Chapter 207
Tears burned my eyes, blurring the dim light filtering through the room. A bolt of pain caught in my chest, making it harder to breathe, harder to think. I wrapped my arms tight around my body and rocked gently back and forth, shaking my head, as if denial of the movement could somehow shove away reality. No. No. I would find a way. I had to. I couldn’t lose them. I couldn’t let them lose me. But I also couldn’t let Faith die.
Nathan wasn’t bluffing. I knew him too well. I knew how he worked, twisting people into his games, setting the rules only to break them when it suited him. I could go to him, negotiate, buy time. I could make sure Faith got home safely before I figured out how to get back myself. Because I would get back. I had to.
Ava and Liam were waiting for me.
The thought of them, their little faces lighting up whenever they saw me, their innocent voices calling out my name, it all grounded me enough to stop shaking. I pressed my back against the locked door, curling my legs beneath me as exhaustion and dread wrapped around me like a suffocating shroud. A thousand desperate notions were running through my head, none of which led to a future where we all came out in one piece, but I would not accept any other outcome. Faith would never make it if I waited.
The next time I opened my eyes, I wasn’t on the floor anymore. Warmth enveloped me, and strong arms folded around my waist to press me tightly against a firm chest.
I lay there, not moving, for a moment as my mind floated in the haze of sleep, lost between reality and dreams. Then it hit me. Alex.
I tensed, my jaw clenching as the anger welled back up to the surface. He’d locked me up like I was some prisoner. Like I was a child who needed to be controlled. I moved, trying to slip out from his hold, but his arms only tightened around me.
“Go back to sleep,” his deep voice rumbled near my ear. His breath was warm against my skin. “You need rest.”
I swallowed the frustration bubbling in my throat. “You locked me in here,” I muttered.
His lips pressed a soft kiss on my cheek. “And if you want to hate me for it, you can. Tomorrow.”
I hated how the sound of his voice soothed me. Hated how the way he wrapped himself around me suddenly made me feel protected, and not at all like a hostage.
But I was too worn down to be defiant.
So, against my better judgment, I let my eyelids flutter closed again. And I slept.
Morning came on like a slow–moving storm.
My body felt heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and something else. Something that made my limbs ache and my skin burn.
I groaned, forcing myself up, only to feel a sharp wave of dizziness wash over me. My head pounded. My throat was dry and scratchy.
I felt terrible, as though I’d been beaten in my sleep, with every muscle in my body aching, like I’d fought some battle I didn’t remember. My head throbbed, my throat was sore, and even breathing seemed an effort. Blinking against the dim light of morning making its way into the room, I rolled onto my side and looked over toward the bedside table, where a tray of food was set out before me: toast, eggs, and a steaming cup of tea. The sight of it only made my stomach churn. I ignored it, my mind already set on something else.
Forcing myself upright, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the soles of my feet making contact with the cool floor as I shoved to my feet. A sharp wave of dizziness threatened to pull me back down, but I pushed forward, steadying myself as I stumbled toward the door. My fingers curled around the handle, twisting–only to find resistance. The door didn’t budge. Locked.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my chest tightening as frustration surged through me. He locked me in. Again.
Spinning around, I slammed my forehead against the wooden surface, making myself breathe, stay calm. My pulse hammered in my ears, but before I had time to work out what to do, I heard it–the turn of the key in the lock. That metallic click sent a jolt of anticipation through me, and I turned just as the door creaked open.
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