Page 54 of Unexpected Heroine

Again.

A delusional one. Naïve enough to hope it was something other than a video.

But there’s nothing else they’d send him except that filth.

They want to destroy him. Because that’s what monsters do.

Right now, James is physically in the kitchen. Mentally, he’s somewhere else. I’m unsure how to soothe him or where to redirect his focus. After he saw that horror, how can I bring him back to himself?

And to me.

James never lets his emotions control him the way I do. We’ve practically switched bodies. Rage, confusion, and panic surround him. Whereas I’m mostly composed.

Perhaps because I lived through what he just saw. I already knew the horror.

They can’t hurt me anymore.

Before today, James only thought he knew what I endured. It was easier for him to pretend it didn’t happen. That’s not to imply he tried to avoid it or ignore my suffering because he certainly hasn’t.

Yet knowing something happened and witnessing it are two different things.

I never wanted him to see that. Lord knows I suffered enough for us both. Now, he’ll have to carry that image around in his mind for the rest of his life.

Gradually, a layer of tension fades. His movements become methodical and controlled. He stops pacing and surveys the kitchen. Wordlessly, he launches himself toward the laptop, powers it down, closes the lid, and tucks it under his arm.

Still unwilling to meet my eyes, he marches toward the living room.

I trail behind him, partly because I don’t want to be alone, but also to ensure he doesn’t do something reckless.

Let’s be real. The reckless one in this relationship is me. The position has been filled.

When I get three steps out of the kitchen, the front door creeks open, sending me into a tizzy. My knees quiver, steps falter, and hand flies to my chest.

Fortunately, it’s only Josh, our bodyguard. But his sudden appearance heightens my already spiking anxiety.

Butter my biscuits.

This day is rapidly spiraling toward being the most fucked-up-est of them all.

Unaware he sent me into fits, Josh scans the room. His eyes land on James, who halted his speedy trek across the house when he saw Josh enter.

“Tomer, my phone is acting up. The tablet too. I rebooted it three times with no luck. Do you have service? Should I be alarmed?”

Wait. What?

There it is again. That word.

No, not a word.

A name.

Why the fuck did he just call James that?

Speaking of James, he literally growls at Josh. That poor man’s head rears back like he’s been clocked in the jaw.

James sidesteps toward a small device in the center of the room. He snatches it while grumbling, “I was using a signal jammer. I’m turning it off now. Everything should be working again in a few seconds.” He yanks the plug from the wall outlet.

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Josh snips, rolling his eyes.

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