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Ian squeezed her hand, and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “We have to consider the possibility. It would explain things, the inconsistencies in your behavior in Berlin.”
Fear raced through her system. Just the thought of it made her shiver. For anybody to have done this, she would’ve had to have trusted them, let them into her circle, which was exceptionally small. She didn’t trust many people, and for someone to have betrayed her like this…
She couldn’t wrap her damaged mind—or her heart—around it. “There has to be another explanation. My brain is just broken.”
The crease in Ian’s forehead deepened. “The hell it is. Come on, Vivi, think. What would Sherlock do?”
His voice held a challenge, yet kindness as well. He understood how difficult this was for her. “He would keep searching for the truth.”
“Exactly.” He glanced back at the open door. “Doc! We need these cuffs off.”
Dr. Sloan appeared before he’d finished. He tossed the key to Ian. “Vivi, how are you feeling?”
Ian undid the heavy restraints. With him supporting her, she managed to sit up without the world going lopsided. She rubbed her wrists. “Like crap. Did you sedate me?”
He looked sheepish. “Had to. You were acting like a zombie and tried to walk out of HQ.”
Speechless, all she could do was stare. Jax checked her blood pressure and listened to her heart. The argument against their claims continued in her head, but she felt hollowed out.
Find the answer, she heard her father say.There’s always a solution.
There had to be one key missing piece, if only she could remember it. Everything would fall into place if she could.
Ian laid a hand on her leg as Jax finished, interrupting her thoughts. She shut her eyes for a second, trying to recall her birds and what had happened before she’d attempted to walk out of SFI. There was just…nothingness. A blank.
Precisely like the day she’d flown to Berlin and boldly marched into Lawrence’s compound.
Her stomach pitched and she was floundering for something,anything,to vomit into. Ian, as always, had some acute sense that alerted him right before she shoved Jax aside and managed to upchuck in a small waste can he flung up to catch it. It was such a violent retching, she had to grab the railing and hang on, but then it was over and Ian was holding her head and saying soothing things as he encouraged her to lie back.
“Would you like some anti-nausea medication?” Jax asked.
“No.” Her voice was a croak, her throat raw. She waved a hand in the general direction of the door. “No medications. Just rest.”
“Of course.” The doctor gave Ian a knowing look over her head that she pretended not to see. “Beatrice is taking care of your birds, so don’t worry about them.”
She desperately wanted to see them, but if they were part of this, if someone had used them to get to her… She held in a curse. “Beatrice has enough on her hands. Ask Parker to do it.”
“Will do.” Jax put a steadying hand on her shoulder. “Don’t stress. We’ll take care of you.”
After he left, she motioned for Ian to close the door. Easing herself up, she took a deep breath and waited for him to return.
“I know that look,” he said, sitting next to her. “What are you thinking?”
“Someone used me and turned me into a traitor,” she hissed. “They used Sherlock and Watson to control me.”
“I know.” He took her hand again. “Do you remember the day after we married, when we went to that cafe? Kaleidoscope?”
What did that have to do with anything? “What about it?”
“When I went to the restroom to wash the coffee off my shirt, what happened?”
She shrugged, once again feeling confused. “I sipped mine and waited for you to come back.”
“Did anyone approach you? Speak to you?”
“Why are you asking about that morning?”
“ Could that be when you were hypnotized?”
