“She’s got an eye condition. Happens when she cries.”
“What condition? I didn’t see it in her chart. I can’t give her anything for it without the doctor’s approval.”
“Byrd-Adkins Syndrome,” Enoch answered as a mask was pressed over my nose and mouth, the air it was pushing into my lungs cold and uncomfortable.
“I’ll page the doctor. Are you having trouble breathing?”
I sucked in the air and shook my head.
“It doesn’t impact her airways. Just her eyes.”
I focused on breathing, on the feel of Enoch’s hands in mine as he squeezed them just as hard as I was squeezing his.
“I’ll see about getting you some anti-nausea medication as well. How’s your pain level?”
I thought about it for a moment. “Two.”
I shuddered at the memory of the pain I had been in before.This dull ache is nothing. I can handle this for seven lifetimes.
I heard the sound of the nurse leaving, the door closing shut behind her. Enoch brought my hands up, kissing my knuckles.
It took several minutes for me to stop crying, all the while Enoch held my hands, his head beside mine as he whispered into my ear that I was safe. That he loved me. That it was over. That he was sorry it took so long for him to find me. That he was sorry he’d broken his promise. That he hadn’t been there to protect me.
When I finally caught my breath, I decided to ask the questions that were on my mind.
“Where are we?”
“Pennsylvania.”
I pulled the mask off my face, “What?!”
“I had you transferred here as soon as you were stable. I didn’t want you to wake up in Texas.”
I nodded slowly.
“How did you find me?”
Enoch sighed, turning his head slightly to kiss my cheek.
“It was a group effort.”
I waited for him to elaborate.
“I called Bradley the second I realized you were taken. Then I went to my dad. He found some ex-special forces contacts and with Bradley’s help we got a team together. Only, the house had been burned down before we had the chance to try and get you out. It was Bradley who decided to then get the FBI involved. And with their help we were able to locate where Los Siete had taken you. And then get you out.”
“What happened to them? To…Carlos.”
“Dead.”
No. He was supposed to be dead before, the FBI had told me so, and yet he wasn’t.
“Were you there? Did you see it?”
“I wasn’t there, but, yes. I saw it.”
“You saw him die? Did they check his pulse? Are you sure it was him? What about the rest of them? The other leaders? Was it just Carlos in the compound? There was another man that I saw…I…um…he was…fuck, I think I recognized him—”
Enoch cut me off, “You’re safe here. You’ve got a guard outside the door. No one is getting in but me and the medical staff.”
