by Ann, Bry
“I’m not gonna hurt you,” I say softly. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
I say it over and over again until it starts to dawn on her that I’m not doing anything. When I was freed from the war camp, one of the men in my unit had to do the same for me.
“I-I-I have-have to go.”
She’s still shaking so hard, she’s in for one hell of a comedown.
“Start by telling me what happened.”
Her upper body falls onto her lower body on a whimper. I take that moment to examine her back. There are bruises forming and blood, but I can’t find the source of it.
“First name?”
She stays quiet. I take a deep breath, prepping for all the words I’m apparently gonna need with her.
“What’s your name?”
She pauses and then, “Isla.”
It’s muffled against her legs.
“Isla Grace.”
Of course. Beautiful.
Chapter Four
Isla
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m not gonna hurt you,” he repeats over and over again like a mantra in a calm, soothing voice.
“I-I-I have-have to go,” I stammer. I have to get out of here. I have to. Ice man is gonna get me or Seven will find out that they… and…
“Start by telling me what happened,” his voice rings over my thoughts.
No. No. I crash forward so my head is in my knees and I can’t see anything. I want Danny. I need Danny.
“First name?”
I ignore him. If I ignore him… flashes of the ice man’s hand on me make me whimper out loud. I hope Seven doesn’t hear it.
I need to warn him, but what if he hurts me for information on them?
“What’s your name?”
He’s not gonna ignore me. “Isla,” I whisper.
How could this get worse?
“Isla Grace,” he repeats, sounding like my name almost humors him.
“I just want to go home,” I cry in a childlike voice.
“Can’t hear you against your legs like that.”
I take a deep breath and go to lift myself up, but don’t find the strength. My lower lip wobbles and then I lose it. I’ve never been strong. I wrap my arms under my legs and start bawling hysterically.
“Isla,” Seven whispers, sounding pained. “What happened? You’re safe.”
Safe? He has no idea! I sob harder.
The sound of footsteps scuffling along the cobblestone sends my body into a panic. What if it’s Ben? Oh my God, what if it’s Ben and Seven doesn’t know...?
“Everything okay here?” comes a deep, commanding voice.
I whimper and rock, begging this nightmare to end.
“You got this, Seven?”
I feel eyes on me.
“Yes, Boss.”
Boss? No. NO.
I brace myself, take a deep breath, and go. I’m off. I run as fast as I can. I won’t let them hurt me. No.
“Fuck!”
“Go, Seven. Call me.”
“Isla, slow down! You’re gonna hurt yourself.”
As he says it, like a curse, my heel gives way on the cobblestone and I fly forward with a painful crack. My body curls, broken, on the pavement and I cry, tucking up to hold my foot.
“Shit,” Seven hisses, coming to my side.
He doesn’t say anything as he takes my ankle in his hand. I just freeze and let him.
“Not broken.” There’s a pause. “Isla,” he says carefully. “Your dress is ripped.”
My lip wobbles.
“I want Danny!” I blurt out.
“Alright,” Seven says slowly. “Your phone?”
I shake my head.
“Use mine.” He slips something cold in my hand. I grip it tight. “You have to sit up.”
I plant my hands on the stone, feeling my body ache, and sit, tucking my head so my hair hides my face.
I know what he’s seeing. A dress slashed down the middle at a diagonal, revealing a long line of bleeding skin. Bruised forearms. And a dress scrunched up high on my waist.
I don’t look to see his reaction.
I slowly move to dial Danny’s number, the one I know by heart.
8-1… I’m shaking so hard I can’t get the next number right.
“Let me help.”
Seven plucks the phone from my hands.
“Number?”
I shake my head.
“Fair. You don’t trust me.” He puts the phone back in my shaking hands. “Keep trying, then.”
…7…5… Delete 4. 6-3-2-8-9-2-9. Delete 8. 0. Green call button.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
“Aww, no, you need to be saved already? Mr. Sexy Dad—”
“Danny,” I sob hysterically. I can practically feel him stiffen. See, Danny may be gay, but forget all stereotypes you have. The dude has thick, wavy blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and is all muscle.
“Isla, what’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I need you.”
“I’m here, bug. I’m here,” he says softly. “Tell me where I can find you.”
“I-I don’t kn-know.”
“Echoes Street,” Seven cuts in.
I glance up quickly. Seven cocks his head. Oh, my location.
“Ech-Echoes Street.”
“Are you alone? Should I stay on the phone?” He wiggles his keys in front of the speaker. “I’m coming. Isla, are you alone? Are you safe?” he says more urgently.
“Please come, Danny.”
“Call the police, Isla. Right now!”
“No!” I start to cry harder. “No, please. No. No.”
“Isla, bug, shh. I’m literally right around the corner from you. Hang on.”
Click. I slide my finger over the red button and slink back onto the cement, curled up.
I have to tell him.
If Nia’s in trouble…
Danny will be here in two minutes. He won’t let Seven hurt me more. But Seven’s bigger…
I close my eyes and think of the little girl’s expressive brown eyes. I think of her quiet world and the life she’s lived.
“Nia’s in trouble,” I say in a voice I don’t recognize.
Seven freezes. “What.”
“Th-they wanted information on Nia.”
“Who, Isla? Who did?” His voice is urgent.
“Get the fuck away from her.” Danny. I let out a relieved cry.
“Danny!”
“Hey, bug.” He comes over, gets right down on the pavement, and scoops me up in his strong arms.
“Oh my God, you’re bleeding. Isla, what happened?” I feel Danny look up at Seven. “What happened?” he hisses.
I grab Danny’s t-shirt, desperate for my friend.
“I got you. I got you.”
He rocks me back and forth.
“Look, I’m not tryin’ to make this worse for your girlfriend…” Seven begins.
“Egh, she’s not my girlfriend.”
Somehow that makes me smile. Even post-assault, he can’t fake interest in me.
“Asshole,” I whisper.
He rubs my hair back, but it’s rough, protective.
“Al…right,” Seven says, sounding unsure. “Look, if someone threatened my daughter, I need details. I can’t let that go.”
“Threatened? What would Isla have to do with that?”
“Danny,” I whisper. I pull myself up in his lap to face Seven.
He winces when he sees my face.
“Sorry, but I need to know everything. For Nia.”
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, gathering strength from my best friend.
“I was going on a date,” I whisper, feeling Danny fume beside me. “I had to work late so I-I agreed to meet him at this bar. It made sen-sense.”
I feel so cold.
“You’re good, Isla,” Danny whispers, knowing words soothe me.
“It did,” Seven agrees, catching on.
I nod. “He wanted to take me to a room with a
table away from the noise. I’m so stupid,” I whisper. “I’m such an idiot. I should have known. But no one ever…”
“You’re not an idiot,” Seven says harshly.
“You’re not,” Danny whispers in my ear. “You have no experience. How were you to know?”
Seven’s eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t comment. Now I’m embarrassed.
“There was a man there.” I shiver from head to toe. Tears spill over again. “I knew something was wrong.”
“Description.”
“Probably 6’1. Blue eyes—like ice blue. Almost white. He was strong. So strong.”
“And your date?” Seven asks softly.
“Black hair.” My lip wobbles. “Handsome. Average height, weight.”
“Alright, that’s good for now.”
“It’s good forever!” Danny snaps.
“I tried to scream, but Ben held my throat and…” Danny squeezes me tighter.
“We need to get you cleaned up, Isla. You’re losing blood.”
“Danny, no. I have to finish for Nia.”
“Who’s Nia?” he mutters, but lets me continue.
“He-he knew you came in to see me today, Seven. Ben was in before you so they must have hacked the computer or something and saw you booked an appointment.”
“Fuck! FUCK!” Seven shoves to his feet, pacing, and starts running his fingers through his hair.
“He knew that meant you had a kid. He wanted to know about her.”
“And you didn’t say anything,” he whispers, sounding reverent. The awe in his voice helps me. Reminds me I did the right thing amongst the pain clawing at my body and mind.
“They know she’s a girl. I-I slipped. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t!”
“Shhh, you did good, Isla Grace. So good. I brought you something.”
Danny slips my Kindle into my hand. I so want to lose myself in it. I want to right now.
“They’re gonna come back,” comes Seven’s voice, snapping me out of my dream world.
I freeze. So does Danny. It’s actually Danny who reacts. He shoves me off him and climbs to his feet, storming over to Seven.
“You get her out of this. Get Isla the hell out of whatever the fuck you’re involved in, you son of a bitch!”
Seven ignores him and looks over at me. He comes down and ducks in front of me. His presence is so demanding right now, I find my eyes drawn to him but unable to stay there.
“What did they do to you, Isla? How’d you get out?”
“I got hurt. Can that be enough?” I murmur, looking away as shame blooms to the surface. “I’m a doctor. I’ll fix it.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Seven. Please don’t let that ice man get Nia.”
I push to stand on shaky limbs, feeling my ankle sear with pain. Danny comes over immediately and grabs my arm to steady me.
“Ice man?” Seven cocks an eyebrow.
I shrug.
“Let’s get you to a hospital,” Danny whispers in my ear.
“No!” I shriek, backing up, clutching my throat. “They’ll-they’ll find my record. They promised they would if I told anyone. I don’t want records.”
“Isla…” Danny groans.
“Danny, no!” I try to breathe but I can’t. No records. If they find me again… I shudder violently. It’s Seven’s voice that stops the panic attack rising again to the surface at an alarming rate.
“I want to check on you tomorrow, Isla. Where can I meet you?”
“I think you’ve done en—”
I cut Danny off. “My office. Stop by. I’ll know to expect you.”
“You are not working tomorrow!” Danny screams.
I ignore him. Seven studies me a minute.
“I’ll see you there, then.”
He looks me up and down. That same suppressed remorse plays on his face that played on Nia’s back at my office.
“I’m so sorry, Isla Grace.”
Chapter Five
Isla
I stay the night at Danny’s. He didn’t even ask. He just never took me back to my apartment. When we pulled up to his complex, he looked me over once.
“I have t-shirts and shit. Frank’s here, but I’ll tell him to leave.”
“No, you don’t have to,” I whisper.
He gives me a flat look. “You are my priority, Isla.”
I nod slowly.
“Good. Should I tell him to leave via text or are you okay to see him for a second?”
“I don’t care.”
“Okay, I’m carrying you up until I can see how badly you’re hurt.”
“Danny, that’s not—”
“Don’t argue!” he roars, slamming his fist down on the steering wheel. I freeze. I’ve never seen him so angry. His eyes close before he speaks again. “Don’t argue, Isla. You’re my best friend. My sister, for all intents and purposes. And you called me crying today, beaten, and Isla, I think they assaulted you in some way.”
He looks at me and I know he sees the confirmation in my eyes.
“I wasn’t, you know…”
“I know,” he says softly. “But they did something to you, bug. And that’s too much for me.”
With that, he climbs out of the car and comes to my side. I don’t argue when he tells me to wrap my hands around his neck.
I tuck my head into his chest as I feel his body jolt up and down and his muscles strain with the struggle it takes to carry me.
“I wish you weren’t gay,” I confess for the hundredth time since we met.
“Sorry, G. If it helps, if I liked girls, I’d pick you.”
“You better.” I swat at his chest.
“Only you could be possessive over a gay dude,” he laughs.
“I try to be special.”
“You’re very special, Isla,” Danny whispers as he places me down and supports my weight with one arm while opening his door with the other.
“Is she ok— Isla!” Frank gasps. He’s Danny’s opposite in every way. He fits all the stereotypes society throws at gay people. Secretly, I think Danny’s falling in love with him. He’s his missing piece and by far the longest relationship Danny’s ever had. I love Frank, too. He’s amazing.
“Frank, you need to go,” Danny demands in a voice so unlike his usual casual demeanor that it momentarily roots Frank to the spot.
“Of course!”
He hustles out of the room without grabbing his stuff.
“Come on. Let’s get you checked out. I may not be a doctor, but I’m a nurse. And a damn good one.”
“The best,” I murmur.
“Come on, Isla.”
Danny takes me to the bathroom and gently sets me on the edge of the tub. That’s when it sets in.
“Wait, stop!” I shriek.
Danny freezes.
“I’m tired. I just need a change of clothes.”
“Hun, I should really check you out.”
“Don’t hun me. I don’t want you touching me. I don’t want it, Danny. I don’t.”
“Don’t want what, G? ‘Cause I don’t think you’re thinking of me right now.”
I look down at the floor. “Please. I just want clothes, a bath, and my Kindle. Please, Danny.”
He sighs. “Damn it, Isla!”
“Thank you,” I whisper, knowing he caved.
“Yep,” he grumbles, storming out of the room.
He comes back with a folded stack of clothes and a first aid kit on top.
“You still have your Kindle, yeah?”
I nod.
“Get yourself clean, and Isla, if you need me, bug, I’ve already seen ya and you sure don’t have to worry about anything sexual happening.”
I laugh lightly.
“I’ll be fine, Danny boy.”
“Mm. Night, G.”
“Oh, Danny?”
He glances over his shoulder. “What can I do, Isla?”
“Set your alarm early. I need to stop by my apartment to grab my sc
rubs.”
His whole body tenses with fury.
“You are not going to work, Isla Grace!”
“Who’s gonna replace me with this short of notice on a busy Saturday, Dan?”
“I don’t give one flying fuck. I don't care if the place burns down tomorrow. If you, my horny little nerd, are not okay, I’m not okay.”
“Love you, Danny.”
“Love you, too, Isla.”
“Get your alarm, D!” I call.
“You’re fucked in the head, G!” he yells back.
Whoo… he’ll set it. I turn the water on as hot as it’ll go, strip my clothes, and slink back in the tub.
I fight for air as I give in to the panic attack that has been waiting to take me.
* * *
Beep! Beep! Beep!
I blink at the ceiling. I didn’t get one lick of sleep last night so my alarm doesn’t bother me. After the panic attack, bone-deep exhaustion set in, yet I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw ice blue eyes and handsome black hair. So, I read.
I read and read until visions of secretly kind bad boys, orgasms galore, and adventure that ended in “happily ever after” filled my head.
“You’re not going to work, Isla.”
Danny’s body fills my doorway. His surfer boy hair is sticking up in all directions. Dan’s already not a morning person, so I have to tread carefully here.
“I need to work. I need my life to go back to normal. Work is my safe place, Danny.”“Let me see you.”
I wince as I push myself up, but try to hide it. The places that hurt bring me right back there.
“Now’s your time to talk, doc. Time’s up.”
Ice man rolls up his sleeves as Ben releases my throat.
I curl inward and shake my head. “No. I won’t let you hurt an innocent child.”
A tear rolls down my cheek. I know what’s coming.
“We’ll see,” ice man hisses, losing all pretense of this being simply friendly banter.I’m kicked in the back of my legs, sending me crashing to my knees with a bang. No barrier to stop the fall.
I cry out but don’t beg anymore.
They won’t stop.
“I’ll ask one more time, doc. The kid,” he snarls.
“Go to hell!”
I close my eyes and bite my lip when my hair is gripped with tight fingers. My scalp burns as my hair is ripped from my head and I’m tugged to my feet.
