by Bale, Sarah
“I should’ve let you die you that day you came to us, but my own lust got in the way. Maybe I should take you now.” His lips pressed against my forehead. “But when we make love, I want it to be because you’re begging for it.”
I tried to shake my head, but Air’s grip tightened around my throat until I couldn’t breathe.
“Please. I can’t-”
He whispered, “I should kill you right now and send your reanimated body out there for him to see. That would be the end of this war and we would win.”
My head felt foggy from the lack of oxygen, but I knew he was right. My death would end this all.
“I’m not going to do that, though. Instead, I’m going to let you go. You’ll go to your home and be reunited with your lover.” His hand went to my stomach and I wanted to pull away, but couldn’t.
“He will be overcome when he knows you carry his child, a child you’ve tried to hide from me. But your joy will be short-lived because I will return one day. I will kill him and all the others who sided with him. Then, you and your child will live with us. You will become one of us. And one day this will be a fading memory to you.”
I shook in his arms, but didn’t have the strength to fight back.
“Go now, lady. Go to him and let him think they have won. Go knowing I will come for you soon.” He pressed his lips against mine in a kiss that left my skin crawling. “Go.”
Stumbling away from him, I ran. There was gunfire outside and I knew it was Elijah. I burst through the doors. The sunlight was so bright that my eyes watered and I was momentarily blinded. The cold air was a shock, but I didn’t care. I was free!
“Daisy!”
Turning, I saw Grey running toward me. His clothes were stained with blood. Whose blood? His? Theirs?
“Grey!” My voice broke as I screamed.
I ran toward him, not giving a fuck that there were shots being fired all around us. Grey pulled me into his arms, looking down at me.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded.
He pulled a radio from his pocket. “We have her. Everyone get the fuck out of here.”
Grey used his body to shield me as we ran toward a van. When I got inside, the door slammed closed.
Nikki turned from the driver’s seat. “Daisy! Are you-”
Grey yelled, “Nikki, get us the fuck out of here!”
Nikki nodded and took off. Grey held his chest, breathing heavily.
“Where’s Elijah?”
“He’s at home.”
I leaned back in the seat.
He was at home.
While I was out here.
A cold fury settled in my stomach and my hands shook.
Grey went on, “He was out last night looking for you. Wasn’t doing anyone any good in the shape he was in.”
“How long was I gone?”
Grey met my gaze. “Forty days.”
Forty days. It felt like longer. It felt like less. Nothing made sense anymore. I nodded once, but didn’t reply. Instead, I closed my eyes. I was so tired-
“Grey. Do you copy?” Elijah’s voice made me lean forward, as if he would suddenly appear in front of me.
“I’m here, Boss.”
“Do you have her?”
“We do. We’re on our way home.”
Elijah let out a sigh. “Oh, thank god. Is she hurt?”
Grey eyed me, and I wanted to laugh. Yes, I was fucking hurt. What in the hell did he expect? That they would keep me as a welcomed guest?
Grey replied, “She’s bruised, but no obvious injuries.”
I was more than bruised. I was broken.
“How far out are you? I can meet you.”
I held up my hand. “Tell him no.”
Grey’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Boss, Daisy said there’s no need. We’ll be home in a few.”
Elijah didn’t reply, not that I expected him to. I closed my eyes again, praying I wasn’t about to be sick. That was the last fucking thing I needed.
When the hospital came into sight I thought I’d feel some sense of relief. I only felt fear. Because now the game had started with Air. I rubbed my arms, trying to rub the feeling of dread away, but it was no use. Both gates opened and we made our way to the hospital. There was a large group of people standing in front. Kat with Hilly. Norman. Jo. Cooper. Nancy. Dave. Rocco. Harper. Jeff.
“Where’s Noah?”
Nikki met my gaze in the mirror and her eyes filled with tears. She simply shook her head. The realization of what had happened to my own people stuck me like a hot iron right over my heart.
“Who else?”
Grey replied, “Andrews. Marianne. James. Several of Marshall’s men.”
My stomach churned. These people were dead because of me. Because I had thought I could end this war.
Elijah stood in front of them all and I almost didn’t recognize him. He’d lost weight and looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Maybe he hadn’t.
The van came to a stop and he was opening the door, reaching for me. He couldn’t hide the shock in his eyes when he saw me, though.
“Daisy. Thank god.” He pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head.
I wasn’t ready for this. His touch. The looks from others. Everything.
“I’m cold.”
He nodded and scooped me into his arms, carrying me inside. I pressed my head against his chest so I wouldn’t have to meet the gazes of our people. I wasn’t ready to talk to them. To anyone, really. Elijah took me to our room, closing the door behind him.
“Do you want to take a shower?”
There was no telling what I looked like, especially since Air had cut my hair. I shook my head and wiggled out of his arms.
“I just want a blanket.”
Anything to put distance between us.
He grabbed the one from our bed, wrapping it around me.
“I’m so glad you’re home, Daisy. I can’t tell you how worried I was.”
I nodded, but didn’t reply.
“When Air left the head at the gate, I can’t even tell you what went through my mind.”
His voice wavered and he wrapped his arms around me. I jerked at the contact, feeling as if I were being suffocated, but he didn’t let me go. Instead, he held me close as he cried, but I felt nothing. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I feel anything?
“Please talk to me, baby,” he said against my hair. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
I wanted to snort at that.
Had they hurt me? The answer should be obvious.
Was I okay? No. I wasn’t.
But, I didn’t have the energy to tell him any of this. Instead, I pulled away.
“I’m tired.”
I crawled into the bed, pulling the blankets up to my neck. I wasn’t lying. I was tired. But I also didn’t want to talk. Closing my eyes, I let myself give away to slumber.
Air and his men were chasing me. I was on foot, but they were in the dune buggies. I knew by the looks in their eyes that they were going to kill me this time. No more games. Air yelled something about running me over when a scream worked its way up my throat.
“Daisy! Wake up!”
I swung my fists and tried to get away from the voice. Strong arms went around me.
“Daisy, it’s okay. You’re safe.”
I cried out, “Get away from me!”
The arms let me go and suddenly the room was filled with light. Elijah stared down at me in concern. Slowly, I realized it had just been a dream. No one was after me. Blood roared through my ears. No, that wasn’t true. Air was out there somewhere, waiting to strike again. There was no way he’d just let me go when he knew how much Elijah valued me.
There was a knock on the door. “Everything okay in there?”
Elijah opened it and I saw Kat peering in with a frown on her face. Tears filled my eyes and I ran into the bathroom, closing the door. I didn’t want anyone to look at me like she had. Like I was fucking damag
ed.
Turning the shower on, I let the water run without getting in. Even with the water on, I could hear them talking in low tones. When I was sure she was gone, I opened the door. Elijah was there, a look in his eyes I didn’t know how to decipher.
“Daisy-”
“I’m tired, Elijah.”
Pushing past him, I got into bed and faced the wall. I knew I wasn’t going to sleep, but maybe he’d take the hint.
Elijah
Daisy’s body was so stiff next to mine that it felt like I was lying next to a board. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, pulling her close, but that wasn’t what she needed right now. So, I would do the only thing I could. I would be there until she was ready to talk and then I would be there to help her heal. Closing my eyes, I let myself fall asleep, knowing she was safe.
When I woke up, I found the spot next to me empty. Standing, I almost tripped over Daisy, who was curled in a ball on the floor, asleep.
“What did they do to you?” I whispered.
She stirred at the sound of my voice and jerked away from me. There was a wild look in her eyes that made me feel… useless. She blinked and the look went away as she realized where she was.
“Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. “You should go eat, though. I’m going to take a shower.”
She went to the bathroom, closing the door. When I heard the lock click, I tried not to take it personally.
I left the room and went to the cafeteria. Grey, Kat, Jo, and Nikki were sitting together.
“How is she?” Jo asked.
I shook my head. “Still scared.”
“Maybe I should go talk to her?”
“She was in the shower when I left.”
Kat said, “She’s been through a lot. It might take a bit for her to relax, especially since Air wasn’t killed.”
I’d thought the same thing. If Air was dead, this would all be different. Yet again another way I had failed her. Hell, I hadn’t even been out there when she was rescued!
I turned to Grey. “No one saw him at the compound?”
“No, and that’s the part that pisses me off. We know he was there. So how in the fuck did he get away?”
“Maybe Daisy will be able to answer that for us.”
Jo asked, “Do you think she’s up to talking about it?”
“I’m sure she’ll want him dead as much as we do.”
Jo and Kat exchanged looks.
“Spit it out.”
Kat said, “Don’t take this personally, Boss, but we want to talk to Daisy. Alone.”
Jo added, “If they hurt her in any way, she might not feel like she can tell you. But she needs to tell someone. We have no idea what they did to her.”
My jaw ticked, but they were right.
Nikki said, “We can ask her about Air later. For now, we need to work on making sure she’s okay.”
“Fine. But if she doesn’t want to talk about it, don’t make her.”
They nodded.
Grey said to me, “Let’s go to the barn. Dave is out there, waiting. We caught a few of Air’s men yesterday. Maybe they’re ready to talk today.”
The old barn had been very busy lately. In fact, that’s how we had learned where Air had Daisy hidden. Some young guy had spilled his guts before Grey sliced him, letting him spill his guts in another way.
I cracked my knuckles. “Let’s go.”
If I couldn’t help Daisy, I was going to crack some faces until I felt better.
9
Daisy
The hot water rolled down my skin as I stood under the showerhead. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I could still feel Air’s touch on my skin. Hot tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them away. Finally, I gave up on feeling clean and got out of the shower.
The mirror fogged and I wiped it away, looking at myself for the first time in months. My face was thinner. Haunted. And my hair… well, let’s just say it was a good thing I wasn’t vain because the jagged bob might have been enough to send me over the edge. Bruises in varying shades of blues, purples, blacks, and greens covered my skin. My ankle was still swollen, making me wonder if it had been broken, but had healed on its own. The only place not touched was my stomach.
I was shocked to see the normally flat plane was now slightly rounded. It shouldn’t be possible that I was still pregnant, but I couldn’t deny the tiny flutter I’d felt in random moments while held prisoner. And now… now I had to keep my secret a little bit longer. I knew Elijah would hide me away to keep me safe if he knew. But this wasn’t over until Air was dead.
I dressed in the bathroom in case Elijah had come back. When I came out, I was surprised to see Nikki, Jo, and Kat sitting on my bed. They eyed me as if not sure what to say. I eyed them back, feeling the same way.
“You look better today,” Jo said with a smile.
I was shocked to see how round her stomach was now compared to me. That’s what mine should look like, but I’d been held prisoner while she was here, safe. I wished I could share my news with her, so we could compare notes. Kat, too. She would have a lot of good advice to offer since having baby Hilly.
Needing to keep a wall up, I replied, “You’re good at lying.”
Kat asked, “How are you? Really?”
I sighed as I sat in the chair next to the bed. “I’ve been better.”
Nikki asked, “Did they… how bad did they hurt you?”
“I’m alive, if that counts for anything.”
Her eyes filled with tears. I hated that she now looked at me in pity and that Kat and Jo had similar looks on their faces. I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me.
Needing to change the subject, I asked, “What happened to Noah?”
Nikki flinched, as if she’d been hit herself and I felt bad for hurting her.
“When we found out where you’d been moved to, we went to rescue you. Unfortunately, Air had anticipated that and had set up a roadblock.” Nikki’s eyes clouded over. “There was a gun fight and things were going in our favor. But, they blew up the tank we’d found west of Mustang and he… he was inside. After that, they won.”
“Did he suffer?”
She wiped a tear away. “He fought as hard as he could. We got him all the way home before he passed.”
Her expression was now haunted, as if his passing had scarred her for the rest of her life. Poor, sweet Noah. He didn’t deserve this. None of them deserved this.
“This is my fault.”
Nikki’s eyes widened. “What? Why would you think that, Daisy? This is Air’s fault!”
I shook my head again. “If I had just been able to kill him-”
My words trailed off and I stood, needing to move.
Kat asked, “Daisy, we have to know. Did they sexually assault you?”
I laughed at that. Laughed until my bruised sides ached.
“Do you really think that sexually assaulting me is the worst thing they could do?” I snorted. “Believe me, there are much worse things that could happen. And did.”
They looked at me with varying expressions. Sympathy. Disbelief. Confusion.
“To ease your minds, no, they didn’t.” I moved to the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get something to eat.”
I left my room without glancing back. How could they be so naïve? And how could I explain what all had happened to me? Frowning, I went into the cafeteria. Elijah sat at a table with Norm and Dave. All looked surprised to see me. Elijah was at my side before I could take a step.
“Did something happen? Are you okay?”
I pushed away from him. “I’m hungry.”
I went to the kitchen. Cooper ran over, throwing his arms around me. I flinched, but he didn’t notice.
“Thank god you’re back!”
I hugged him, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Coop didn’t seem to mind.
“Are you hungry? Do you want some eggs? Or an omelet?” He snapped his fingers. “I’ll make you an omelet! Go sit!
”
I did as he said, because it’s not like we had anything to talk about. Elijah and Dave were talking when I came out.
Dave stood. “I’ll let you know.” He gave me a smile. “Good to have you back, Daisy.”
I nodded, taking his seat.
When he was gone, I asked, “What was that about?”
“Nothing.”
I could tell by his tone that it had been something, though.
“Elijah-”
“Daisy-”
He smiled. “You go first.”
I shook my head. “No, you can say whatever it is.”
“I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there yesterday. We’ve been working nonstop to get you back. After we caught some of Air’s men, we finally got answers.” He shook his head. “Can you forgive me for not being there?”
I wasn’t sure if I could, if I were being honest.
Instead, I asked, “How did you get answers from them?”
He smiled. “One of the men we caught was young and ready to talk once we had him. Told us where you were. Even said what you were wearing.”
I clasped my hands together to hide the shaking. “What was- did you know his name?”
“Matthew.”
My breath hitched in my throat. “Did he… is he alive?”
Elijah shook his head, actually smiling. “We killed him when he told us what we needed to know.”
I stood, backing away from Elijah. Couldn’t he see what he had become just to get me back? He had become Air.
“Daisy?”
Turning, I left him in the cafeteria. I wasn’t ready for any of this, but I knew one thing. I needed a plan before Air came back to get me because I was going to kill Air or die trying.
Elijah
Daisy’s face was pale as she all but ran away. I was about to go after her when Cooper came out.
“Where’s Daisy?”
“She needed some time.”
He nodded. “Used to be like that back in Texas.”
“What do you mean?”
Cooper sat across from me. “Lilly ran a tight ship. When people disobeyed, she punished them. Sometimes it felt like living in a war zone.” He shook his head. “People would come back from their punishments and need time to adjust.”