Elliott wavesme down as I pull into the parking lot, and when I slam out of the car and race toward him, he points to the door markedEight.
“She’s in there,” he says. “At least, she was earlier this afternoon.”
I nod and gesture for him to follow me. The lock on the flimsy doorknob is nothing at all to jimmy open, and when I push inside the room, revulsion rolls through me.
“Fuck,” Elliott whispers behind me.
The room isn’t just old. It’s musty and dirty. Dark. Her bags lie just inside, mostly untouched, some white clothes spilled out the top of one of them.
And my girl is on the bed, on her side, curled up in a ball.
“Call Dr. Asgood,” I bark at Elliott, all calm gone from my voice, “and tell her to meet us at the infirmary with a full staff.”
“On it,” he says as I approach Natasha, not wanting to scare her. “Baby, I need you to wake up.”
She’s thrashing her head side to side, and she’s so fucking sweaty. She’s soaked through her clothes and the bedding. Her phone is beside the bed, but it’s dead, and I slip it into my pocket.
“Natasha,” I say a little louder as I press my hand to her head. “Christ, you’re burning up, baby.”
“Asgood will meet us there and will be on standby,” Elliott says. “What do we do?”
“Grab her things and put them in your car. I’m going to carry her out to mine.”
My son nods and immediately follows my orders, and I push my arms under my wife. She’s wearing a brace on one wrist, and a dirty towel is wrapped around her other hand. Her hair is full of sweat, and when I pull her against me, she’s clearly lost weight.
Too much weight.She’s not eating. Is it because she didn’t think she could afford it? Fuck, I should be tortured for years for what I’ve put her through.
“Baby, I’m so fucking sorry.”
She whimpers and buries her face in my chest for a moment, but then she opens her eyes and shrinks back when she sees me, tries to get out of my arms.
“No. Nonono. I didn’t do anything.”
“I know. I know, Angel. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise, I won’t hurt you.”
“Can’t fight you,” she says, shaking her head. “It hurts.”
“Baby, I’m so sorry. We’re going to fix you up. I’m going to fix this.”
I carry her out of that godforsaken room and out to my car just as Elliott shuts his trunk.
“Hey! Where the fuck do you think you’re taking her!” The tiniest woman I’ve ever seen comes running out of a neighboring room, scowling at us.
“I’m taking her home,” I reply coolly. “She’s my wife.”
She stops short, and her jaw drops in surprise. She eyes my car, and then scowls up at me. “You drive that, and your wife was livinghere? Asshole.”
She shakes her head and starts to walk away, but then turns back.
“I guess she won’t be coming to work next week?”
My entire body goes very still.
“And what work would that be?”
“She was working for me. Cleaning rooms in exchange for her rent.” She shrugs, and my stomach flips again at the thought of my gorgeous wife cleaning rooms in this filth, just to keep a roof over her head. “Be nice to her, yeah? She’s a good one.”
“Fuck,” Elliott says, which is exactly what I was thinking.
