Chapter 17

"The accommodations are just as wonderful as they were the last time I was your guest. Tell me, is Alfred still your head of household?" Jerry looked around his room as he was talking to Nikolas.

"You just stay to your part of the house and do not come anywhere near Robin or her daughter – am I clear?" Nikolas loathed the man and saw no reason to pretend differently.

"But I was so hoping for a reunion with the lovely Dr. Scorpio, we have so much to catch up on." Nikolas glared at him and Jerry gave him a fake smile. "Of course I will stay away from her but I am not the person you have to worry about. Dr. Banks should be your main concern. Poor man is desperately in love with our lovely little bird and a desperate man will do desperate things."

Nikolas sighed. "I will take care of Dr. Banks and protect Robin – you just make sure that you stay in your part of the house."

Jerry snickered. "Yes, because you have Robin's best interests at heart? Let's face it Nightmare Nikolas, you are in this up to your neck and you are holding several big secrets. How would Robin feel if she knew that you not only know Jason is alive, you know where he is and haven't told anyone?"

Nikolas didn't say another word to Jerry but instead turned around and left the room. He made his way to the living room and found his butler. "Alfred, Robin will be moving into the room next to mine. Please move all her things tonight and then give me all keys to the room. Under no circumstances will you give a key to any of our other guests. Am I clear?"

Alfred nodded his head. "I will see to it at once. Dr. Banks just returned and is in the kitchen having supper. Will you or Dr. Scorpio be needing anything else tonight?"

"No, Alfred. I am leaving to go get Dr. Scorpio and bring her back here. Please make sure her room is ready by the time we return." Nikolas was putting on his jacket as he spoke to the man. A few moments later, he headed out the door and to the launch. It was time he had a talk with his old friend.

Robin stood on the docks, tears flowing down her face, as she looked out across the water. The launch would be here soon and then she would be back in her room at Wyndamere, safe from the world. She watched the launch as it landed on the dock and she carefully boarded it. "Robin?"

"Nikolas – what are you doing here?" She stepped to the side to give him room to leave but Nikolas just took her hand and sat down with her.

"I think we need to take a little boat ride around the island so we can talk in private." Nikolas couldn't help but notice she had been crying. "Robin, what happened? Is it Patrick?"

Robin nodded and then collapsed in tears against him. "He knew, he knew I wasn't in Paris. He knew what they were doing and he…"

Nikolas was confused. "Robin, what is going on?" He took Robin's face in his hands and wiped away the tears. "What happened to you while you were gone?"

Flashback

She was in the middle of a room staring up at a screen with pictures of Patrick and Sam together. She couldn't move – she wanted to but she couldn't. Helena circled her while the guards made sure no one walked through the door. "Look at these pictures Robin – he knows I have you and he doesn't care. He's happy you're gone – now he can have a normal life with a healthy woman."

"He doesn't know." Robin's tears flowed down her cheeks. "He would be here if he knew."

"Go ahead, tell yourself that but he met with Jerry in Amsterdam and Jerry told Patrick what was going on. All Patrick cared about was finding out who ran him off the road and Sam." Helena sneered at her. "Face it – the only person who cares about you anymore is Marcus. He is the only reason you are still alive Robin. If you ever see you daughter again it will be because of Marcus and if you betray him you will lose her."

Robin shook her head. It wasn't true – it couldn't be true. "No."

Suddenly pain shot through her body as one of the guards hit her with a tazer. Robin fell to the floor and curled up in a ball. Helena stood over her. "That's what believing in Patrick gets you – more pain. Now, who will save you?"

"Patrick."

He hit her again, upping the voltage and Helena repeated the question. "Who will save you?"

"Patrick…" Robin sounded uncertain and was rewarded with another shock.

Marcus burst through the door and the other guard stopped him. "Leave her alone."

Helena looked at Marcus and then back at Robin. She nodded at the guard and he walked over to Marcus and hit him. Helena smiled at him. "Are you willing to take her punishment for her?"

Marcus didn't even hesitate. "Of course." Robin couldn't see what was happening but all of a sudden Marcus screamed and hit the floor.

Robin screamed. "Stop, please don't hurt him."

"Then give up your silly belief in Patrick. Repeat after me, Patrick can't help me."

Tears fell down Robin's face. "Patrick can't help me."

Helena walked back over to her. "Only Marcus can help me."

Robin swallowed hard. "Only Marcus can help me."

End Flashback

"It was true – Patrick told me tonight that he knew I wasn't in Paris. He knew and he left me there." Robin collapsed again in tears. "I thought he loved me but Marcus was telling the truth, he was the only one who cared enough to save me."

Guilt flooded through Nikolas. He had had no idea what Helena and Marcus had done to Robin in Italy and it made him sick. He needed to fix this. "Robin, Patrick didn't know where you were."

"But…"

"I told him last week that you weren't in Paris. He didn't know Robin, I swear he didn't know." Nikolas held her and tried his best to comfort her. "Robin, Marcus is dangerous. I can't give you any details and I can't get you out of this mess yet but I am working on it. I promise you I will protect you - starting tonight. I am moving you into the room next to mine. There are two beds in there so Emma can sleep with you when she is there and I will give you all the keys so no one can get in there but you."

"Maybe Emma shouldn't be at Wyndamere right now if Marcus is so dangerous. She will be safer with Patrick and Sam at his house." Robin hated to be separated from her little girl but Emma's safety would always be the most important thing to her.

"I hate it but I agree with you. We'll make arrangements for you two to meet in Port Charles." Nikolas watched as the launch approached the island. "We are almost home. When we get there go immediately to your room and lock the door. I will bring you up some food to take with your protocol and then I want you to lock the door behind me as soon as I leave. Tomorrow I will bring in a locksmith to add a deadbolt to your room so that you can have some added security."

Robin wiped her face. "There is one other thing – I have nightmares and sometimes I need someone to wake me up from them. Marcus usually does it but I want you to keep a key to my room so if I need to be woken up…"

Nikolas nodded. "I will do it as long as you go straight to your room."

Robin nodded. She needed to sleep and she was very confused right now, a million different thoughts running through her head and none of them made any sense. Marcus had rescued her – how could he be dangerous and what was Nikolas going to do about Helena and her threats?

Nikolas hugged his friend one last time as they approached the dock. Jerry was right, Nikolas was in way too deep to get out now but he would be damned if Robin would be dragged down with him.