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“Where am I going to go?”

“Where you’ll be safe.”

“Which is where?”

“Where I am.”

Aldo kept humming some familiar tune, but I couldn’t place it. It was pissing me off to no end, though. When the doctor told me Effie could leave, I picked her up off the bed, wrapped in the blanket and hospital gown, and carried her out to the car. She was sedated and exhausted enough not to protest or try to get away. Instead, she rested her head on my shoulder, once again finding purchase with her fist clutched to the scrubs I wore.

I sat in the car, holding her, feeling oddly relieved at her closeness. I wasn’t much for touching people, but with her, it felt right.

“Do you want a room for her?” Aldo asked.

“No.”

“Where—”

I shot him a glare, and he shut up, although he started humming again.

At the hotel, Aldo followed us upstairs, and we headed to my private office and suite. I carried Effie to my bed, laying her down carefully. I noticed her grimace of pain at times, and I didn’t want to cause her any undue discomfort.

I pulled the scratchy hospital blanket off her, frowning when I saw the mottled bruises on her upper thighs. Without thinking, I pushed up the hospital gown, my anger growing again at the sight of more bruising on her hip.

She made a distressed sound, and I looked up, meeting her gaze. Clouded in pain, her eyes were a gray-violet, and she looked terrified.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I assured her, using the quietest voice I could. “I’m just looking. How did these bruises get here?”

“First Marianne, then one of them—the men,” she whispered. “I fought them in the basement, and one got mad and he kicked me.”

I shut my eyes, trying to calm my rage. I should have shot them both a few times and let them suffer instead of ending their lives so quickly. And Marianne no longer fell into the “do not touch” category. If I ever found her, she would suffer.

The feel of Effie’s hand on mine made my eyes fly open, and she shook her head. “You stopped them. Thank you.”

She shouldn’t be thanking me. It was because of me this happened. Once she found out, she wouldn’t be so sweet.

I pulled down the gown and reached for the blanket, but she stopped me. “No. I’m dirty and⁠—”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes. Please. I’ll shower.”

I barked a laugh. “You can barely stand, Little Tiger.”

“Please.”

Once again, I lifted her, carrying her into the en suite. I set her on the bench in the large shower, turning on the water. I aimed the spray at her once it was warm and set the soap and shampoo beside her. “Do not try to stand. Get clean, and I will get you something to wear.”

Aldo was waiting for me in my office. “You can go.”

“And what is going to happen when I do?”

“I’ll get her settled, then check in downstairs. I have to keep waking her every two hours, so I won’t be sleeping much tonight anyway.”

“Playing nursemaid now too.”

“Paying my debt.”

He looked as if he was going to say something but refrained. That was a good choice since my temper was barely under control.