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A growl builds in my chest. I’m going to kill him.
But then Thea’s voice cools my rage. The beautiful sound I was terrified I’d never hear again. “Ben.”
She flings herself into my arms, burying her face in my neck. Small tremors shake her body and her heart is hammering against mine. “Ben,” she whispers, her tears wetting my neck. “All I thought about was getting back to you.”
Thank you, God.
I gather her to me, pressing my face into her hair. Tears burn behind my eyes.
She’s here. My Thea, my heart, alive. Safe. I absorb everything about this moment—her silky hair brushing my skin, the faint scent of citrus, her soft curves and how perfectly her body fits against mine.
Everything else fades in importance. Alec’s shouts come through a fog as he screeches, “That bitch! She’s a fraud!”
I hear Rylan, but not really, as he barks at Alec, “Shut up. Don’t fucking test me.”
In the distance, there’s a faint sound of sirens.
Amid the chaos, my only focus is Thea. And as much as I want to hang on to her, I need to make sure she’s okay. So I reluctantly pull away far enough to inspect her, rage heating my blood all over again as I scan her injuries.
But what about the injuries I can’t see? She was running, but adrenaline can mask a lot of serious injuries. Internal bleeding. Broken bones. Or if he—
Keeping my tone low and soothing, I stroke Thea’s cheek and ask, “Sweetheart, can you tell me where you’re hurt?”
She stares at me, fear still haunting her gorgeous blue eyes. When she hesitates, I start to panic, imagining the worst. “Cole!” I shout, “I need a first aid kit! Where’s the damn ambulance?”
Cole drops down beside me, his gaze dark with concern. “Leo’s grabbing the kit right now. Where is she hurt?”
I glance at him. “I don’t know.” Worry makes my words unsteady. “She hasn’t told me. But there could be internal bleeding. Maybe a head injury.”
“Ben.” I jerk my head back toward Thea as she says my name.
“It’s going to be alright,” I soothe. “Maybe you should lie down.”
“Ben. Stop.” She places her small hand on my arm. “I’m okay.”
It takes a second to register. “What?”
“Ben.” Her voice firms. “I’m okay. Bruised, but okay.”
My gaze moves over her again. Gritting my teeth, I say, “He hit you. Choked you—” My eyes drift down to her wrists, and my stomach twists. “Your wrists, sweetheart—”
I feel sick. The delicate skin around her wrists is raw and torn from whatever Alec restrained her with.
Thea takes a deep breath. “I know. But nothing’s broken. That was the first time he hit me.”
As much as I hate it, I have to ask. “Did he—”
“No.” She shakes her head quickly. “He…” A small tremor ripples through her body. “Alec thought I was going to fall in love with him. Other than my wrists, he didn’t hurt me until…”
Bile rises in my throat. What did he try to do to her? I grit out, “Until what?”
A satisfied expression crosses her face. “Until I punched him in the throat.”
It’s so incongruous to what I was expecting to hear, I can only blink at her for a second. “What?”
“Yeah.” Thea leans into me again, resting her head on my shoulder. “I convinced him to untie me, and then when he leaned down to help me up, I punched him in the throat. I read about it in a book on self defense and survival skills.”
“Nice job, Thea.” Leo crouches down, setting the first aid kit on the ground.
