“I’m here,” Avery choked out.
Kate shut her eyes and inhaled. She thought about what she would want to hear in this moment, what words would have lifted her soul when she was a prisoner in a cage. There was no better person than Kate. Not only had she been through the agony of losing herself, but she also had Nick to remind her of the strength she maintained.
“You are not what he does to you. You are not the person he makes you feel like. You are fucking beautiful and powerful and we are going to get the hell out of here.”
Avery responded only with soft cries.
Kate had died the day Connor did. Everything that made up her sad existence in the world was over. The torture ended, and she left the cage behind. Nick had been Kate’s rebirth. Baptized in his fierce love, she rose from the ashes a powerful being. But the ghost of her former self still lingered. And the ghost inside her was a vengeful one.
***
The lock on Kate’s cell clanking against metal stirred Kate awake. She stood and backed against the wall, uncertain of whowas coming in. The door swung open, and Nick stepped inside. He shut the door and pulled his helmet off, taking a deep breath of air.
“Luke’s gone?” Kate asked.
“Yeah,” Nick answered, stepping toward her and touching his palm to her face. “Are you okay?”
“Where were you?” Kate asked through clenched teeth, grabbing Nick by the collar of his shirt. Her searing anger tore through him as she pierced Nick with her gaze.
“What do you mean? What happened? Did he fucking touch you?” Nick’s tone darkened, and he looked Kate over as if he would find some evidence that she had been harmed.
Kate put a finger to her lips and pointed towards Avery’s cell. She scooted into his body so that she could speak directly into his ear.
“Nick, there’s a girl in there,” Kate whispered. “She’s beenclaimedby Travis.”
Nick nodded to her, his features visibly upset but not thrown by her words. He was aware of how the guards handled the captives when Luke was absent. Though it was not something that sat right with him, Nick only had one concern, and she was breaking into pieces before him.
“She’s fifteen years old,” Kate added harshly.
Nick closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to cling to indifference. Apathy was the easy route. Not that any of this had been easy.Fifteen years old?Staying focused on only Kate was proving difficult.
“Fuck,” he responded.
“We have to get her out of there. We have to get them all out of here,” Kate said.
“Kate, I can’t save everyone. All I care about is you.”
“What kind of life are we living if we only care for ourselves!”
“Shh, okay. Lower your voice.” She was right. Though correct and possible, they were hardly ever simultaneous.
Kate raised an eyebrow at his demand.
“Lower your voice,please,” Nick corrected. Kate squeezed his hand and sighed.
“I’m not leaving without her, Nick.”
Nick nodded, the cogwheels in his brain turning with force as plans ran through, forming and falling apart once a hole came to light.
“Just give me time. I’m studying their schedules and their habits. Figuring out who goes where and when. I’ve been casing the building. It’s fucking locked down. I’ll figure it out. I just need some time.”
“I have all the time in the world.” Kate gestured around to her cell. “But if I have to listen to him touch her again...”
Nick pulled her into his chest, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her forehead. A slight smile crossed her lips as Kate embraced the safety of his arms. A pang of guilt soured her stomach as she thought about Avery in the next room, cold and alone with no hope of a savior.
“I hate being here. I feel so useless,” Kate said into Nick’s shoulder.
“Just a little longer. You have to be strong right now.”
