Grayson struggled to keep his composure, not wanting to scare her while inside he was slowly dying. He had to remind himself she was alive. She would be okay. Eventually.
She had to be.
Slowly she closed her eyes, squeezed them tight, and then turned her head away from him. She might as well have stabbed him in the chest. He pulled the torn T-shirt away from her neck, noticing how it had been strangling her for so long that bruises had formed.
She was left in nothing but her bra, but he arranged the torn cotton of her shirt over her chest as he leaned over her back and carefully worked the knots at her wrists. His hands were shaking so badly it took him a while to get her free, and when he finally did, he held both wrists together for another moment, knowing that it was going to hurt when she pulled them forward.
Through all of this, she continued to lie with her cheek plastered to the cold concrete, saying nothing. Her eyes were no longer squeezed as tight, but they were shut. She was not present.
Her nose was red and running. Blood was still trickling from her mouth. Had she bitten herself? As Grayson worked his hands up her arms, massaging them to get the blood flowing, he noticed a knot forming on her forehead. Either someone struck her, or she’d fallen.
A man dressed in all black suddenly appeared at her ankles, working through the knots. “Ma’am? Can you hear me?” His attention was on Bianca, who ignored him as if he hadn’t spoken.
The man lifted his gaze to Grayson, brows high in question.
“I think she’s in shock,” Grayson stated. He dragged his shirt over his head and gently pressed it against her back to cover the wounds so that he could roll her over and lift her into his arms.
His chest tightened when she didn’t even wince at the contact or the way he jostled her to get her into his lap. Locks of her hair were plastered to her face, stuck in the blood and tears and saliva. He tried to brush the hair away as he cradled her limp body.
Anyone looking would assume she was dead, but he could feel her chest rising and falling. Her body was alive. Her mind had left the building. “Baby…” His heart seized when she didn’t respond to him. “I’m going to get you to a hospital. Hang on. Bianca, stay with me.”
Nothing.
Three bodies were on the floor. The one Grayson had shot was the only Hispanic victim. As Grayson stepped over the body, barely containing the urge to trample the man’s smug face, someone at his side said, “Jorge Gonzales. Swell guy.”
Yeah, you don’t know the half of it, Grayson thought.
One man held the door to the SUV open for Grayson. “Name’s Scott, by the way. I’ll get you to a doctor.”
Grayson jerked his gaze up to meet Scott’s eyes for the first time. He was tall and built. And serious. His gaze suggested he was very concerned.
Wait. Doctor?
As Grayson slid into the back seat of the SUV, he realized they couldn’t go to a normal hospital. It would be too dangerous. But how badly injured was Bianca?
He patted her arms and legs, looking for other possible injuries. When his hand returned to her back, she whimpered and winced, the first indication she felt anything at all. “Baby, I’m so sorry. Hold on for me. I’ve got you.”
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, holding her tightly against his chest as Scott pulled away from the warehouse. “Someone will move your car,” he stated.
Grayson didn’t respond. He didn’t give a fuck about the stupid car he’d bought from a mechanic as he and Bianca were fleeing for their lives. Would they ever not be running? Was this their normal now?
He lowered his gaze to her features again and rocked her back and forth. She wasn’t made for this life. She didn’t deserve this. He vowed to do everything in his power to ensure something like today never happened to her again.
Consciousness returned slowly to Bianca. She blinked her eyes several times without moving a muscle. She was in a strange position. On her stomach. In bed. What bed? Where?
“Hey…” She knew that voice. It soothed her. Grayson.
She tried to lick her lips. They were so dry.
He grabbed her hand where it rested at an angle, elbow bent next to her head. “Welcome back,” he whispered, kissing her forehead gently.
“Where…?” She couldn’t finish. Her throat hurt. In fact, everything hurt. Suddenly it all flooded back to her. Jorge. The kidnapping. Being drugged. The long drive. Landing on her knees. Being beaten…
“You’re in a clinic. The doctor says you’re going to be fine. I’ve been right here the entire time.”
“Hurts…” She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. Her head. Her arms. Everything.
“I know, baby. I know. You have a concussion. You can have more acetaminophen in about a half an hour.”
She winced as she tried to move her arm again.
Grayson held her hand tighter. “Try not to move. There are cuts on your arms and back. They’ll feel better in a few days.”
Right… Cuts… Welts… She cringed inwardly at the memory. “Jorge?”
“Dead.”
She met his gaze quickly, eyes widening. Could she be that lucky? “Seriously?”
He nodded.
“You’re sure?” If she could have, she would have killed him herself. If Grayson told her right now the man was still living, there was a chance she would push her battered self off this bed and go hunt him down immediately.
He must have seen the determination in her eyes because he smiled slightly as he nodded. “Positive.”
“Did you see his motherfucking body? Dead? Did you check?”
“Baby,” he hesitated, his brow furrowed, and then he continued, “I killed him myself.”
She lifted her cheek off the bed at those words, even though it hurt like hell. She searched his face, making sure he wasn’t joking. When her arms started shaking, she lowered back to the pillow. “Thank you, God.”
“Not sure God was in the room, but if He was, He didn’t stop me,” Grayson teased.
Bianca smiled. Then she remembered seeing Grayson in the warehouse. “You found me.”
“Yeah. You scared the shit out of me too. You were in shock.”
She squeezed his hand as he threaded their fingers together. “So tired…”
“I know, baby. Sleep. I’ll be right here.”
“You found me…” she murmured as she lost consciousness. You found me. You didn’t let me die.
Chapter 16
Two days later…
* * *
Bianca was sitting up in bed when Grayson stepped back into the room. He’d only left her for brief periods of time in the last forty-eight hours, only long enough to shower, change clothes, grab something to eat.
He smiled when he spotted her. She looked a hundred times better this morning. He took two strides to her side, perched on the edge of the bed, and grabbed her hand. “You look so much better today.”
“I feel better. My head is still pounding.” She touched the bump on her forehead.
“It’s going to take a while for that nasty bump to go down. How did you hit your head? Do you remember?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wish I didn’t. One of those assholes was holding me up by the neck at about forty-five degrees from the floor, and he dropped me.”
Grayson winced. How could any human being be that cruel and fucked up? Grayson hadn’t questioned Bianca about that day. She would tell him on her own time. He didn’t want to pressure her to reveal the details from her viewpoint. If she never wanted to talk about it, that would be fine too. He didn’t need many words to understand the gist.
The state of her body when he’d found her had spoken volumes.
She grabbed his hand, flipping hers over so that she could thread their fingers together. “Get me out of here.”
He nodded slowly. “When you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.”
He swallowed, knowing now was the time to broach the subject of their next stop. “Okay, wher
e do you want to go?”
“To join the rest of the group, of course.”
He pursed his lips for a moment. “How about we go a different direction instead? Maybe Miami or Alaska or something.” Something so far away that no one will bother hunting us down. “We can still ask for new identities. It’s not too late.”
She frowned at him and narrowed her gaze. “Is that what you want? To run?”
“What I want is for you to be safe and to feel safe and to sleep at night knowing no one is going to drag you out of bed and stuff you in the trunk of a car.” His voice rose. He was being dramatic, but he meant every word.
She shook her head. “So this is about me? ’Cause it sounds more like it’s about you.”
“How is it about me?” He sat up straighter. “I want you to be safe.”
She tugged his hand to her face and then kissed his knuckles. “Gray…”
“What?” She had him squirming inside with that tone.
“Hon, we’re not going to run. We’re going to go to the safe house and join the rest of the team and do our part to ensure everyone is safe. Not just me. Believe me, I’ll feel much safer with the team than hiding in Miami on the beach.”
He glanced at his arm and lifted it slightly. “Okay, maybe Miami wasn’t the best idea. There probably won’t be too many beaches in my future. Have you noticed the tone of my skin?”
She giggled. “You are rather pale.”
He smiled at her, loving the sound of her voice when she laughed. “Are you sure you don’t want to start over somewhere else?”
Her face sobered. “I don’t want to take a new identity and run from our problems. I want to fix the problem instead.”
He nodded and glanced away before facing her again. “There’s something else you need to know.”
Bianca frowned. “What’s that?”
“Your mother told the police she wants to make contact with you.”
For a moment she stared at him without even blinking, and then she sighed. “I guess I should have expected that.”
“You don’t have to make any decisions about her right now. I just thought you should be aware. Take your time. It’s up to you. I’ll support whatever you decide.” He knew it would be hard for her, or perhaps impossible.
She shrugged. “I need time before I consider the idea. Lots of time. There is no way I’m in any kind of mental place where I could wrap my arms around her, forgive her, and welcome her into my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever be close to that place.”
Grayson leaned closer, cupped the back of her neck, and gripped her thigh at the same time. “Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.”
“For right now, I choose to fix our current problems so we can live happily ever after.”
He chuckled. “Happily ever after, huh?”
“That’s what it feels like when I’m with you.”
He swallowed, emotion welling up, making it hard to form words. Finally, he leaned down and kissed her lips gently. “I want to be that. I want to be your happily ever after.”
“You already are.”
He closed his eyes slowly and then opened them again, deciding to take a risk. “I love you.”
Her face lit up. Totally worth it. “I love you too.”
Chapter 17
Two weeks later…
* * *
Grayson was admittedly nervous, an emotion he hadn’t felt for two weeks. Things had been smooth and easy between him and Bianca ever since they’d arrived at the Montana farmhouse. They’d been working hard for long hours every day. Everyone had. Helping in the giant barn that had been turned into a command center for the team.
Today was different. Today Bianca had gone somewhere early that morning and hadn’t returned yet. She’d taken a guard with her to keep her safe, but Grayson still didn’t like Bianca leaving the safety of the property.
At first he hadn’t thought too much about it. Bianca had casually told him that morning that she needed to take care of something. The problem was, she fidgeted more than her usual self and didn’t meet his gaze.
When he pulled her into his arms and stared down at her, she patted his chest and brushed him off. “I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Relax. I’ll be back this afternoon. Let’s have dinner together. Alone.”
He’d lifted a brow, wondering how they were going to have dinner alone. It was impossible to have many moments of privacy with so many people staying in the farmhouse. The only time they were ever alone was in their bedroom.
He made sure they made the nights count, but dinner? How did she propose to make that happen?
Now, it was late afternoon, and he realized he’d been stressing out the entire day. He was pacing the front porch when the guard’s car finally returned.
Part of him was frustrated enough that he wanted to admonish her for making him worry, but when she climbed out of the back of the car, he froze on the porch yards away from her.
She was wearing a dress. She never wore dresses. He’d never seen her in a dress. Not once.
She was also flushed and smiling as she stood by the car. Not moving.
Wait. Not just a dress. A sundress. Short. Sexy. Fun. He could see that it was held up by thin straps over her shoulders. She was wearing a lightweight, white sweater with three-quarter sleeves over her shoulders, but it did nothing to hide the fact that the bodice was stunning.
His frustration evaporated in an instant as he closed his mouth. Had she gone shopping?
Finally managing to get his legs to move, he headed down the steps and then met her next to the car. He smiled wide. “I’m speechless.”
Her cheeks darkened. “You like it?” She glanced down at the pale yellow material. The bodice hugged her chest and was fitted around her waist. The skirt flared out, making her look young and happy.
Grayson cupped her cheek and stroked her skin with his thumb. “I love it.”
She grabbed his hand and nodded toward the open door of the car. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” It wasn’t like they could leave the property for no good reason and go into town. People would see them. He still didn’t understand how she’d left to go shopping. It made no sense. Not even for a dress. If she’d wanted a dress, they could have ordered it online.
“Stop looking so skeptically at me. Trust me?”
He wiped his face of the furrowed brow and gave her a half smile. “Of course.”
Bianca climbed into the back seat of the SUV and scooted across so that he could join her.
As he ducked, he noticed that the man who’d driven her into town was still in the driver’s seat. “Where are we going?” Grayson asked.
“So many questions.” She giggled and took his hand. “Stop worrying. You know I would never do anything stupid or reckless.”
He nodded slowly. He hoped so, but the dress… And she’d been gone all day…
She rolled her eyes and sighed as the driver pulled away from the farmhouse. “Okay, let me ease your mind. We’re not currently leaving the property. We’re going to have a picnic close by.
“And, I didn’t go shopping all day, so stop freaking out about me being seen in public. You know better than to believe I just spent an entire day at the local mall.”
“Where did you get this dress?” he asked before realizing he was still questioning her.
She shot him a glare now, but her lips were still turned up. “Gray…” Her voice was lower, sultry. She set her hand on top of his on his thigh. “Internet. A week ago. Relax.”
He nodded. Swallowing. Where the hell had she gone all day, then? Not a chance in hell he was going to ask. She obviously had a plan, and she would tell him when she was ready.
Sure enough, the driver took them less than a quarter mile from the main farmhouse. He also popped the rear hatch as Bianca climbed out of her side of the car. She was giggling. “Come on.”
The driver said nothing and mysteriously stayed in the SUV while Grayson rounded to the bac
k with Bianca. There was a picnic basket and a blanket. She grabbed the blanket, while he grabbed the basket. As soon as he shut the hatch, the driver pulled away.
His heart was no longer racing. She was safe. He needed to stop worrying. She hadn’t done anything that put her in danger, and she’d gone to a lot of effort to set up this date.
When she had the blanket spread out, he dropped the basket and sat next to her. “I feel like a bit of an ass,” he started, as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I was worried about you all day, while you were putting together this lovely surprise.”
She flushed and tipped her head in his hand.
He couldn’t stop himself from questioning her further, though. “I’m still not sure where you went. If you ordered the dress online and put together the picnic at the farmhouse, where did you go?”
She tucked her lips between her teeth and slid the sweater off her shoulders. It fell to the blanket. He glanced down, confused as his gaze met her bare skin. For a moment, he simply stared at her. Something was different. He couldn’t put his finger on it.
Then he leaned in closer and slid his hands to her shoulders. Her bare shoulders. Her perfect shoulders. Devoid of scars…
Wait. What?
He smoothed his fingers gently over her skin and leaned closer to see her back.
“You like it?”
“How did you…” His voice trailed off. He was perplexed.
“I’ve done a lot of research about scars over the years.”
He kissed her shoulder now, making her shiver, which pleased him greatly. Still, he was confounded. She couldn’t possibly have had all her scars removed this afternoon. That was ludicrous.
“There are tattoo artists who specialize in scars. They match their ink to your skin tone and fill in the ugly lines. They did a good job, yeah?” She grabbed his waist and leaned in closer, setting her forehead against his chest, making it easy for him to examine her back.
“Amazing…” He danced his fingers over her skin lightly, not wanting to hurt her. Surely if she got this tattooed on her today, it was sore. “Didn’t it hurt?” How the hell had she accomplished this in one day? He leaned back, lifted her chin, and met her gaze. “I hope you didn’t do this for me. You should know by now I don’t care about your scars.”
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