Page 77 of Rescuing Nathaniel

Every part of her body felt like it had been laced with concrete, and she couldn’t seem to summon enough energy to make her mind work properly.

Sluggish.

That was the only way to describe it.

Like each one of her thoughts had become a snail, crawling ever so slowly through the vastness of her brain. In some dark part of her mind, she knew that was no good. That she needed those little snails to hurry up and come to her because without them she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her.

Something was wrong.

That much she was aware of.

But nothing else.

Without the benefit of her thoughts, when a wave of exhaustion crashed over her, Ava didn't fight against it. She let it push her down and pull her under. Allowed it to blanket her in a curtain of soft, velvety darkness.

Some time later she emerged once again.

Aware and yet not aware that something was very wrong. Something she needed to figure out if she was going to … live?

Was it really that dramatic?

No.

That couldn’t be right.

There was no way Nathaniel would have allowed her to be in a position where she would be in danger. Perhaps she’d just had a relapse of some sort. Other than lingering pain from her wound, she had been starting to feel almost normal again. There was some tiredness as well that she’d just assumed was to do with trying to process an ordeal when she didn't have time to focus on healing because the perpetrators were still out there.

Was it something more than that?

Was she sick?

Back in the hospital?

Panic thrummed through her system, and it must have burned away a little of the grogginess because things shimmered back into her consciousness.

Nathaniel had left. Walked out because he was so determined to believe that she didn't deserve him just because they came from different backgrounds. Her parents and the man they insisted she marry had been at her apartment, but she’d thrown them out, threatened to sic Eagle Oswald on them if they didn't leave.

Alone.

She’d been alone when they came.

Men. Two of them. Pretending to be movers.

They got into her apartment and jabbed her with a needle, giving her something that had knocked her out.

Air began to saw in and out of her chest.

They had her.

The traffickers had gotten her back.

Her worst nightmare had just come true, and this time there wasn't going to be a happy ending. There was no way they would allow her any opportunity she might be able to take advantage of and escape. Last time had been a fluke. They hadn't realized that forgetting to restrain her would result in such dire consequences for their operation. Probably had believed she was too weak and beaten down to try anything.

Their error in judgment had cost them a lot of money.

Chances were, they were pretty angry with her.

What did that mean for her? They already planned on killing her by disassembling her body piece by piece, but were they going to punish her for escaping and forcing them to kill off not just their product but their workers as well?

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