Jodie grumbled something vulgar under her breath and held up the blindfold. “You think this will fit around my hair?”
“We’ll switch,” Reyna said, offering her the mask.
Jodie grumbled again, wrestling the fabric over her voluminous hair. “Congrats. I can’t see shit.”
Reyna stared down at the blindfold in her hands. It was basically just a black tie. Her hands shook as she thought of all the times she’d been forced to wear a blindfold. When Beckham had led her down to the Vault before the fires wiped out the club, when she’d been kidnapped from Everett’s apartment, on her way to the ball where Harrington had forced her to watch Beckham with Penny.
“Reyna,” Meghan said softly in her nurse voice. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she said unconvincingly.
Nothing was okay. As she slid the blindfold over her eyes, she didn’t know if anything would ever be okay again.
…
As soon as their truck came to a stop, Reyna yanked the blindfold off as quickly as she could. Her heart had hammered and her hands had shaken the entire way. She hadn’t removed the blindfold before it was time, but only with great effort.
They were in some sort of underground garage. Before them was a solid, steel door. They hadn’t driven very far since she’d been blindfolded, and still she had no idea where they were or what was on the other side of that door.
“Honey, we’re home,” Tye singsonged with a wide grin.
It had been so long since Reyna had seen anyone this genuinely happy. She honestly couldn’t remember ever seeing a smile that vibrant before. Had his life been that pleasant? Joy was not something that came naturally to her, even before the kidnapping. Now…well, let’s just say the glass was half empty.
Jodie pursed her lips at his enthusiasm, which made Reyna feel marginally better. Meghan and Tye got out of the front seats and corralled her and Jodie out of the back.
Trepidation bit at Reyna. WhatwasElle, anyway? What would they expect of her? Had she traded one prison for another?
One thought propelled her forward: Beckham. He was part of this organization. If he trusted them, then she would give it a shot.
Then her heart fluttered.Beckham.
All those weeks, she’d had to lock him away in a far-off place. He helped her through the tough moments, but she couldn’t think of him without breaking. Through all of that…she’d worried that she would never see him again. Be in a room with him, hold him, touch him, love him once more. She’d left that part of her life for her dreams. Those sweet, toxic dreams.
But now she was here. He was here. She would see him. They could be together again. Her heart expanded with hope. It was all right behind that door.
Tye entered a security password and looked into a retinal scanner before the door hissed open on silent hinges. Meghan looped her arm through Reyna’s and strode inside behind Tye and a fearless Jodie. It opened to a sky-blue room with wooden floors and paintings hanging from the walls. It was clear and light and even comforting. No whitewashed walls or white-tiled floor. No antiseptic or hospital smell. No bright light overhead. Just a room. An empty room.
She didn’t know what she had been expecting. A welcome party, maybe? Beckham standing there with open arms? Anything would have been better than nothing.
“Welcome to Elle,” Meghan whispered to Reyna. “Welcome home.”
Home.
Chapter Ten
The room was empty. Beckham was supposed to be here. He was supposed to be waiting for her. She’d been anticipating this moment for eight long weeks. Her chest ached at the thought that he wasn’t here.
“Where is he?” Reyna asked.
“Beckham?” Meghan asked warily.
“Who else?”
“He’s not here.” Meghan swallowed. “He hasn’t been here in weeks.”
“What?” Reyna nearly shouted.
“Or at least, I haven’t seen him in weeks. Tye and I are a step down from high command. From what I know, he’s been trying to keep a low profile. He was under investigation after your disappearance. He went to Harrington himself and told him that you’d run away once he found out what had happened to you.”
