Page 49 of Taken

“Then what?” My voice catches. “I watch her walk into their trap? Let history repeat itself?”

“No.” The firmness in his tone draws my gaze back to his face. “We get you out of here. Then we help her.”

“Out?” I stare at him. Did I hear him correctly? A spark ignites in my chest. Something I’d forgotten existed. Hope.

Don’t go there, Lila. It’s a trap.

“There is a way,” he continues quietly. “But you need to trust me.”

That word again.

I search his face, looking for some sign of deceit and finding none. This man I barely know, yet who looks at me with such fierce intensity that it steals my breath.

“Why would you help me?” I whisper against my better judgment. “Risk everything for me?”

Something flickers in his eyes, an emotion I can’t name. “Let’s just say I recognize injustice when I see it.”

I sense there’s more he isn’t saying, but weakness washes over me in waves, making it hard to push.

“I can’t leave her,” I say instead. “Not when she’s in danger.”

“The best way to help her is to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere you can recover your strength, your power.” His hand finds mine again, the warmth steadying. “You’re no good to her like this.”

The truth of his words stings, but I can’t deny them. In my current state, I’m useless to Elena.

“I haven’t been outside these walls in decades,” I murmur, the reality of what he’s suggesting sinking in. “I don’t even know if I remember how to exist out there.”

“One step at a time.” His voice gentles. “First, you recover enough strength to move. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

A wave of fatigue washes over me. Even this brief conversation drains what little strength I’ve regained. But beneath the exhaustion, that tiny spark glows brighter.

Freedom.

The word feels strange in my mind. Foreign. Terrifying. Exhilarating.

The door opens before I can respond. Hargen enters, his tall frame filling the doorway. His eyes widen when he sees me conscious.

“Lila.” He strides to the bed, relief plain on his normally emotionless face. “You’re awake.”

“Barely.” My voice cracks on the word.

His hand hovers near mine, not quite touching. “How do you feel?”

“Like I died and someone dragged me back.”

He almost smiles. “Close enough to the truth.”

His eyes move to Allard, something unspoken passing between them. An alliance I never expected. Two men setting aside whatever differences exist between them, united in what appears to be concern for my well-being.

“Creed wants an update on her condition,” Hargen tells Allard. “I’ve bought us some time, but he’ll expect results soon.”

Allard nods. “I’ll handle it. Stay with her. I’ll have to reactivate the security surveillance, so keep it professional.”

Our eyes meet one last time before he leaves, that strange connection still pulsing between us. He’s not what he seems. Not the cold Syndicate operative he pretends to be. The realization should frighten me, but instead, it feeds that dangerous spark of hope.

As the door closes behind him, I turn to Hargen.

“Tell me everything,” I demand, voice stronger than I feel. “About my daughter. About what happens next.”

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