“Eli!” I yelled, scanning the room frantically.
Nothing. My heart was pounding against my ribs; I couldn’t find him. Then someone grabbed my sleeve. I looked down andsaw Finn, pointing toward a side corridor near the bathrooms. “There!”
I bolted toward it.
It was a narrow, dimly lit hallway, and there he was: curled into the back corner, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.
My chest caved inward. Seeing him like that knocked the breath straight out of me. The confident, laughing man from minutes ago was completely gone.
I dropped to my knees right in front of him, blocking the hallway from view. “Eli.”
His breathing came in short, broken gasps. He didn’t recognize me at first; his eyes darted past my shoulders, wild with panic, searching for the man.
“Hey, Eli. Look at me.”
My voice finally registered. A choked sob tore from his chest, and he reached for me.
I pulled him into my arms immediately, wrapping one arm around his waist and cradling the back of his head. “I’ve got you.”
His fingers clawed into my shirt, holding on for dear life.
“I’ve got you, Eli. You’re safe.”
He was shaking so violently I felt it down to my bones. “I couldn’t…” His voice cracked horribly. “I couldn’t get away.”
A cold ache settled behind my ribs. I swallowed hard, fighting back the rage that threatened to tear me apart. “You did,” I said, pulling back just enough to look at him. “Eli, look at me. Youdidget away.”
His bottom lip trembled. “But he grabbed me…”
“I know.” I brushed my thumb over his cheek, wiping away a tear. “I know, baby.”
Because I had seen it. I had seen someone put their hands on him, and for those critical few seconds, I hadn’t been fastenough. I hadn’t protected him. The thought sat like a blade twisted in my gut.
I had promised him, promisedmyself, that no one would ever touch him again. And I had been too late.
A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. Deck.
“CJ.”
I looked up. Deck’s expression was hard, but his eyes were understanding. He knew exactly where my head was going. “This isn’t on you.”
I almost let out a bitter laugh, because it sure as fuck felt like it. “He got his hands on him.”
“And Eli got away,” Deck said firmly, crouching beside us. “Because he fought.”
I looked back down at Eli. Deck was right. Eli had fought back, even when he was terrified. Even after years of Adrian training him to freeze, Eli had broken free and run.
Finn was standing at the entrance of the corridor like a guard, keeping the crowd away. When he looked back at Eli, the anger drained from his face, replaced by pure heartbreak.
He walked over slowly and knelt beside us. “Hey, El.”
Eli’s eyes flicked up.
“I’m sorry,” Finn whispered, his voice thick.
Eli frowned through his tears. “For what?”
“For not keeping him off you.” Finn swallowed hard, a tear slipping down his nose. “I should have seen him coming sooner.”
