“She’ll pull through,” he tries to encourage me. “What do you want me to do with Josh?”
“Nothing,” I grind the word out. “Just hold him there until I can get away. I don’t want to leave Dash until I know she’s stable.”
“Okay.”
“Tristan,” I say so he doesn’t hang up. “Don’t give him anything to drink or eat.”
My brother lets out a dark chuckle. “Of course.”
“Don’t touch him, either,” I warn him, knowing how short my brother’s temper is.
“Aww fuck, there you go and ruin all the fun,” he mutters, probably trying to make me smile, but it’s impossible right now.
Chapter 20
CHRISTOPHER
After cleaning myself up, I peek into the room again and see Aunt Leigh and Miss Sebastian working on Dash’s back. There’s an entire bucket of bloody towels, and they’re still busy.
Miss Sebastian notices me. “It’s still going to take a while. I’ll call you when we’re done.”
Nodding, I step back into the hallway.
“At least there’s no internal damage,” Uncle Jax murmurs.
I’m unable to count my blessing while my fiancée is a bloody mess.
Shaking my head, my eyes meet his, then he says, “There’s nothing we can do here. Let’s go take care of Josh.”
I glance back into the room, then nod. “We might as well.”
Uncle Jax pops into the room. “We’re meeting Carter and the boys. We’ll be an hour at most. Just call if you need anything.”
Aunt Leigh doesn’t even respond. She’s one hundred percent focused on Dash, her hands moving fast to repair what she can as fast as she can.
The sight is comforting.
“Okay,” Miss Sebastian answers, also not looking up.
We leave the women to tend to Dash while we go take care of Josh.
Honestly, I haven’t thought much of Josh. I was too focused on Dash. I have no idea what we’re going to do with him. I’m alternating between beating him until he looks a million times worse than Dash and asking Alexei to kill him.
Once we’re in the car, and I’m driving us to the address Dad sent, I ask, “What do you want to do with Josh?”
As much as I would like to end the fucker, it’s not just up to me.
Uncle Jax thinks for a moment. “It’s too late to hand him over to the police. I’d love to see him behind bars for life, but we both know that will never happen.”
Agreeing, I nod.
“He hurt my baby,” Uncle Jax mutters, his voice heavy with emotion. The sound makes my heart shrink.
“Do we kill him?” I ask directly, knowing it’s the only outcome at the end of the day. We can’t let him go, and after what he’s done to Dash… he deserves death.
Uncle Jax sits frozen next to me, but from the harrowed expression on his face, I know he’s thinking the same thing as me.
Josh almost killed Dash. If we didn’t get there when we did, she’d probably be dead.
“Will Alexei do it?” Uncle Jax asks, not knowing too much about Tristan’s best friend.
“Yes, he will.”
We pull up to the warehouse, and I park behind Dad’s car. As I get out of the vehicle, I glance around while I wait for Uncle Jax. It’s quiet as we walk inside, and I take in everything.
Alexei’s standing to the side with one of his men. Dad and Tristan are with Josh, who’s tied to a chair and clearly unconscious.
When I stop in front of Josh, everything inside me begins to shake. Dad comes to stand next to me while Tristan goes to slap Josh’s cheek. “Time to wake up, Josh.” He keeps patting his cheek. “Come on. Wake up.”
“He’s been rambling the same shit,” Dad grumbles. “How he loves Dash and was doing what’s best for her. Fucking insane. Sickening.”
Josh lifts his head, and when our eyes meet, he begins to chuckle. After a moment, he asks, “You think you won?”
I just stare at him, thinking Dash spent four fucking days with this man. He almost killed her.
It feels as if lightning strikes through me, and unable to keep my composure, I dart forward. There’s no satisfaction as my fist connects with Josh’s jaw.
There’s no fucking justice, no matter what we do.
Dash is still hurt. There’s still a fucking bucket of bloody towels. She was still starved and tortured.
Nothing I do will make that go away or any better.
Taking a step back, I shake my head. “No, I didn’t win.” My eyes move to Alexei, and I say, “Take care of it.”
Alexei nods, and as he walks closer, my eyes lock with Josh’s again, and then I say, “Neither did you.”
“Rot in hell,” Uncle Jax says, his voice wound tight.
Alexei comes up behind Josh, and his eyes meet mine one last time as he lifts a gun to the back of Josh’s head.
This is not about who has the power to kill whom, but the fact that I need to keep Dash safe, and she’ll never be safe in a world where Josh is allowed to live.
When I nod, there’s a clicking sound, and then Josh slumps forward. I don’t know what I expected, but that wasn’t it.
Blood trickles from his head and knowing I ordered the death of another human being makes me feel sick.
“I need to get back to Dash,” I say, not feeling like justice has been served at all. Looking at Alexei again, I say, “Let me know what the fee is.”
He begins to shake his head, and it has me saying, “I can’t owe a man like you anything. Let me know the fee.”
He nods. “Standard fee. Finding. Eliminating. Disposing. Three-point-five.”
“Send me the bank details.”
Turning around, I leave the warehouse with Uncle Jax and Dad.
DASH
Coming to, my body instinctively curls into a small ball. Pain seers through me, ripping an agonizing breath from me.
A cool hand grips hold of mine, and my body reacts. I begin to scramble away as my eyes fly open, and unexpectedly, I fall.
“It’s Mom. It’s Mom. You’re safe, baby. It’s Mom.”
I scramble back, and something tugs at my arm. Only when I slam into a wall do I stop, breaths bursting over my lips.
I pull my legs up, and with my body shaking violently, I try to make sense of my surroundings.
I expect to see Josh. My body is tense, waiting for the next blow.
But then my sight focuses on my mother’s face, and I can’t process what I’m seeing. A sob bursts over my lips.
Mommy.
She keeps coming closer, and when her hand cautiously touches my arm, my body convulses.
“Baby,” she gasps, her voice quivering.
Her face distorts as tears blur my vision, but they don’t fall.
She scoots in right next to me. “It’s Mom. You’re safe.” The words sound strangled as she wraps her arms around me.
I sit frozen, except for the constant shivering.
Then slowly, my senses kick in. I smell her familiar soft scent that’s always accompanied by sanitizer. Her touch feels like home.
I gasp.
If this is a dream, I never want to wake up.
“Mom?” I whisper, my voice raw. I swallow hard. “I don’t want to wake up.”
Mom jerks, and I feel her lips against the side of my head. It feels so tender, so good, so safe, my eyes begin to drift closed.
Then movement catches my eye, and seeing a man, I instantly tense.
“Please. Please. Please,” I begin to beg. “I’m sorry.” Tears warm my skin, and I’m surprised by it because I ran out of those by day two… I think.
The man crouches, and when his face comes into focus, I let out a heartbreaking cry.
No. This is just cruel. Whatever this is. It’s cruel.
Christopher can’t be a part of this nightmare.
I feel hysterical as he lifts his hand, reaching for me.
“No. No. No,” I sob. “Please. Stop. I can’t.”
&nbs
p; I pinch my eyes shut, my body waiting for the blow, my mind-shattering, and the last of my will to survive fading.
I can’t.
Chapter 21
CHRISTOPHER
God, my heart.
Indescribable heartbreak shudders through me as Dash begins to weep.
Miss Sebastian pats me on the shoulder. “Give us a moment to calm her down.”
Rising to my feet, Dash lets out a shriek. Miss Sebastian injects her with something, and seconds later, her cries turn to whimpers before she grows quiet.
Aunt Leigh’s face is wet with tears as she moves onto her knees. She checks Dash’s vitals, then glances up at me. “Can you put her back on the bed so I can get the IV in her again?”
“Of course.”
I move in next to Dash, and then Aunt Leigh says, “Careful with her back.”
I nod as I slowly move my arms under Dash. She’s only wearing a bathrobe, but the fabric swallows her whole. Lifting her to my chest, I straighten up. My eyes scan over her bruised face, and it rips a chunk out of my heart.
I don’t want to let go of her, but knowing I don’t have a choice, I walk to the bed and carefully lay her down. Aunt Leigh quickly inserts the IV again, then she wipes the blood up from the previous site.
“What happened?” I ask.
“She came to. I don’t think she realizes she’s safe.” Aunt Leigh takes a quivering breath, struggling to keep control over her emotions, which is not something I’ve ever seen before. “It’s like she’s still there.”
Uncle Jax comes to stand next to the bed, and when his eyes scan over Dash, it looks like he takes a physical blow. When he staggers a step backward, I instantly place an arm behind him. His breathing begins to speed up, and then he shudders.
He lifts his hand to his mouth as a heartbreaking groan ripples from him. “God.”
Aunt Leigh makes a strangled sound, and when she moves toward Uncle Jax, I step back. Their arms fold around each other, and then Uncle Jax sinks to the ground, taking Aunt Leigh with him.
I can’t watch their sorrow. It’s too raw. Turning around, my gaze falls on my parents. Dad reaches a hand out to me, and my body moves. His fingers clamp around my arm, and then he pulls me against him.
There’s still no comfort. The worry has taken on a new shape. We might have found Dash, and yes, she’s alive… but… how the fuck will she recover from this?
“I have to call Noah,” Uncle Jax says. “He needs to be here.”
Fuck. We can’t keep it from everyone any longer.
“Danny,” I murmur to Dad.
“She knows. I’ve been keeping her updated. She’ll stop by after work,” Mom answers.
God, work.
Before I can say anything, Dad says, “I’ll take over until you’re ready to go back to the office. Don’t worry about anything.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I whisper. My eyes lock with his before I glance at Mom. “For everything.”
Without my parents, I don’t think I’d survive this.
“Noah,” I hear Uncle Jax say behind me. Turning, I see he’s on a call. “You need to come over. It’s Dash.” The strain in his voice guts me.
I walk to where Miss Sebastian is standing on the other side of the bed. Her eyes have not left Dash. Placing my arm around her shoulders, I ask, “She’ll recover, right?”
Miss Sebastian begins to nod, and then her face crumbles. I instantly pull her against my chest. “She will,” she sobs. “She has to.”
I close my eyes against the worry I hear in her voice.
We all stand around the bed, emotions calming before spiraling out of control again. It’s as if we’re already mourning the loss of Dash.
I reach for Dash’s hand and notice her engagement ring is gone. My fingers brush over hers. Leaning over her, I press a kiss to her hair because it’s the only safe spot, then I whisper, “I love you.”
Minutes later, Noah comes rushing into the room, and the moment his eyes land on Dash, his hands lift to cover his mouth. “Christ. What happened?”
Straightening up, I say, “She was kidnapped.”
“What?” he rasps as he moves closer, his eyes darting between his sister and me. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Uncle Jax wraps an arm around his son, then pulls him to the side. While he brings Noah up to speed with things, my gaze lowers to Dash.
I take in the bruises, all different colors. Her lips are chapped as if she’s been out in the sun for days. Her cheeks are sunken, and it makes her look fragile as if she can break at any moment.
My eyes drift over her and seeing her broken nails and the bruises on her arms… it’s as if it only sinks in then.
The woman I love has been beaten within an inch of her life. I wasn’t there to protect her. I wasn’t there to comfort her.
I wasn’t there when she needed me most.
My legs go numb, and crouching next to the bed, I try to breathe through the intense disappointment in myself as a man, the overwhelming heartache. My breaths speed up, and my body shakes.
I’m so sorry, Dash.
I’m so fucking sorry.
DASH
I wake up to bright light spilling into the room.
Confused, I blink, my eyes stinging. I’m so used to the cabin's darkness with all the windows boarded up that seeing sunlight is startling.
Did I die?
My sight focuses on the window, the tree outside familiar, comforting.
“Baby?” I hear Mom, her voice filled with caution.
Slowly I turn my gaze until it falls on her.
‘Mommy.’ I hear my five-year-old voice inside my head.
“It’s Mom,” she whispers as she leans closer to me. Her eyes are filled with pain. “You’re safe.”
I’m safe.
The words sound wrong, as if they don’t belong in my world.
A bigger body comes up behind Mom, and fear clamps down on my throat. My breathing speeds up, and an incessant beeping fills the room.
“Sweetheart,” I hear Dad’s voice, and it takes a moment for my mind to accept what I’m seeing.
My parents.
Is this another dream? A hallucination? Am I dead?
Dad reaches for me, and when his hand brushes over my hair, I begin to shake uncontrollably.
It feels so good, Daddy.
Dad instantly pulls back, a torn expression changing his features.
Noah comes into view, and it fills me with more heartache.
It has to be a dream.
A torturously good dream.
I don’t want to wake up.
Please don’t let me wake up.
Maybe this is my version of heaven?
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I don’t care if this is real or not. I just want to get everything out before I’m woken or before it ends. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight harder. I tried.”
Mom begins to gasp as if she’s struggling to breathe. Shaking her head, her voice is thick as she says, “Baby, don’t. You’re safe now. I’ll make everything better. Okay? On a scale of one to ten, ten being unbearable, how’s the pain?”
Pain?
It’s become a part of me.
It’s ingrained into every inch of my body.
When Christopher comes into the room, I know my mind is playing tricks on me. His eyes lock with mine, and all I see is a world of pain. It’s as if everything I’m feeling is reflecting in his eyes.
A deep chill spreads through my body, causing me to shake so bad, I can hear my breaths as they burst fast and choppy over my lips.
My heartbeat speeds up until my muscles cramp painfully as if I’m shriveling into nothing.
Christopher takes hold of my hand, and his touch feels warm, like home. Then he leans over me, and I hear the dreadful words. “I love you.”
No, not again. I can’t survive more.
I can’t.
I try to shrink back as I begin to shake my head. “Please,” I gasp as panic and fear r
avage what’s left of my broken spirit. “I’m sorry.”
For some reason, my breathing starts to slow down, and a weird numbness spreads through me until the dream fades into the darkness.
Chapter 22
CHRISTOPHER
I stand frozen as Dash calms from the sedative Aunt Leigh gave her.
Fuck.
That’s twice now she’s lost it from seeing me.
My eyes lift to Aunt Leigh’s. “Is it me?”
She glances between Dash and me, and then she says, “She just needs to adjust. It will take time. It’s normal for her reactions to be extreme.” Aunt Leigh checks the IV. “She won’t be out for long. I’m trying to sedate her less.”
I nod as I take a seat next to the bed. We’ve all spent the night in here with Dash, in case she woke up. At least she got a good night’s rest.
Miss Sebastian comes into the room, carrying a tray with coffee. After she’s given us all a cup, she digs in her pocket. “I almost forgot. We found this on Dash.” She holds out the engagement ring to me.
I honestly haven’t thought of it, figuring Josh had gotten rid of it.
I take the ring from Miss Sebastian, murmuring, “Thank you.”
I almost slip it onto Dash’s finger but then change my mind, wanting to do it when she’s awake. Tucking the ring into my pocket, my eyes go back to Dash.
I sip on the coffee, and then my gaze falls on her chapped lips. Setting the cup down next to the bed, I ask, “Can’t we put something on her lips? Chapstick?”
Miss Sebastian points to a tub of petroleum jelly.
Picking the tub up, I take off the lid and scoop some onto my pointer finger. I keep my touch as light as possible as I dab it onto her lips, being extra cautious over the cuts.
Every couple of minutes, I’m rocked to my core, finding it hard to understand how Josh could do this to her.
I knew he was bad news, but this… it’s unthinkable.
It also soothes my conscience about having him killed. No person who can hurt another human being like this should be allowed to live.
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