“Did they…did anyone…?” Fuck. How can I even ask this question? I sure as shit don’t want to know the answer, though I need to. “Was she…?”
His dark brown eyes crinkle with understanding. “I saw no evidence of sexual assault. If she had been forced to work the brothels, I would have been able to tell.”
Relief prickles over my skin, a feeling so strong and all-encompassing, I’m not sure I can stand for a solid minute. I was never a praying man, but I’ve said more than my fair share over the past three years.
Dr. Reyes pushes to his feet. “Come with me. I will take you to the atrium. Please let me speak with Grace before she sees you. I believe she trusts me. Well, as much as she trusts anyone at this moment. It may help if I explain how I found you. But do not be surprised if she is scared of you at first.”
“Ain’t nothin’ I can do about her reaction to me, Doc. But I won’t push her for anything she ain’t ready for. If I have to camp out in one of the SUVs every night for a week—or a month—before she trusts me, I’ll do it.”
“I live behind the clinic,” he says with a sad smile. “If it comes to that, you can stay with me. It is not much to look at, but the couch is comfortable. The others who came with you…we will find couches for them as well.”
This guy’s the real deal. Kind. Strong moral compass. Dedicated to his job and the people he helps. All the things I used to be before Grace went missing. Since then, I ain’t done much worth spit.
“Thank you.” I offer him my hand. “I owe you a debt I’ll never be able to repay.”
“You owe me nothing,” he says, then leads me back into the hall and around another corner. An archway painted a bright yellow leads to a large atrium filled with orchids in almost every color.
“Wait here until I call for you.” Reyes steps into the room, and my heart stops beating.
Grace sits in a wheelchair facing a large window. Just beyond, roses bloom in large pots, their colors so vibrant, it’s like they’re willing winter away.
Her blond hair is so long now. It cascades down the high back of the chair, halfway to the floor. A thick, white bandage winds around her head, but the rest of her is hidden by the blanket draped over her shoulders.
I ache to go to her. To pull her into my arms and tell her no one will ever hurt her again. But I can’t make that promise. Not until I find out who took her.
This—waiting, hovering just out of sight—is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
“My dear, I need to ask you a question.” Reyes crouches down next to her chair. If he weren’t so completely focused on Grace, he could probably see me out of the corner of his eye. “Does the name AJ Stone mean anything to you?”
“No.” Her weak whisper shatters my heart into dust. I’ve longed to hear her voice again, and while it’s definitely hers, it’s also not. Too hoarse. Too hesitant. Too…scared.
“Do you remember the promise I made to you? That I would find out who you are?”
She nods her head slowly.
“Your name is Grace. Grace Stone.”
Chapter Seventeen
Grace
The heater hums in the corner, a low sound that makes my head ache under the bandages. The pain is constant, but I’ve learned not to try to rub it away.
My hand shakes as I tuck a few strands of hair behind my right ear. The doctor’s words play on a loop.
“Your name is Grace. Grace Stone.”
The kind nurse, Lourdes, tried two dozen names with me yesterday. Every time she checked on me, she picked a different one. Jane. Gina. Susan. Jill. Christy. Melissa. Jennifer. Brandi. Brooke. Diana. Katherine. I think she looked up American names and made herself a list.
But none of them felt like me.
I’m not sure Grace does either.
“How can you be sure?” I ask, my gaze shifting from the doctor to the blanket covering my legs.
Dr. Reyes glances behind him, then returns his full focus to me. “I found news reports on your disappearance. Photos that look exactly like you. And the website your husband set up when there were no leads. He—AJ—is a captain in the Texas Rangers. He never stopped looking for you. I called him late last night, and he was able to tell me about the tattoo on your left ankle. That was a detail the police never released. And…” Reyes offers me a warm smile, “he is here. Just outside. Would it be okay if he came in?”
My heart lodges itself firmly in my throat. I have a husband? And he came for me?
