I shake my head. The psychological impact Gideon has had on Honor can’t be faked. “No. You don’t understand the extent of her abuse at his hands. Honor is hiding, on the run, trying to outsmart a man with vast means. It’s a horrible coincidence, nothing more.”
“Then I suggest you try breaking through whatever has her locked in her mind. She was attacked, killed a man, and received a really creepy phone call from her husband, but noneof that broke her. Your rape allegation did. She trusted you, and that has been affected tonight.”
“Thank you for taking care of her.”
He nods. “Take all the time you need. I keep making her hot drinks and food, but she hasn’t spoken a word or touched anything since I brought her here.”
I glance over my shoulder at Honor. She’s breathing, but that’s the extent of her attachment to Earth. Good thing I know how to break into someone’s mind and drag them back.
“Can I take your car?” I ask. He rummages in his jeans pocket and hands me the keys. “Thanks, man.”
He squeezes my shoulder. “Anyone who has met you knows it’s bullshit.”
“That means a lot.”
I turn back to Honor and kneel at the side of the sofa. “We’re going to head home now, firecracker. Everything has been sorted and cleaned. We can make a plan of action from there, okay?”
She blinks. I take that as confirmation. I already have a plan and it’s in motion, but I do need her walking and talking. Shit is going to be difficult enough without a catatonic woman.
I scoop her up, swaddled in the blanket, and stride out of the door Samuel holds open.
“Take care of her, Fox.”
“That’s the plan.”
I bundle her into the passenger seat and pull the seatbelt across her before striding around the truck and dropping my ass in the driver’s seat. Ten minutes later, I pull up to the garage.
My grandmother comes out of the house to greet us. She’s got her bobbed hair slicked back and is wearing a pair of combat trousers with a pristine white T-shirt. She’s ready for battle. I grab Honor and cradle her in my arms as I move past mygrandmother into the main house. My gaze drops to the red stain on the wooden floor at the foot of the stairs.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I take note of the cut above her eyebrow. It’s been stitched together.
“I’ve been better. But yes, I’m okay. Is Honor?”
“You dropped a bomb on her, so no, I don’t think she is. But she will be.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Snap her the fuck out of this state. Pack a bag, your ride arrives in an hour. Take your passport and the bank card for emergencies.”
“I’m not running, Fox. This is my home.”
I pause on my way through the kitchen and spin to face her. “Your home has been invaded, and your life is under threat. I can protect you by moving you out of the way. It’s one less thing that can be used against her. He’s not interested in you, but he won’t hesitate to use you to get to her.”
“Are you going to stay here?”
“No. I’m moving to a defensible location to give me a little time to prepare.”
“She will try to run.”
“I’m aware. But one way or another, this has to end.”
“Take Duke,” my grandmother calls out as I escape out the kitchen door to the pool house. The second I open the door, Duke bounds out in a rush of excitement and anxious full body shakes. He sniffs at Honor as I usher him back inside the house, then slam the door closed with my foot. I enter the master bedroom and lay her down on the rumpled bed sheets. I’ll start small, hoping and praying I can pull her back to the land of the living with gentle measures. But it’s not like I have endless time to coax her back. I need her functioning now, even if she’s livid. Anything is better than this impression she’s doing of a corpse.
I run a hand over my hair before moving into the en suiteand switching on the shower to cold. Then I return to find she hasn’t moved an inch. I peel the blanket off her shoulders, revealing her cream silk nightgown with a massive crimson stain in the middle. I tear it in half and fling it on the floor. Duke sniffs at the bloody garment and barks his displeasure as I examine her carefully. Being whisked away from the scene means she hasn’t been checked out by medical staff, so I’ll have to do.
There aren’t any cuts, but deep bruising rings her throat, and a shadow under her left eye seems to deepen by the second. Other than that, she appears to be physically okay. But that doesn’t make it acceptable. Gideon will pay for each and every mark on her body and psyche.
I scoop her tiny frame up and march into the bathroom. “Sorry, firecracker, but I need you back.” I step under the spray and hiss at the temperature. The water turns red as the blood of the intruder runs off her body, but Honor doesn’t react.Fuck.
