“They let me make a phone call—no way in hell I was calling dear ol’ dad, so I dialed Rex’s Blackberry.” He smiled and shook his head. “Looking back now, I was lucky as fuck that it connected! The signal out there is beyond sketchy.”
“So you called Rex and he came and rescued you?”
“No, he hung up on me. Told me in order to survive, I needed to learn to unfuck things for myself.”
“That’s harsh.”
“You know by now King Rex can be harsh. Harsh and cold. But, he did send one of his buddies, one of the spook-type agents he used to work with, over with my belongings, including my wallet. The guy helped me pay off the dealers and, clueless as to what to do with me, dropped me back with Rex. By the time I got to the compound, I was already crashing from the binge. Rex locked me in the safe room—where you stayed at first—as I suffered through the pain. At some point, in the throes of delirium and hallucinations, I started screaming for ‘daddy’—I have no idea where that came from. But, for some reason, it made an impact on him. He came in and held me all night long—physically held me in a bear hug for hours because it was the only thing that would calm me down.”
“I know why that made an impact—he told me about his father.”
Nate gulped and nodded. “Yeah, that’s rough stuff. My own dad—I mean, he thought he was doing the right thing, but I just can’t forgive him. Rex thinks I should, but Penny—he called the cops on me! He turned me in—more than once.”
“Tough love?”
Nate refused to answer, and we sat there in silence as the jungle howled around us outside the secured walls. It did feel like an island here, the compound. I could see why Rex jokingly called it King Rex Island.
“I think that’s where my physical attraction to him began—it sprang from that night, being calmed and soothed by his touch.” Nate’s voice was soft, his face shrouded in the darkness of the night. “The next day, he told me about his own father, and then said he’d never shared that with anyone before, not even his wife. We were both shocked at the connection we had, but, for some reason, the universe brought us together and we just bonded. Bonded hard.”
“So you stayed?”
“Sort of. I went home, did another ninety-day program. My dad tried to sue to have me deemed incompetent so he could run my business for me. That’s the last time I spoke to him. Rex is convinced he was just trying to gain control of my money so I couldn’t use, but I don’t know. I just can’t get over it. I mean, Rex runs my money for the same reason.”
“But you made that decision, right? You asked Rex to do that?”
“Yes—that’s the difference. Rex doesn’t make decisions for me—like he says, he doesn’t save people. He gave me the tools to save myself—or at least try to. I’m still working on it, but I’ll get there.”
“So your dad talked you into coming back to Colombia?”
“No! He actually bitched and moaned about Rex running a course for addicts in a place where drugs are rampant. He wanted to sue Rex for my binge.” He shook his head and sighed, “Penny, drugs are rampant everywhere. There’s no place in the world I can’t score cocaine—I’ve even done it in rehab. I came back on my own, and did my week in the jungle—and discovered for the first time that I am strong. I can conquer my demons. I don’t need anyone to rescue me, and not even addiction can hold me down.”
I smiled. That was exactly the life-changing experience I had during my brief stay with Rex in the jungle.
“I did the course, and rocked it. I even went back for a few of his advanced ones. I didn’t want to go back to an office in Silicon Valley after fighting for my survival in the Amazon—I set it up so I could stay here, with Rex, and disappear from public life. All the parties, women, events—it all just seemed so shallow and pointless after being here.”
I understood exactly what he meant. “Your father knows you’re here?”
He nodded. “Yeah—and he doesn’t give me any grief since I’ve stayed clean. He conceded to Rex a few months ago that Colombia is best for me. I don’t know—they talk or whatever, but I still won’t.”
“So you’ve been clean ever since the binge?”
He chuckled, running his long index finger along the rim of his glass. “I’ve had a few setbacks…but I’ll make it.”
“I’ve been happy here, but something was missing,” he continued. “The whole platonic thing left me craving intimacy. After his wife left, Rex didn’t want to be with anyone. I, however, wasn’t going to be sexless for long. I tried hooking up a few times, but it felt empty to me. I really wanted to be with him, but he was never going to feel the same. He tried to give me affection as he could bring himself to, to make me happy, but until we found you, I was restless, lonely. I love him, and I love you, Penny. You complete the circle—loving you makes us complete.”
“You never even asked me out before…I’m not sure we ever even spoke to each other?”
“No, but I always felt a chemistry with you—like you were a kindred spirit. Which, of course, I avoided. I suspect you did, too. But when I heard you were in danger, it clicked. I knew you had to be with us.”
“Except, now Rex hates me.” My heart hurt at the thought of him being disappointed in me.
“He doesn’t,” Nate said with finality.
The next day, I waited for Rex’s return like an errant child waiting for dad to get home from work. Nate, however, was calm about it. “We’ll take our lumps and move on,” was his advice to me as we cuddled in his warm bed that morning. “What if he makes me go,” I worried. His blue eyes softened as his fingertips ran across my chin. “That won’t happen, babe. It’ll work out.”
Rex blew in like a hurricane at three that afternoon—an angry hurricane. He dropped his gear, leaving it for Maria and the driver to clean and put away. Ignoring me, chasing after him apologizing, and Nate, who quietly sat in a chair reading, he stormed into his office and slammed the door. “I guess he’s still a tad bit peeved,” Nate joked with a raised eyebrow.
I did the administrative work for Rex’s business, and I had plenty of reasons to be in his office. “I have work to do in there,” I said out loud to no one in particular. But, he’d locked the door, and didn’t answer my incessant knocking. “Give him time, Pen,” Nate said from the corner. “Let’s go work on your fighting skills—but go easy on my stitched up face.”
Rex never emerged from the cocoon of his office, and once again Nate and I had dinner together, without him. Maria took Rex’s meal to him on a tray. Later that evening, I leaned against Nate’s firm chest in his giant porcelain egg shaped tub, surrounded by luxurious bubbles. “Why don’t you go to him, Pen? Put on that green gown—I always give him space, maybe your way is different.”
I thought about what he said. “I’ll try.”
“But wash off the eyeliner first,” Nate teased.
It was nearly eleven before I gathered the courage to make Rex acknowledge me. I rapped on his door, nothing. I tapped again, drumming my fingers on the wood in a lively tune until he roared, “Go away!”
“I’m not leaving. In fact, I’m about to start singing Taylor Swift songs, followed by your favorite, Justin—”
The door flung open, my fingers left waving in mid-air.
“Stop,” he said. He stood in front of me, a billowy linen shirt over his tanned skin, unbuttoned so that the muscles of his torso and the dusting of golden hair along his ribs and down from his navel distracted me. His hair was messy, flopping over his forehead. He punched his hands into the pockets of his favorite worn, ripped jeans that ended above his bare feet. “I can’t take it anymore,” I begged, my voice barely above a whisper. “Sit,” he said, pointing to the edge of his bed.
I walked past him and perched on the edge of his king-sized bed as he locked the door. Rex knelt in front of me, his eyes looking into mine. “Are you going to make me leave?” I asked when he said nothing.
“No.”
“I’m so sorry—I made a mistake. It was me, though. I talked Nate into it. I will never disobey you again.”
“Nate’s easy to talk into mischief. He knew better than to take you out. I’m mad at him, crazy mad, but nobody is going anywhere.” I took a deep breath in relief.
“But you, Penny, all I can think about is what if something happened to you. There are people who want you dead. You’ve become…I mean, to me you are…” He abandoned words and wrapped me in his strong embrace, holding me tight against his chest. I clung to him, never wanting him to let me go. “I’m sorry, Rex. I-I’ll do better, I swear. I love you so much…”
He pulled back sharply and stared at me. “Penny, I’m not the kind of man you should love, I—”
“But I do. Nate does, and I do. I’m in love with both of you.”
“Shit, Princess, you’ve captured me wholly. The two of you…I’m yours…”