“Maybe so, but nobody but us knows you’re here. And I can say with absolute certainty that we wouldn’t dream of handing you back to a monster—one that tortured your body and forced medical procedures onto you. We have to be able to sleep at night, Honor, and that doesn’t involve lying in a bed of blood money.”
Derek leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We won’t stop you from walking out of that door right now. But if you run while you are ill, exhausted, and frightened, you will make a mistake. Take a few nights, get your strength back, and make a plan. Wait out the media frenzy. They’ve plastered your face over the internet and news channels. Right now, you are more recognizable than the president.”
He flicks open his phone and hands it to me. Sure enough, they have my face on every major newsfeed. My head drops back.No more tears,I remind myself as I weigh up my options. I take a risk that they are telling me the truth and put my trustin these three people, or I expose myself to hundreds, if not thousands, of unknowns who believe me to be the victim of a kidnapping plot. Every law enforcement officer and busy-body will be on high alert.
I growl into the air. “I’ll stay.”
“I’ll be back after my shift tomorrow night to check on you. Eat small meals, at least six times a day,” Derek says as he stands with a nod at Louise before leaving us alone. My mind turns over the probability Derek is on the phone right now turning me in.
“I know it’s hard, but try to stop thinking the worst of our intentions.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, honey. It’s going to take time to trust and heal. But you will be okay, I promise you that. Now, do you want to go to bed and rest, or watch Star Trek with me on the sofa?”
“Star Trek and sofa sounds amazing.”
She switches the TV on, pulls up a streaming service, and locates the original Star Trek series on her favorites. “I’ll grab the popcorn, and then we can discuss the many reasons you are incorrect about Kirk being the third on your list.”
I fallasleep on the sofa after persuading Louise to put on an iconic episode of Voyager. Unfortunately, with sleep comes nightmares, and with nightmares comes Gideon.
I’m back in that concrete room. Heavy shackles have replaced the bed on the wall. The bite of metal against my limbs sends my heart into panic. Gideon paces like a feral beast in front of me. His normally pristine appearance is gone, his wrinkled shirt is half tucked into his pants, and he’s sporting longer stubble than I’ve ever seen.
He drags his hands through his hair and growls. “Every day I can’t find you, it only makes this worse. You think you know pain and suffering? You’ve experienced nothing. While the world heralds me as being the most attentive, loving, and greatest husband, I’ll make sure they know I’m shielding you from the worst and that you’re taking a step back from the public eye. No one will question why. Think about it.”
A rambling Gideon is a hundred times more frightening than the calm collected Gideon I’m used to. His fingers reach out and trail over my breasts. My eyes slam closed.
“I’m not here,” I whisper. I’m in an apartment with a caring woman named Louise, right?
“Enjoy your freedom, baby, because once you’re back here, this will be the only room you ever see. You have given me the excuse I needed to do exactly as I please. I tried to tame my needs and protect you from this side of me. I gave you everything that was good in my world, showered you with praise and compliments, worshiped your body. I was attentive. Many husbands don’t even know what their wives get up to on a daily basis.” His hand grips my chin. “Look at me.” My eyes snap open. His gaze holds an icy-blue flame.
“Don’t worry, you won’t make a move without my say-so. You will breathe because I allow it, and if I decide you’re no longer worthy of this world, no one will question when you take the easy route out. The struggles you suffered at the hands of my enemy might overwhelm you. I feed them the image I cultivate, the biggest warrior of justice, when we both know I’m the biggest monster. I don’t have enemies.”
The pad of his thumb presses against my bottom lip. “Every single person who has helped you escape, who continues to shield you, will suffer. Not only them, but their families. If you truly give a shit about anybody that’s helping you right now, you’ll run straight back to me. Perhaps I can bepersuaded to be lenient. So think your next moves through carefully.”
I suck in a breath, and my eyes snap open. My gaze darts around the strange room. Shadows dance on the walls. Icy baby blues move toward me. My mouth opens and a scream tears from my throat as my husband towers over me. He slaps his hand over my lips and curses. I shake my head and mumble against his palm.
“Stop. You can’t have them. You can’t hurt them. They didn’t do anything.”
“Honor, stop. It’s me, Louise.”
I freeze. Louise. Safe, not tortured.
“That’s right,” she coaxes. “Don’t scream, okay? I’m gonna turn on the light.”
Her palm peels back from my mouth, and she moves toward the wall, switching on the overhead light.
My body trembles and tears escape down my temples as I stare at the ceiling. I’m safe, wrapped in a worn patchwork quilt that looks like it was made with patience and love.
Three nights. Three nights to make a plan and leave behind these wonderful people who are risking their lives by shielding me.
That plan goesto shit the next evening as Louise bursts into the apartment.
“Honor,” she hollers. I appear out of the guest bedroom, having napped half the day away. She holds out her phone. “Do you recognise him?”
She presses play on a video. Ice floods my veins as my hands rise to my mouth. “Yes, that’s Mike, one of his security team.”
Louise’s hand tightens around the phone. “Fuck. He’s traced you here to Knoxville.”
