“It wasn’t a question.” John stares at him, and after a silent standoff between them, Zeke reluctantly does what he says. As he grabs the luggage and leads Dr. Von and Alex up the stairs, he looks back down to me with worried eyes before stepping out of sight. “Ashia, you need to calm down,” John instructs me.
“Calm down?! You told her Victoria was one of her patients?! I want her out of here, John! Not a subject to be studied. This is supposed to be for Damien!” I whisper as angrily as I can, trying like hell to keep my cool and not wake him up.
“Of course this is for Damien!” he seethes, but I don’t back down. “As much as you hate it, she has vital information that could help Dr. Von understand what he went through. Meredith is not a normal therapist. She is an environmental trauma specialist. She will use anything and everything around him to ensure he heals in the way thatheneeds.”
“I don’t think what he needs is to be subjected to Victoria,” I argue back a little louder than before.
“As much as you hate it, Ashia, maybe he does. There is a very real chance that she is just another victim, and if helping her gets us answers on how to treat my son, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.” He points to the floor, demanding my cooperation.
My jaw drops, and the anger raging in my chest starts to beat against my ribs.
“Who even are you right now? Do you not know what she did to him? She tortured him!”
“And she won’t get away with it!” he shouts, and I snap my mouth shut. “She won’t. I promise you that, but I also promise that she has endured enough punishment—at least for now. Our first priority is Damien, and as unfortunate as it is, that includes Victoria’s compliance.”
I clench my teeth so harshly that I’m afraid my teeth will break. My feet move on their own and take a step in John’s direction, showing him that no matter how intimidating he may be, my protective nature over Damien is immune to it.
“You don’t know what happened to him… You don’t know what they did, butIdo.Isat here for two days and listened to the words that came out of her mouth. She told me the plans they had for him, the things they made him do, and even the things that he doesn’t know happened to him.Iknow itall. I know whatshedid to him, too.She tortured the love of my life, and you want me to—”
Damien’s grunts come from down the hall, making me stop and turn in that direction. He’s moaning softly, like he’s having a nightmare, and the pounding in my chest only gets worse. My teeth grind as I look back at John, and from the hot flash washing over my face, I’m sure my disdain is obvious.
“I’m not sympathizing with her. You’re lucky I haven’t killed her yet. If you want her to live long enough to even speak to Dr. Von, you better keep her away from us.” I turn sharply and storm back to the bedroom, feeling each step reverberate through my body. The anger flowing through me reaches my head, and the soft pounding behind my skull comes back. Before I walk in the door, I take a deep breath, knowing that I at least need toappearcalm for Damien. He needs more rest, and I won’t be able to soothe him if he knows I’m this angry.
My arms flail as I shake this trembling feeling away, and then I enter the room. I head straight for the bed, barely patting Daisy on the head another time before I sit on the mattress. His chestheaves up and down, and his muscles are so tight that I can see the veins on his forearms bubble up to the surface.
“Ashia…” he mumbles in his sleep, and it breaks my heart. I brush a strand of hair away from his face and hush him quietly. The moment the tips of my fingers graze his skin, he sighs, taking my breath with him.
“I’m right here, baby.”
His eyes flutter open just long enough to get a good look at me, and then they fall closed again. He raises his strained arm to grip my hand, and before he even has the chance to pull me down, I’m already sinking into the bed with him. That comfortable, warm feeling comes back the moment I lay against him. His scent fills my nose once again, and I breathe in my fill of it, letting it soothe me even further.
He’s the only thing I need right now. His arms wrap around me again, and our baby girl moves gently in my belly, reminding me that my entire world is right here in this room. I don’t give a single fuck about Victoria. They can believe whatever they want. It doesn’t matter if the truth is screaming in my ear. I just don’t care. She touched what’smine. She hurt the love of my life. They can play whatever games they want with her. As long as Damien comes out on the other side of this, what happens to her doesn’t fucking matter.
My loyalty lies with my husband, and my concern remains on my family. I won’t hesitate to eliminate anything that threatens them, and that includes the one currently residing under our roof. The only thing that might stop me is Damien himself, and as much as I hate it, he might. I don’t know what they all see in her, but it’s infuriating. Hopefully, Carter gets more proof on her claims, because until I have concrete evidence of what she’s telling us, she will remain enemy number one.
And I won’t hesitate to finish what Damien started.
Chapter 9
Damien
Two Days Later
‘Bow Down’ – I Prevail
“Come on, D! That’s it!” Zeke screams in my ear, making me want to knock him the fuck out. Sweat drips from my forehead and my muscles scream at me to stop. I pump my arms as “Bow Down” by I Prevail blares through the speakers across the room, and as hard as I try, I can feel them shake a little more every time I push myself back up. The small breeze from the fan hits my face, and just when I think I’ll make it another rep, my arm gives out from under me, sending me to the floor. A grunt slips out when my shoulder hits, causing pain to explode and migrate through my back.
“Fucking damnit!” I roll and stare at the ceiling as I catch my breath. Zeke’s face bolts into my view, and when he sticks his hand out, I hesitate to take it.
Failure…
“Fuck yeah, D! That was a good set. Take a break.” He shakes his hand, beckoning me to take it. Once I grip him, he pulls me up, and I grit my teeth at the burning of my abdominal muscles.
“’Good’ my ass. I used to do double that without breaking a sweat.” I swipe the towel off the nearby bench and bow my head to wipe the moisture away. It’s still strange to feel the shaved part, but I’ll admit, it feels better than it did when it was caked in blood and sweat. Plus, it’s easier to stay cool and clean with the sides and back cut like this.
“Hey, at least you hit twenty. Princess over there is still only on ten.” Zeke jerks his head in Carter’s direction with a shit-eating grin on his face, only to get an aggravated growl from Carter in return.
“Fuck you, Zeke!”
