“Almost forgot,” he quipped as he sauntered towards her, grabbing her wrist and cuffing it to the rail of the bed. “Can’t have you running off now, can we?”
Leah did her best to look sleepy and keep her breathing slow so he wouldn’t notice that she’d been moving around. Once he had gone, she tried to free herself from her restraints but only became more exhausted in the struggle. She slumped down into the bed, unable to fight off the fatigue. Walker seemed to be serious that she would be freed soon, but she was hesitant to get her hopes up. There was no other reason that she could think of that would make him feed her and he was exceptionally jubilant, so maybe it really was true. She drifted off to sleep, hoping that this nightmare would soon be over.
Then she was sitting up in bed wide-awake, her heart pounding. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed, but it was dark so it must have been closer to a few hours. Shouts of panic seemed to be coming from all around her, the distinct sounds of gunfire up above. Leah wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew she didn’t want to be tied to a bed for whatever it was.
She stifled a scream as she pulled her thin wrist through the cuffs until she heard a sickening snap, her limp hand sliding easily through the metal. Dashing out into the hallway, she slipped through the next door she saw just in time to hear Walker burst into the room he had left her in and fire three shots before screaming out in a rage.
“Find her!” he cried to the men accompanying him. “Shoot her on sight!”
She heard loud clangs and crashes through the wall as he tore the medical facility apart. Leah hid in the corner behind a shelving unit full of cleaning supplies, making herself as small as possible. Her breathing became panicked as she heard the door open, but the man about to enter the room crumpled into a heap on the floor as gunshots echoed down the hallway. She retrieved the scalpel from her leg and clenched it in her shaking fist.
Peeking through the shelf concealing her, she watched as three armed men ran past the doorway. They were dressed in matching black tactical gear, the same way the Adam’s security team had been. So far everyone she’d seen that worked for Walker wore camouflage. This wasn’t the uprising Walker had been doing his best to inspire; it was a rescue mission.
The commotion in the hallway had subsided and Leah crawled out of the corner. She wasn’t sure where she was in the ship, so she decided to walk in the direction the intruders had come from. Trembling, she stepped over the body in the doorway, her bare feet sliding in a pool of his blood. To her relief, there was a staircase heading upward at the end of the hall, only a hundred feet or so from where she was standing. She stumbled toward it as fast a she could, her weak legs making slow but steady progress. They were barely able to carry her up the stairs.
The starry sky opened up around her when she reached the top. After being inside for so long the openness was foreign to her. There was no one near where she had surfaced but she could hear a helicopter far away on the opposite side of the ship. Assuming that was her way out of this hellhole, she crept silently toward it as fast as she could. She reached a section of the deck that was a maze of pipes and equipment, multileveled and difficult to traverse. Every time she passed a doorway, she expected Walker or one of his henchmen to appear, killing her instantly or dragging her below deck again, back into her prison.
Her trembling legs were failing her, but she was determined to escape. The ship deck opened up before her as she finally came to the end of the industrial maze. Leah could see a group of men standing between her and the helipad. She tried to run toward them, but now that she had nothing to hold onto she could barely move without falling.
One of the men wasn’t dressed in black like the others, instead wearing a white buttoned down shirt, the light color contrasting with his dark hair and a splash of bright red streaming down from his shoulder. He was thinner than she remembered, but it was definitely him.
“Adam!” she screamed out, but her voice was barely above a whisper.
She waved her arms wildly and the men finally saw her. Tears started streaming from her eyes as they locked with Adam’s. He ran towards her screaming her name, blood gushing from his shoulder. Leah was anxious to close the distance between them, but her legs buckled beneath her and she tumbled toward the ground. A firm grasp around her arm stopped her fall, pulling her upright. For a moment it seemed like it was all over until she realized that Adam and his men hadn’t gotten to her yet.
Walker’s cruel laugh was unmistakable; she didn’t need to look to see who it was. Leah watched as Adam’s jaw clenched, fury replacing the hope fading from his eyes. There was a flash of gray in the moonlight and she felt a hard cylinder press against her temple.
“I would have given her back!” Walker shouted, pulling her body into his own.
“I couldn’t take that chance.” Adam took a few steps closer to them. His face was pale and Leah wondered how much blood he had lost.
“Bullshit!” Walker dragged her toward the railing. “I should have known better. The deformed baby she’ll give you wasn’t worth your life’s work. And nobody pays that much for sex.”
“Let her go. Now,” Adam ordered. “And you can walk away from this like nothing happened.”
“Oh I’ll let her go alright.” Walker’s laugh was maniacal, desperate. “I should have done this a long time ago.”
Leah twisted in his grasp and drove the scalpel into his flank. Walker let out a howl as a gunshot rang out into the clear night. Warm moisture flooded down her back but she hadn’t felt any impact. Still in his arms, Leah felt herself falling backwards as Walker slumped against the railing. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he let out a hiss and flung himself over the edge, his grip on her arm taking her down with him.
As soon as they were in the air, she was alone. The fall took longer than she had expected, as if it were happening in slow motion. Adam was screaming, but she couldn’t see anything but various shades of darkness whirling past. The water was so cold it felt like fire. She inhaled sharply from the shock, water pouring into her chest. Every muscle in her weakened body seized, leaving her immobile and sinking fast. The last thing she felt before she blacked out was a man’s arm around her waist, but she couldn’t tell if it was pulling her up or down.
16
“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?”
“We’re not exactly sure.”
“But she will, right?
“There is definitely brain activity. But she’s still very weak.”
“Does it usually take this long?”
“Every patient is different. But no. This is the longest I’ve seen.”
“I’ve paid you what you’ll make in a decade. If you let her die…”
“You can’t buy a miracle.”
She could sense that he was next to her, but her body was her new prison. The only thing she could feel was his hand on the top of her head, stroking her hair lightly. The worry in his voice whenever he talked to the doctors pained her, but as much as she willed herself to move, speak, do anything to give him a sign that she was still here, nothing happened.
Sleep. Leah couldn’t get enough sleep. No more bright light, no more harsh music. The steel floor, always present beneath the thin mat, had disappeared and she felt like she was floating.
Then the dreams started and she was back in the bright room. At least she hoped they were dreams. When it was over she was back on the cloud, with Adam stroking her hair and whispering into her ear not to be scared. But what if that was the illusion?
Adam had just finished yelling at the doctor again. He was so angry his fingers felt hot. Leah was as surprised as he was when she finally made a sound, just a little peep. Her eyes were open, but his face was a shadow. It looked like he was smiling.
“Hi, baby,” he whispered.
All she had for a response was another peep. His lips were barely on hers and she wanted to stay in this moment forever, but her as soon as her eyes closed the blackness reclaimed her.
Just two little peeps. That was all it took to lift his spirits. Adam didn’t sound angry when he talked to the doctors anymore. It was easier to rest now that he knew she was in here. The dreams kept tormenting her, but now she was sure that’s all they were- just dreams. She must have started moving or groaning when she had a nightmare, because Adam always woke her up. For a split second, she would see his beautiful face and know that she was safe. He was always there.
Her eyes opened and everything was relatively clear. Leah was lying on her side, looking at Adam reading a book in the chair next to her bed. For a moment she just watched him.
“Hi,” she croaked.
In the space of a blink he was kneeling at her side, the book landing on the floor with a thud.
“Hi.” His fingers traced her hairline and down her jaw, which she could open. He smiled at her, kissing the tip of her nose.
“The baby?” Her hand landed on her stomach.
“He’s fine. Completely normal.”
“He?”
“Yea.” His hand was covering hers, his thumb gently brushing her belly.
“How long have I been-” her voice cracked, cutting her off.
“A while. Don’t worry about it.” Adam held a straw to her lips. The cool water was amazing. “Just keep sleeping. You’re getting better.”
“Adam.” Her voice was quivering, her vision blurring with tears. She was drifting away again and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Shhhh.” Adam pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. You need your rest.”
The next time she woke up, she didn’t have to struggle to keep her eyes open. Since she appeared to be alert, her first hour was spent answering questions for the doctors and submitting to various cognitive tests. Then came her first meal, another shake, but this one tasted like it was more ice cream than protein powder. A calorie bomb, as Adam put it.
“I want to go home,” Leah said, when they were finally alone.
Adam’s face dropped. “Of course,” he replied softly. “I don’t think the doctors will approve air travel this late in pregnancy, especially in your condition. Perhaps in a few weeks you’ll be well enough to travel by sea.”
“No boats.” She shuddered. “Why can’t we just drive?”
“It would probably take two weeks to get there by car, and you would have to go through some very dangerous parts of Central America and Mexico. I won’t allow it.”
“Two weeks?” Her jaw dropped painfully. Adam winced when he saw hand rush to her face. “Where are we?”
“A private hospital in Belem.”
“I don’t understand. That is that far.”
“Oh.” His face relaxed slightly. “I assumed you wanted to go back to the States.”
Leah shook her head. His eyes lit up for a moment, then fell to the floor. “I won’t take him from you.”
“What?”
“Our son. If you want to take him back to Chicago, I’ll let you.”
“I don’t want to go back to Chicago.”
“It would be convenient for me if you chose another city.”
Leah sighed. “I don’t want to go back to America. I want to go home.”
He paused, a hint of a smile crossing his face. “I didn’t know you felt that way. Like it was home.”
“Well I do.” She bit her lip. “I did. I’m not sure anymore. But I want to go back. For now.”
“For now?” His voice was quiet.
“Yes.” She was getting aggravated. “You know, I haven’t had a chance to process my anger toward you, Adam. But I want to be somewhere familiar. Now. I want to see Ramira, and my dog. I want to sleep in our bed. And I want to throttle you for being married.” She glared at him.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get past that.”
“I know.”
“Take me home. Now.”
“You’ve just woken up, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Maybe in a few days.”
“No!” Leah sobbed. “You don’t understand. I can’t stay in this room.”
It was all too familiar. The lights, the sterile setting. Too much white and stainless steel. It was definitely more luxurious that the medical facility back on the ship, but still too similar. Her eyes darted around the room as a wave of nausea washed over her. She started to panic, pulling on her IV and trying to stand.
“Ok, ok.” Adam climbed in to bed beside her, folding her into his arms.
“Please just get me out of here,” she begged. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably.
“I will.” He kissed the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. “But we might have to stay in Rio. I’ll rent a house.”
“My house!” She had to squeeze her eyes closed to shut out the room.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the doctor to go with us, and he has to.”
“So do what you do then. Drug him, put him and an old circus animal cage, and drag him out to the jungle,” she yawned.
“Leah…” He kissed the top of her head. “Leah?”
She was drifting away again, too exhausted to respond. Adam tried to climb out of the bed but she whimpered as soon as she felt him move so he stayed with her through the night.
17
Adam awoke to a blood-curdling scream. Again. They’d been home for a week and the nightmares were only getting worse. The new doctor said that it was most likely posttraumatic stress disorder, but he wasn’t a psychiatrist. If Leah decided to stay, something that was looking less and less likely, he would probably bring in a shrink after the baby came. He offered to do it now, but she didn’t want to talk and he didn’t want to push her. She wasn’t talking to him very much at all.
The sounds she made were horrendous, but he didn’t mind being ripped from his slumber every night. The fear in her eyes when she woke up however was pure torture. For a few seconds she didn’t know where she was and she struggled against him, flailing her arms until she collapsed against his chest and sobbed as she slowly fell back to sleep. His guilt usually kept him awake long after her.
“Leah!” Adam was shouting but she wasn’t responding.
She was still so frail he was afraid to shake her, but it was the only thing that seemed to work when she was trapped inside of herself. Leah’s broken wrist shot forward and hit his solid chest before he could stop her. The scream that ripped out of her throat was full of more pain than terror and her eyes flew open.
Now came the confusion as she looked around and slowly remembered that she was safe in her bed. She held her arm against her chest and winced. Immediately Adam reached out to pull her into his arms but she shot him a look of pure hatred.
“Don’t touch me!” she cried, rolling on to her side with her back towards him.
He lay there still for a moment, unsure of what to do. This rejection was a first. She usually clung to him when she woke up scared. The sound of light sobbing filled the room, burning his ears. Her entire body was trembling and he ached to soothe her.
“Did you injure your wrist?”
“Yes,” she snapped. “I had to break it to avoid being murdered by the psychopath you let kidnap me.”
Her words cut him like a knife. This was bound to happen and he wondered why it had taken so long. He knew she couldn’t keep her anger under wraps forever. Lashing out in bed seconds after what seemed like the worst nightmare yet wasn’t how he pictured it.
“Did you injure your wrist just now?”
She was quiet for a few seconds. “I should probably have the doctor take a look at it in the morning.”
“Does it hurt a lot? Maybe we should go now.”
“Yes, it’s hurting a lot, but we’re not waking him up this early. Just because you gave him a lot of money doesn’t mean you own him.”
“Is there anything I can do?” He reached forward to stroke her back, but stopped himself before making contact.
“There is.” She wasn’t crying
anymore. “You can buy a time machine and make it so that we never met.”
This was exactly what he expected her to say, exactly what she needed to say, but he hadn’t anticipated hearing it would be this painful. There was a lump in his throat.
“I can’t sleep anymore.” She flung herself out of bed, wavering on her feet.
Adam followed her out onto the deck. The sky was a dark blue, growing lighter in the east. Leah was leaning over the balcony staring westward at the fading stars. She looked so much better than she had just a few weeks ago. The color in her face was back and the gauntness was gone, but her body was still painfully thin except for her heavily pregnant belly.
He wanted to give her the space she needed, but couldn’t bear to let her out of his sight so he stood behind her silently.
“I can feel you watching me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just afraid to leave you alone.”
“Well I suppose it’s just as well, because I’m terrified of being alone now. Even for a few seconds.”
“I’ll stay out here as long as you need to.”
“I don’t want you here.” She shivered. “But I don’t want you gone, either.”
“I’m sorry.” He must have said that more times this week than he had in his entire lifetime. He wasn’t used to apologizing. “Are you chilly?”
Leah sighed. “Yes.”
It was warm as it always was, but she was still cold. The doctor said it was normal, but it was still difficult to see. He went back in the bedroom and got the bedspread. On his way out he saw her slippers next to the bed. Tentatively, he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, letting his hand linger for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling it away. He sat the slippers on the deck next to her.
“Your feet are bare.”
She huffed and sank her feet into the plush slippers. “Thanks.”
He leaned against the railing, leaving a few feet between them. She didn’t run away, but he had no idea what to say.
“Where did you get that file on me, Adam?”
That question. The one it had taken her far to long to ask. “It’s a service, for wealthy clients such as myself. The find women who are inclined to be sexually submissive yet unlikely to actively seek out such a relationship.”
Captured by the Billionaire (Omnibus Edition) Page 11
