Rose laughed, long and loud and free. To the point where Steel actually stepped up to her, placed a hand on her back, and guided her into his arms.
“You okay, little ladybug?” Steel asked.
“I'm perfect. She just made my day. My life really.” Rose ghosted a hand down Steel’s back when he huffed. “You know what I mean. All my life, I had to hear from Ridge how smart he thought he was, and how stupid he thought I was because I deliberately played dumb when it came to his pet subjects. Knowing that a literal genius is telling me that my brother is basically an idiot, I love it.”
“He … he kept messing with my drug. It wasn't supposed to do this. It was supposed to save lives, but instead, it keeps taking them. Dr. Gardner, he keeps insisting on fiddling with things. Making it worse. I … I always wanted an out, but how is a little girl supposed to survive on her own? When I was fifteen, I started putting away money, sneaking it into a secret account.I created a whole new identity, and after Dr. Gardner came back after being lured into your trap, I knew it was time.”
“You were responsible for clearing out the lab,” Lion said, and Whitney nodded.
“I convinced him it was likely compromised, then destroyed every shred of paper, every computer drive, every vial inside the place. After I went to warn Cassandra, I intended to disappear. I waited until I knew he would have checked the labs, then I hid out there. I waited a few days, then brought in a team to completely disinfect the entire building. I wanted to erase everything, all of it. But it wasn't enough. The whole building, my prison, it had to go,” Whitney whispered.
“Why set up the white noise generator?” Blade asked her.
Surprise rounded her eyes. “It was always there. Always on. I forgot about it. I didn't know you were in there.” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “I swear, I wouldn't have tried to warn you if I wanted you dead. I waited until the clean-up team was gone, and then I grabbed my stuff, and I was leaving. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just needed it to all be gone.” Imploring eyes met his, begging him to believe her.
Thing was, he did.
But did everyone else?
It wasn't until his gaze roamed the room, waiting until each of the other people in it had nodded at him, even Dragon giving a reluctant agreement mostly at Cassandra’s prodding, that he hooked a finger under Whitney’s chin and made sure she was looking at him.
“You didn't do anything wrong,” he assured her. “You did what you thought you had to do, and if you’d known we were in there, I'm positive you would have left without setting off the explosives.”
“I would have,” she quickly agreed. “I never meant to hurt anyone. All I ever wanted to do was help people. I wanted to save lives, and all I've done is take them time and time again.”
“That’s not on you,” Cassandra rushed to assure her.
“That’s on my evil brother,” Rose added.
Seemingly surprised by the support, Whitney looked around the room to see that everyone was offering her encouraging smiles. It seemed to bolster her a little bit, but honestly, she was dead on her feet. She needed food and rest, everything else could wait until tomorrow, and now he was satisfied, Dragon wasn't going to try to kill her in her sleep.
Blade got that his friend was reacting out of fear, he’d almost lost the woman he loved in that explosion, but that couldn’t be laid at Whitney’s feet. Not only had she not known they were in there, but she hadn't known about the bounty on Cassandra’s head.
“Food and bed for you,” he announced, nodding to Rose who quickly moved toward the couch.
“How about we go raid the fridge, see what looks good,” Rose suggested.
“I could go for an almost midnight snack,” Cassandra added.
“Are you coming, too?” Whitney asked nervously, her blue eyes begging him not to abandon her.
“Right behind you, darlin’,” he assured her, giving her a little nudge toward the women, and Whitney somewhat reluctantly followed after them as they both chattered away at her as they led her to the kitchen.
Before he followed, Blade had one thing he needed to do. Walking up to Dragon, he slammed his fist into the other man’s cheek without preamble. “You ever lay a hand on her again, and I will kill you,” he warned before striding out of the room to go catch up to his little genius.
January 13th
7:35 A.M.
Jerking off the bed, Whitney was shocked to realize she’d actually fallen asleep.
After forcing down a grilled cheese sandwich last night, Blade had led her up to a beautiful bedroom on the second floor. It was like the set of a movie in there, the antique furniture perfectly fitting the Gothic mansion, and despite the trepidation still flooding her system, she’d been in awe of the pretty room.
At least until she was on her own in it.
Blade had told her there was an attached bathroom, and he’d set the bag of clothes she’d packed and brought with her when they left the farmhouse on top of the dresser. Then he’d wished her goodnight, told her to call out if she needed anything and he’d hear her, and then left.
If asked, she would have sworn that alone, away from the raw power of the men who lived there, she would feel infinitely safer. But she hadn't. Didn't. All she’d felt was the same crushing loneliness she should be used to by now.
