Page 73 of Secrets

Without waiting for my response, her arm slips back under me before she lifts, apologizing softly when I scream out, the pain ripping my core in half.

Whether it was at the order of the leader or not, the men here got bored often, and their favorite game was seeing who could make me pass out first. Unfortunately for me, I was born with a pain tolerance that kept me awake far past what I should have been able to handle, and now it’s all closing in at the same time.

I shake my head when she gets me up, my arm hoisted over her shoulders. “I can’t put pressure on my right leg.”

Jessica nods. “Yeah, I think it’s?—”

“Oh, you got her.” Alexi appears in the doorway, surveying the scene before him. After piecing it all together, he nods toward Fikes’s body. “This the guy who killed the ones outside?”

Jessica nods and in the next second we both jerk instinctively from the bullet that Alexi fires into Fikes head. I would have liked much more torture, but in my current state, it will do.

“Alright, we got to go if we don’t wanna be here for backup.” Alexi comes up beside me, ignoring my groan of pain as he puts my other arm over his shoulders. “Broken?”

Jessica answers him. “Not sure. Something in her rib cage is definitely fractured. A possible break in her right leg.”

Alexi’s eye roll is dramatic. “Such a baby. We’ll get you fixed up. Can’t have my newest employee dying.”

I ignore him and focus my remaining energy hobbling to the exit. We pass more dead bodies than I knew even filled the prison, but I can say each of them died a death too quickly. When we finally make it to Alexi’s SUVs parked on the opposite side of the road, whatever energy I had left dwindles.

The moment I’m in the car, with Jessica beside me, I slip into the void, hoping that when I wake, she’ll still be here.

* * *

Much like inthe prison cell, I’m not sure how many hours pass, or how many days flit by, merely that I’m safe and at home.

A home when I open my eyes on one occasion is full of people, some in scrubs and others in suits. Their voices hushed as they work around me. Nikolai hovers at the foot of the bed, overseeing everyone while instructing them what to do.

The next time, it’s empty, only the sounds of the machines I’m connected to filling the still air, the steady beat of my heart the only indicator I’m breathing. I think there’s a hue of blonde in my periphery. But I can’t be sure. I’m so tired, my eyes close of their own accord.

After that, I realize my home has been cleaned and organized, everything that wasn’t shattered in my fit of rage, put back in place. Books, in alphabetical order, records back in the stand. My plants, repotted and in new macrame hangers. She’s been here.

Relief stills my pulse, the knot ever present in my stomach loosening with the discovery, and I fall back into the abyss, a new sense of peace following behind me.

Today, it’s the smell of fresh sourdough being baked that wakes me.

My eyes flicker open to find the blonde agent in my kitchen, humming with a song that plays low on the record player. It’s a piece from Chopin.

Her blonde hair is in a bun, tendrils hanging down by her ears. A matching sweatpants suit hugs her body, making her appear cozy, yet incredibly sexy. I try not to let the excitement bubbling in my chest grow, but the sight of her here, as if yet another day, causes my heart to squeeze.

“Hey, you.” My voice is hoarse from disuse.

Jessica’s head whips toward me, and when her eyes connect, she drops her knife to rush over; her smile as big as I’ve ever seen it. The sight acts as the sunrise beaming over my perpetual night. It lights up my entire world and for a moment, I forget everything that’s happened.

The hurt, the lies, the betrayal, the secrets. It’s all evaporated, leaving only hope.

She’s gentle when she grabs my hand, sitting on my reading chair she’s pulled next to the bed. There’s a blanket, her phone, one of my herbal remedy books, and a puzzle magazine spread amongst her things.

She hasn’t left.

“How are you feeling?”

My smile is weak, but not from fatigue. I wonder if she’ll leave now that I’m alright. Instead of assuming, I ask. “If I tell you I’m fine, will you go?”

Jessica squeezes my hand. “Only if you ask me to.”

“I couldn’t possibly.” Hope expands in my chest, the airiness fluttering with a promise that somehow this woman doesn’t resent me. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that you’re up. Niko said you would pull through, but it’d be rough. I’ve been worried about how much pain you’d be in. Do you need any more meds? He taught me how to administer it.”

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