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He tosses some pain pills at me, and I swallow them dry, not asking any questions. My wounds and injuries need tending too, but that will have to wait. Hayes didn’t even attempt to dress me; he just tossed a blanket around me. I don’t give a damn that I’m still naked, still bleeding. My entire body feels like it’s on fire; not one part of me was spared. And I haven’t even let the darkness of being violated by that woman or what Rialta did into my brain.
Pain is not an emotion; it’s a weakness. It’s a silly gut check to let you know your body isn’t functioning at optimal levels. You might die if you don’t do something soon. Pain isn’t helpful to me—I already know my body isn’t functioning at optimal levels, and every second of every day I’m closer to death.
But Rialta—I need her to live.
Finally, Hayes takes a turn into an underground garage, and I know we’re in whatever safe house they have commandeered. Hayes turns sharply into a parking spot, and I jump out before he’s even slammed on the breaks.
I hobble to Gage’s car, not having any of the adrenaline left in my body to do more. I throw open the back door, but the empty seat isn’t even warm. They’ve gotten here long before us.
“Where is she?” I turn to Hayes with venom in my eyes.
“Come on,” he says solemnly.
I grab his shirt threateningly, but I’m sure it looks like a small puppy scratching at his throat. That’s the amount of threat I am to him in my current condition.
“Help me.”
Hayes sighs.
“Help her,” I beg.
He stares at me deeply, like he’s not sure who he should trust or what he should say. It’s so unlike Hayes to be carrying pain with him. He’s usually so carefree and full of life. He never lets the darkness in, but he’s carrying it now.
Finally, he nods.
That’s all I get from him. Not a real confirmation. Not an, I’ll do whatever you need or I’ll lay down my life like I did before to save her. Nothing of the sort, just a simple nod of the head.
But my life depends on that nod.
Hayes leads me into the elevator after tossing me the blanket I left in the car back. I know it’s not for modesty reasons. I’m guessing he thinks my body needs every drop of warmth it can take to survive until he can get me medical help.
He hits the top floor, and up we go. Floor after floor my heart pounds in my chest, throbbing to be near her.
I need her. Once I see her alive, and well, then I can collapse. Then I can heal. But first, her.
The doors open, and Hayes leads me to another door at the end of a long hallway.
He knocks.
Second after second passes by in agony. She’s on the other side of this door. I can finally talk to her—get some answers. I can finally hold her. I can tell her I love her—that she’s mine and I’m hers. That I could never hate her. I can ask for her forgiveness. I can—
The door opens.
Gage is standing inside the entryway looking at me with a soft expression, just as unlike him as Hayes. Gage is usually all business—but this expression says I’m sorry, man, there was nothing I could do.
No.
I don’t know if I speak the word out loud or not, but I push past him—a brick of a man I shouldn’t be able to move in my condition, but I push him out of the way like he’s nothing more than a fly I’m swatting out of my face.
The apartment is big. Too many rooms and doors.
She screams, and my heart stops.
It’s high-pitched and dripping in a sharp piercing of pain. She’s not rolling in agony from something that Andrea did. She’s not moaning from some doctor trying to heal her. This is a fresh sound of new pain being inflicted.
I run. Even though I don’t have any strength or energy in my body to make my muscles move, I’m suddenly full of energy. I get to the door at the end of the hallway where her screams came from. I grab the door handle, but it’s locked.
I hear Hayes and Gage behind me. If they make it to me before I get through the door, they’ll probably drag me away, maybe even drug me.
