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“I dehydrated all those cookies.” He shrugged. “It was more of an inconvenience than anything else. The pies were vinegar. By that time, I wanted to make things hurt for her. Because it wasn’t just his captivity that drove Isaac over the edge, it was the isolation. The way people looked at him like he was crazy and broken. It didn’t matter if Ellen was there with him or if I tried to get through, it only mattered what everyone else thought.”
Ben’s mouth curved into a sneer. “And little Lena Mitchell cares about what everyone thinks about her. It was easy. The cupcakes were easy, too. Just switching out the decorative dust to put on top and mixing some metal shavings into one of the frosting colors, and you’ve got sick kids. No one forgives that, especially when there’s a big sign that says poison on the door.”
He’d done it on purpose so no one could see her call for help. Already planning ahead. Every muscle in my body was locked tight, keeping myself from touching him. I would do nothing to damage this confession or argue that it was given under duress. Nothing. Even if it killed me.
There was nothing I could say to his arguments. He was already too far gone, well on his way to drunk, and he wasn’t going to listen to reason. But I could give him what I could have given his brother—more than I had. “I can help you, Ben.” I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth. “No matter what you think, I understand your pain. Isaac was my friend and my brother, and I miss him every goddamn day. And if he were here? I would help him too. I would bring him here to the ranch and get him all the help he needed if I could. So I will do that for you. After you serve your time, we’ll help you.”
He was faster than I thought. From the pile of spilled tools, Ben grabbed a tire iron and lunged. I jumped back just far enough not to get hit, but I missed on the backstroke. Pain burst through my side, and I shut it down, catching his arm before he could slam the metal into my head.
All the shit on the floor caught me, and I slipped, letting him rush me, and we hit the floor together. I took one hit to the jaw before we were swarmed by people. My friends came from every direction, hauling Ben off me and getting him under control. “Where the hell did you all come from!?” he roared, fighting where Noah and Daniel had him pinned facedown on the ground.
Liam helped me up. “You okay?”
“I’ll live.” A couple bruises, maybe. But they were worth it. Crouching down beside Ben, I made sure he was looking at me before I spoke. “They didn’t come from anywhere. They’ve been here the whole time. Because, like I said, we don’t leave people behind.”
Charlie had handcuffs in his hand, and I smiled in spite of myself. I didn’t think I’d ever look at handcuffs the same way again, knowing how Lena liked them.
“You want to do the honors?” he asked.
“No. I don’t. But thank you.” No part of me wanted to touch Ben again. Self-defense was one thing, and I was fully in control, but I wasn’t going to test it. “I’m going to get back to the hospital.”
He opened the cuffs. “I’ll keep you posted. And, Jude, I’ll do my best to make sure everyone understands that none of this was Lena.”
“Thanks, Charlie.”
I didn’t stick around to watch them take Ben away, instead turning my back and heading toward the woman I loved.
Chapter 31
Lena
My head hurt. It pounded like I’d drunk myself under the table with the girls, but that definitely wasn’t what happened. I didn’t remember much past…
I opened my eyes, focusing on the dim light in the room and the beeping beside me. Jude was asleep, head on the blankets and arm draped across my lap. The hospital. I had some hazy memories of the ambulance and Jude’s desperate face, telling me he loved me, but not much else. Only knowing I was going to die, and wishing I’d told him I loved him.
Had I told him?
I moved, reaching out to touch his arm, and winced. My chest ached like a bowling ball had landed on top of me. “Ow.”
Jude jerked up, eyes full of sleep, before he saw me looking at him. Then his face lit up, and he was all smiles. “Hey, sweetheart.”
He kissed me, sliding a hand beneath me to cradle my head. “How are you feeling?”
“I seem to be alive.”
“You are alive.” His voice caught, and he gave me a wavering smile. “It was a close one.”
As I reached for his hand, he took mine and held it tight. He was trying not to show me how terrified he’d been, and I loved him more for it. I didn’t want him to be terrified or scared to show it. But that would come later, when we were home.
“Why does my chest hurt?”
Jude brushed a strand of hair out of my face and looked at me for a few moments before he started to speak. “You were dead when I got there, sweetheart. Your chest hurts because I did CPR.”
I…didn’t remember that. Of course I didn’t, if I was already gone. I—
Emotion hit me in the chest. All the emotion I’d had to press down and ignore because I was trying to stay alive. It made my chest ache more, but I couldn’t stop it.
Jude kicked off his shoes, lifting me up so he could join me on the bed and wrap himself around me, careful of the cords hooking me to the heart monitors. “It’s okay,” he whispered into my hair. “You’re here.”
