his part, he used the early time on the plane to review proposals for outfits that were contracting with his animal rights foundation and making phone calls, including a kissy-kissy phone call to Iris.
    “Hello there, beautiful,” he said. “I miss you and I love you. And I love our beautiful daughter, too.”
    I tried not to resent him and his solid relationship with Iris. He earned it, and he deserved it. It was just that, with the love of my life missing, and my life with her possibly hanging in the balance, I just didn’t want to hear Ryan’s protestations of love right at that very moment. I knew that part of the reason why he was so effusive was because he felt guilty for flirting with Elle. He didn’t even really get into heavy flirting, but even the little bit of flirting he did was enough to make him feel guilty.
    Sometimes Ryan was too nice, I thought. But maybe I just thought that because I was always so different. I wasn’t anymore, of course. I was a lot like Ryan now. Love-struck, and would go to the ends of the earth to protect Scotty and ensure her safety.
    So, I tried to get some sleep, although it was fitful at best. I kept waking up every twenty minutes or so, because I had nightmares of what was happening to Scotty. I didn’t want to think about her being raped, but I knew that was what was occurring. I didn’t want to think about her being tortured, but I had a feeling that was happening as well. She never said that Mr. Lucas was physically abusive with her, but I was still so afraid for her physical well-being.
    Most of all, though, I had nightmares about how she would be when I found her. She was so fragile anyhow. I had just begun to break