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With all her being she prayed that Sam was safe and well. In all the craziness, he was all that mattered. What would only ever matter to her heart.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The momenthe pushed the door open, Sam immediately identified the scent. Blood. It filled his nostrils and he lurched forward. “Ellie?”
Panic robbed him of air, it felt as if his lungs were cinched with steel. The moment he’d left her, Sam had gone through a storm of questions and emotions, but he’d kept them locked away to focus on finding a way to get them out of this cage. But Ellie’s face had haunted him the entire way, her words too, twisting his insides to the point of pain.
However, all that vanished when he saw the shattered bathroom door and the body covered with blood. It took a full second to realize it wasn’t Ellie.
He’d never felt so relieved in his life when he recognized Panem. His wide, unseeing eyes looked at the ceiling, and his throat was slashed open. The pool of blood blocked the entrance, but as Sam leaned forward he saw a small, feminine figure in the corner, unmoving and covered with blood.
Sam had to swallow a few times and force his body forward. When he was a few steps away he saw her draw a breath, and fell to his knees by her side. The rustling made her shake and Sam refrained from reaching for her.
“Ellie? Angel? Please open your eyes and tell me you’re all right.”
As he spoke, her eyelids fluttered open. Her blue eyes focused on him and Sam reached for her, wanting to touch her and make sure she was unharmed.
Ellie crawled onto his lap. As he ran his hands over her body it became clear she was uninjured, just covered with Panem’s blood. With a sigh, Sam brought her close in a tight hug, guessing by her missing clothing what had happened.
His eyes went to the dead man, deducting what Ellie had been forced to do to defend herself.
How he wanted to remain with her, cradling her as she took the time to recover, but their situation wouldn’t allow it.
Gently, Sam picked her up and took her into the living room. Once settled on the sofa, Sam went to get a clean cloth, making a detour to get fresh clothes for her. A shower would’ve been better, but time was against them.
Back at the sofa, Ellie appeared steadier, straighter, but still pale. Just as Sam returned, she got to her feet and swayed a little before looking at her hands and assessing her state.
When her head turned toward the bathroom, Sam stepped in front of her. “Don’t. Don’t think about him. He’s not worth it. And we need to get you changed quickly, there’s no time to waste.”
It was as if moving cleared her mind. The dazed look disappeared, and she followed his orders. Her fingers still trembling, she shed her pants and socks soaked in blood and soon stood naked before him. With the damp cloth, she scrubbed herself hard, removing the drying blood. Even in that state, Ellie looked so beautiful, and it was difficult not to reach for her. In respect, and to keep his wandering thoughts in check, Sam turned his gaze away, handing her the change of clothes.
“Why don’t we have time? Did you access the basement? Did you see what I saw?”
As she dressed, Sam went to check the window and drew the curtains closed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ellie finish dressing. “The fob was where you said it was. And it worked. I went down, and it was exactly as you described. I was able to access the other rooms. One was a storage unit that the guards probably use. I found a gun in one of the lockers, but it only had few rounds in it.”
Once dressed, Ellie wiped her shoes before putting them on. “Why don’t we have time?”
Sam turned to her, and the Ellie he knew, the one who was strong and determined, mirrored his pose. “I found a workable computer and was able to reach Lazarus. He’s worked hard and searched for us non-stop. At least I was able to give him the address thanks to those bills Finch had me sort. In the meantime, my brothers are prepared and stand ready to pull us out.”
Her eyes sparkled. “When? Tonight?”
“Possibly. Any time. I told them everything I knew about the security and staff. They’ll try to be discreet, but anything could happen, so we need to be prepared. Also, when I was down there, I must have triggered something because I had to disable two guards who came looking. We may have to move before my brothers get here if their bodies are found.”
Ellie nodded and went to retrieve their coats. “You need to dress. You’re still in your workout clothes.”
It was like the temperature had dropped to freezing point between them. Sam should have been glad, but seeing Ellie acting so distant had the opposite effect. It felt wrong, even though his brain had listed all the reasons for him to disconnect himself from her, and self-protective instincts guided his every decision.
Not knowing what to say, he undressed as Ellie handed him a sweater. It was her gasp that made him stop, ready for action. At first, he thought she’d noticed the gun he’d tucked into his waistband, but her eyes were higher. When he looked down, he saw large bruises running from his side to his sternum.
For the briefest of moments, Ellie’s fingers hovered over his damaged skin. Sam wanted nothing more than for her to reach out, almost pushing himself into her hand for the contact.
Once more, it was Ellie who seemed to draw into herself and step away as he finished dressing. “Should we barricade ourselves in here? How will we know when your brothers have breached the compound?”
Sam wished he could reassure her, but he didn’t have answers. Just when he opened his mouth the lights went off.
It was pure instinct to grab Ellie and go to the corner of the room, which offered the best view to the door. If anyone came through, he’d protect Ellie, and for that, he had to make each one of his limited shots count.
Ellie had a hand on the middle of his back and Sam was grateful for the contact. He needed to know she was safe. She was the only thing that mattered. Since his abuse, his life had been tilted off its axis—until he’d called his angel. After all, who was trying to save who? Who was playing white knight?
