To Much Loss

Nathan’s POV

I sent the call out to everyone that Adam, Linda, and Elliot were dead. No one was to make a move in the next week because that’s what Charles would want. So I sent everyone into the safe houses. No one knew where they were except for the people that were going there. We were still a few hours away from the villa. Harriet was stirring. She sat upright, looking at me with wide eyes.

Harriet’s POV

I sat upright. What the hell was happening? I looked over to see where I was. Nathan was sitting across from me. He looked concerned, like he was under a lot of stress. But why did he help me? I wouldn’t of cared if Charles killed me, but now Nathan would be danger as well.

“Nathan, what happened? Why did you help me? Are you ok?” I blurted the questions out at once. He looked at me with anger written all over his face. Well crap, I had been awake for a minute and I had already offended him.

“Sorry Nathan, I didn’t mean it like that. Thank you for saving me. Are you ok?” I asked him again.

“It’s ok Harriet, I have a lot on my mind at the moment. I’m ok. I got you away before Charles could catch up with us, but not before he killed three of my people.” He said, running his hand through his hair. No wonder why he looked stressed. The anger written on his face said everything as well. I had cost him the life of three of his people. My heart sunk even further. No wonder why this man had hated me. But why was he helping me? Maybe he needed me alive to use me against Charles? I owed this man my life, so I would help him in any way I could, to repay him for the cost of life I had caused him.

“I am sorry Nathan, I know there is nothing I can do to bring back who you lost, but I will repay you for saving me in any way I can, even if that means paying with my life.” He looked at me, then laughed.

“There is nothing you could ever do for me that would bring back what I have lost. Now stop talking to me.” He said with disdain traced throughout his voice. I couldn’t say anything. Why the hell was he so rude to me? I wasn’t the one that saved me? It wasn’t my fault Charles killed his men? I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but a tear fall from my eye. I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes again. Maybe if I fall asleep again, I could forget I was here. Sleep slowly took me.

Nathan’s POV

What was her problem? I had just saved her and she dared to ask me all those questions after everyone had died for her. I snapped at her. I didn’t mean to snap at her like that. I was pissed at Charles. She had curled up into a ball, falling asleep. Now I felt like a dick. I had seen her tears fall from her eye; I wanted to comfort her and say sorry, but I was too proud to do that. Also, she must never know that I truly loved her. So if I had to play this role, then I would. But what about the promise I had made to Adam? I had known that she was their child for a while now. I was curious about her. She looked nothing like her mother, so I dug deeper into her family history and found out who she was. Harriet was meant to be mine. They promised her to me. My father had told me on his deathbed. But she was adopted out. The people that were meant to be her parents, all they wanted, were to be connected to the most powerful family at the time. So I had to stand by and watch Charles take everything from me. He had killed my father, then taken most of his business, but I had played Charles’s best friend perfectly that he believed everything I told him. He suspected nothing until now. But everything was already in place to take back what was mine. She couldn’t upset this. I would do as Adam had requested from me to the best of my ability.

“Sir, we are close. We will descend in a few minutes.” The pilot’s voice came through the speakers. I looked over towards Harriet. She didn’t have her belt on, but she would be fine. I would not touch her because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from kissing her. So I stayed in my seat hoping that she would be ok. The jet landed without a problem, but she was still asleep. So I gently picked her up. We got to the car before she woke up.

“Put me down.” She said to me coldly. So I granted her wish. She got into the car, saying nothing. I followed her. This island was so remote that supplies had to be flown in, but luckily it was already stocked in case something like this ever happened. There were only four people on this island now. Harriet, myself, the pilot and driver. We made the way to the villa through the rainforest. I was watching her out of the corner of my eye. She was watching the scenery out the window. She looked tense. I wanted to talk to her, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

 Harriet’s POV

The rainforest was beautiful. We had flown for hours, but I wasn’t sure what direction we had headed. If I had to guess, we would be off the coast of Australia somewhere. There were islands out there that no one knew about. He was staring at me. I could feel his eyes on my back. Why was he acting like this? The car came to a halt. We had stopped at what looked like grand gates. The driver punched in a code; the gates opened we drove a little further and there in the open was the most beautiful villa I had ever seen. If you were not in front of it, you wouldn’t know it was there. Once we were out of the car, I saw it better. The villa was made of an exquisite wood I had never seen before. It looked to two story, the entire bottom story was open but covered in netting. I was guessing because of the weather. But the second story was all enclosed.

“This way please Harriet, I will show you where you can sleep, OK?”

“Thank you. It is exquisite.” I couldn’t help but tell him, because it was true. He led us inside. The bottom story comprised of a sitting area, a kitchen, and what looked like an office area. There was a staircase towards the back of the house. We went upstairs.

“Wow, I never expected it to look like this.” I said. It was open and so modern, it seemed like somewhere Nathan would live, not that I knew him that well, but it seemed to fit his taste. It was exactly how I pictured a home. The house I lived in with Charles was never a home. It was a prison in which he could do whatever he wanted to me. He was really going to kill me when he saw me next.

“I am glad you like it. I am sorry for what I said earlier Harriet, I was under stress and just lost one of my father’s closest friends.”

“Oh no, the bastard, did he kill Adam? Please tell me it was someone else?” I said, my voice shaking. Adam couldn’t be dead. My father, my real father. I had only just found out who he was. His wife Linda, my mother, had gotten into contact with me and told me everything. He hadn’t told her husband she told me because she didn’t want Charles to find out.

“I am sorry Harriet, it was Adam.” He looked at me, shocked, like he was confused about my reaction. My heart was broken into a million pieces. My husband killed my father. If he was dead, then it meant that Mom was dead, too. I fall to my knees, clutching my chest. The pain was nothing like I had felt before. The tears streamed down my face.

“Harriet, what is wrong? Did you know, Adam?” Nathan whispered to me, holding me so I wouldn’t fall down.

“He was my father.”

“But how did you know that? His last words to me were to look after you and that I was to be the one to tell you the truth.” Nathan explained. I didn’t know what to do. The tears rocked my body. I had suffered so much loss in only a few hours. Nathan picked me up in his arms, holding me to his chest.

“I will take you to your room, ok Harriet. Once you feel better, we can talk more ok I promise. I won’t go anywhere. I will stay with you for as long as you need me.” He whispered in my ear. I snuggled into his chest even more. He made me feel safe. Something soft was underneath me. The sobs still came. I couldn’t stop them. Eventually, I wasn’t sure when sleep claimed me, but I was still in Nathan’s arms.