Thomas slipped the phone back into his pocket. “So what’s our next move?”
“We get that evidence secure, and then we set a trap.” I grabbed my towel. “Colter wants to play games with trafficking and murder? Let’s show him what happens when he messes with the wrong family.”
My skin crawled.
“I’m torn between killing you slowly now or killing you slowly while she’s being sold to the highest bidder.”
My father’s breath brushed against my ear as he bent down behind me, whispering.
Cora wasn’t moving. Tied up, her skirt was hitched up to the point that I wanted to kill anyone who looked at her.
I could feel my father straighten behind me. “I’ll give you a point for good taste. She is gorgeous. Slim body, petite.” He walked to Cora and squatted down, running his fingers through her hair. “Silky hair…” He took a breath, looked at me, and then back to her. “Or maybe, I’ll make you watch me take her then sell her.”
My teeth ground together, and I pulled against the rope tying me to the chair. “As soon as I get the chance…”
I didn’t get the sentence out before Michael’s fist landed on my temple.
Dazed, I watched through blurred vision as he returned to Cora, pulled a knife from his coat pocket, and set the tip against her throat. “Or maybe…”
Again, I fought against the ropes as her strangled scream pierced their air.
“Jason!” Cora. Calling my name, but… different. Urgent, caring.
I felt hands on my shoulders, shaking me. “Jason, wake up!”
With a sharp inhale, I jerked awake and sat up, nearly knocking her over.
She was alive.
I lunged forward, grabbed her by the arms, and pulled her against me. I couldn’t hold her tight enough.
“I’m sorry. He was killing you.” I was breathing so hard I could barely get the sentence out.
“Killing me?”
The nightmares were always bad, but that argument had fueled something more horrific than anything I’d experienced so far. More real. More violent. Visceral.
As much as I hated the fight, I still wasn’t telling her what happened. Was she an adult? Yes. But I’d failed to protect her once, and I wasn’t doing that again. I wasn’t going to make her worry for no reason.
Nothing had changed. Except… that fight. Knowing she knew exactly who I was… that being near me meant she was always going to be in danger.
My heart rate slowly returned to normal, and I released her, raking my hand through my hair. I felt like a rung-out rag as I braced my other hand against the bed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
She chewed her lip. “You didn’t. I was already up. Actually, I was headed downstairs to fix myself a bowl of cereal.”
Her eyes met mine. “Oh.”
“Jason, you said someone was killing me. What did you mean?”
I don’t even know why I said anything, but my mouth launched with no real guidance from my brain at all. “My father.There’s a slight variation each night, but most of the time, I have to watch him… hurt you.” The words grew softer as I spoke.
Her hands cupped my face, soft and cool against my skin. “Me? He beat you within an inch of your life, and your nightmare is that he hurt me?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “No, it’s not that… well…" I sighed. “It is, but the nightmare is that I can’t stop him. I’m tied to that stupid chair, and I can’t break free.” I grumbled a few curses under my breath. “I should have put you on leave the moment I realized he was back in Chicago. Had Thomas take you out of the city and get you somewhere safe. I?—”
That was the real frustration. I’d been stupid and thoughtless. Careless with her safety.
