“I’ll tell you my story,” Winnie said quietly, “if you tell me yours.”
By this time, the motor they’d heard in the distance had stopped in the driveway. Bliss was looking around Winnie toward the sound of the car engine when the engine died.
Winnie glanced toward the door, then back to Bliss. “Don’t worry, it’s Reid. I recognized the motor a few minutes ago. So how about our deal?”
Bliss was saved from answering when the door opened behind them. Connor walked back in with Reid.
“Perfect timing,” Winnie said.
Bliss stared at her sister. If Winnie thought Reid’s arrival would interrupt their deal, she was very much mistaken. “Well? What do you think? A story for a story.”
“What deal are you two talking about?” Connor asked.
“I offered to tell Bliss my story if she would tell me hers,” Winnie explained.
Connor sat down beside Bliss and put his arm around her shoulders. “You don’t have to share anything if you’re not ready,” he gave her a reassuring squeeze.
Bliss looked at Winnie. Then at Reid. Then back at Connor.
These were the people she loved and trusted the most. If she couldn’t tell them, who could she tell? And if she didn’t do it now, she never would. Taking a slow breath, she whispered. “I think I’m ready.”
Connor squeezed her gently again. “All right. But there is no pressure. If it gets to be too much, you can stop.”
Reid grabbed a seat beside Winnie, “You sure you want to relive this?” he asked her.
Winnie nodded, and the relief in her sister’s eyes sealed the deal.
Winnie nestled closer to Reid. “Okay then. I’ll go first.”
Winnie’s hands trembled slightly, making Bliss’s pulse quicken. She was finally going to find out how Winnie had escaped from the Russians.
With one more glance at her Daddy, Winnie began. “After you left Darling… things got bad.”
Bliss frowned. “How bad?”
Winnie swallowed. “Bad enough that I almost died.”
If she hadn’t been holding Nori, Bliss would have jumped to her feet. “What do you mean you almost died?”
Then Winnie told her everything. The threats to take the garage from her. The Society’s attack and how it almost killed half the men at Sabre. The night she nearly died. How Reid saved her in the nick of time. By the time she finished, Bliss was crying softly, trying not to wake Nori.
“I’m so sorry,” Bliss whispered. “I should’ve been here.”
“There was nothing you could have done. Besides, you couldn’t exactly help being kidnapped yourself.”
Bliss sniffed. “Still. I’m so sorry.” Why did she keep apologizing for the Society’s actions? It made no sense.
Winnie tilted her head. “Before you start your story, can I ask you one question that’s been nagging at me?”
“Considering everything that happened, why in the world would you run away from Connor at that motel after he rescued you? I mean, you ran right back to them. I’m not making an accusation, I just need to understand.”
Connor’s arm tightened around her. “You don’t have to answer that, Bliss. Not if you don’t want to.”
Bliss leaned her head on Conner’s shoulder. It was all she could do while holding Nori to try to tell him it was okay. “I want to answer. The fact of the matter is that I didn’t have a choice.”
Connor’s voice dropped. “What do you mean, you had no choice?”
Bliss swallowed. “I’ll tell you all about it, but I’m warning you none of you are going to like the answer.”
