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I swallow, keeping half of my body behind Luke’s as the door closes behind us. He nods at the guy who was in his house earlier and then they all start to walk down and through a hole in the floor—wait, why is there a hole in the floor?
I’m about to ask when Luke turns to face me, and whispers, “Remember what I told you about the guys.”
Staring at him, I go over it in my head, trying to put it all together while actually seeing them. He said they help get the bad guys off the street. They’re the good people. I just need to keep reminding myself of that.
His large hand wraps around mine as we walk down the stairs and into what looks like a decked-out basement with computers. My gaze searches the room but I’m not really seeing anything because it’s all closing in on me.
My fingertips tingle and my head spins as I try to get my arm to move, but it won’t work. I can’t get Luke’s attention. I’m frozen, stuck back in that dark, cold room with my dad and Jonah.
I flinch when I feel their rough hands on my arms and legs as they hold me down at the base of my spine. My throat closes, the breath not able to make it in and out of my body. It’s stuck. I’m stuck. It doesn’t matter that I’m surrounded by people, because all I can see is his face, his sneer, and feel the spit on my cheek as he shouted at me.
“Luke?” a woman’s voice says, the panic evident, but it’s not mine because I can’t get my lips to move. My eye throbs from squeezing them closed, trying my hardest to keep the images at bay but nothing works. I may have physically escaped them but they’re in my head. Nothing and no one to stop them from hurting me there.
“Is she okay?”
“Fuck!” Hands cup my face, but I can’t stand the feel of them, they burn through my skin, branding me just like the hot poker Jonah used.
“Please,” I whimper, finally getting my mouth to work.
“Angel. Lily… it’s okay. Breathe, darlin’.” I try to take a breath, concentrating on the calming voice but it’s not working. “Open those beautiful eyes and look at me.”
I try. God do I try, but I’m afraid of what I’ll see and where I’ll be. “I can’t,” I croak.
“You can, darlin’. You’re strong, remember that.”
Counting to three in my head before slowly opening my eyes, I wince at the harsh lights. But as soon as I connect my gaze with Luke’s, I know I’ll be okay.
“I’m sorry, angel.” He leans his forehead against mine, his breath skirting across my face. “I didn’t even think what it’d be like for you to be down here.”
Shaking my head, I try to communicate with him, but nothing comes out.
We stand here for what feels like forever but in reality, is only a minute or so before he pulls back and turns to face everyone. “We’re not doing this down here,” he grunts.
“Luke,” the guy from the house says, his voice deep, a warning in his tone.
Drifting my hand up Luke’s arm, I try to get his attention before squeezing his bicep. “It’s okay.”
He turns his head and stares at me in the same way he did when we first met, assessing me—assessing the situation.
The tension in the room is palpable until he nods. “You wanna leave at any stage, you tell me, and we’ll go back to the house. Got it?”
I smile, knowing the “Got it” was coming. “Got it.” He grins back, shaking his head before leading me toward a chair and pulling it out, sitting next to me and placing his hand on my knee.
Lifting my head, I take a deep breath before looking around the table. A guy on each end and two women sitting opposite us.
“Ty.” Luke points at the guy on the left end before moving to the girl next to him. “Kay.” He points at the woman sitting next to her with purple hair. “Kitty.” Then to the last guy sitting closest to me. “Evan.” There’s a pause and then he announces. “This is Lily.”
There’s a chorus of “heys” and then silence. I wait, shuffling on my seat before Kitty blurts out, “Well tell us then! Don’t keep us in suspense.” She rolls her eyes, but when she focuses on me, she winks.
Luke turns to face me, a question in his eyes that I nod to and I brace myself as he opens his mouth.
“Lily’s dad is the preacher in the church my mom goes to. Mom used to be friends with Lily’s mom.” His hand grips my knee tighter in silent support. “Four months ago, I went to my mom’s and Lily was there.” He looks over at me. “Mom was worried that she was going through the same thing her mom did… and then I saw bruises on her neck.” His eyes flash before he looks at Ty. “She was seventeen at the time and I told Mom I wouldn’t get involved, but I couldn’t…” He huffs out a breath. “I couldn’t stay away. I had to know she was okay and… well… I couldn’t stay away.” I move my hand to cover Luke’s, and when he turns to face me, I smile. “Then I asked her outright what was going on.” Remorse fills his eyes. “It was a mistake. I should have let her come to me, but I didn’t. I jumped the gun and left her with no way to contact me.”
“Wait.” We both turn to face Evan who holds his hand up. “Was the cell for her?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you gonna get to the point where you married her and didn’t tell any of us? Or you just gonna drag it out?” Ty asks.
