Page 2 of Sweet Giant

I needed a break. Five minutes to drink some water and sit in a quiet room to collect my thoughts. To gather the full strength of my healing energies. But I knew from experience Mountain wouldn’t grant me even a second’s rest.

To my great shock, the injured woman slipped a folded paper into my hand. I stared at it dumbly, then shot her a curious glance. “What’s this?” I whispered.

“Help,” she said in an urgent but hushed tone. “It’shelp. A way for you to escape. Hide it! Don’t let the big man see!”

I pocketed the missive and continued staring at the woman. Recognition slowly dawned. I’d seen her before. About three months ago. She’d brought her ailing sister here and begged for help, even though she couldn’t pay. Mountain had screamed and sent them away, but not before I’d whispered that I would meet them out back in a few hours, if only they could wait.

“You saved my sister’s life. I told you I’d find a way to repay you for your kindness. Well, I finally found a way.” Her eyes gleamed briefly. “I got married recently, and my new husband is a powerful rebel leader. General Remington. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. Anyway, just follow the instructions on the paper. He’ll see you safely outside the city.”

I blinked rapidly against the burn of tears.Help. Someone was trying to help me. A woman whose name I didn’t even know.

I closed my eyes and placed my hands on her head just in case Mountain was watching. I doubted she was injured badly, if at all. I inhaled deeply and realized the blood covering her face and neck wasn’t blood at all. It smelled like syrup. She’d faked an injury to see me.

“How-how did you know I wanted to leave Seattle?” I asked in a low voice, opening my eyes briefly to make sure Mountain wasn’t looking at us. Fortunately, his focus remained on the incoming patients.

“Well, when I first met you, I got the impression you weren’t here of your own free will. You had bruises on your arms that night, and when the big man walked near you, you went white as a sheet and started trembling. Someone helped me leave an abusive relationship once. Letmehelpyou.”

My throat tightened with emotion. “What’s your name?” I asked.

“Frankie.”

I squeezed her forearm gently and nodded. “Thank you, Frankie.Thank you.”

She winked at me, sat up in the bed, then swung her legs to the side and hopped to her feet. Utterly stunned, I watched as she strode to the counter and handed Celia a small gold bar worth one thousand galactic credits.

I pressed my hand over my pocket, feeling the outline of the folded paper. For the first time in a very long time, hope brimmed in my heart. It was warm and light and full of promise, an emotion I hadn’t felt in ages. It was all I could do to keep from bursting into tears.

Despite my growing fatigue and the sickness plaguing me, I managed to make it through the night. When it was all said and done, I’d healed thirty-eight patients. Thirty-nine, if you included Frankie.

Mountain’s previous frustration with my slowness faded as he counted the gold bars and verified all the wire transfers. He looked at me with a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with greed. “Thirty-nine big ones. A new record.” He chuckled, then emitted a low whistle.

It was a lot of money, more than most people made in a year, but I wouldn’t see a single credit of it. He never allowed me to carry my own funds. If I had my own money, I could very well bribe a soldier to let me past the fortified borders of the city.

Of course, most of the credits would be given straight back to the rebels. Mountain liked to ingratiate himself to each rebel general, though as far as I knew, none of them had yet realized he gave money to all of them in fairly equal amounts. Instead, they each thought they were special. It was all part of his obnoxious plan to climb to power.

I couldn’t wait to see him fall.

“You look terrible, Liv. Go upstairs and take a shower, would you? I’ll be back later. Celia needs a ride home.”

“Okay.” I forced another polite smile, trying not to allow the put-down to affect me. “I’ll see you later.” I turned and headed for the hallway.

“Wait!” he called out, and cold terror made me freeze in place.

I tried not to cringe as he came close and grasped my arm.Oh god oh god oh god. Did he know about the note in my pocket? Had he somehow overheard my conversation with Frankie?

He leaned down until his hot breath pelted my face. “I want to find you naked under the sheets when I get back,” he whispered in a low enough voice that I doubted Celia would hear.

“I-I’m very tired, Mountain. I might be asleep by the time you come home. If I’m going to work tomorrow night, I’ll need to get enough rest.”

“Don’t be dramatic, Liv. You’re fine, and you better goddamn believe you’re working tomorrow night.”

When I attempted to pull away from him, his eyes flashed with rage, and I suspected if Celia weren’t in the room, he would’ve raised a hand to me. From what I’d gathered, they were in the honeymoon phase of their affair. Too soon for him to show his true colors.

“I’ll wake you up if I have to.” He brushed his nose along my cheek, and his grip on my arm tightened, hard enough to leave bruises.

My gorge rose. If I were braver, if I were strong enough to fight him, I might make a smart comment about how I didn’t want Celia’s sloppy seconds. But I wasn’t brave. He scared me to death.

“All right,” I relented in a subdued tone.

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