Page 51 of Assassin's Mark
Chapter Twenty-Four
He couldn’t put the pieces of me back together; I’d been right about that. I couldn’t even trust that the man who’d seemed to care, to want me and want to comfort me, was the real Levi. Experience said no. What my body and mind had felt in his arms said yes. I decided it didn’t really matter in the face of everything going on.
Eli didn’t look at me when I came out ofthe bedroom. Remi was on the couch, half-reclining, a pillow behind his back and blanket over his legs. He reminded me so much of Levi now that he was up and awake, not just the body type and size, but the intensity in his eyes. I bypassed his knowing look and hurried to Leah, to the sickroom—to action, or at the very least, to bask in the woman’s calm demeanor. I found her cleaning up the messyroom, and peace immediately settled like a blanket over my soul.
She didn’t glance up as I moved to her side. “You okay?” she asked, gripping one corner of the sheet that covered Remi’s bed.
“Sure.”
The word was anything but, something Leah ignored as she continued to strip the bed.
“Eli says they’re moving out tonight.”
I stilled. “Did he say…”
She bundled the sheets in her arms, then turnedto face me. Her blue eyes delved deep, searching, uncovering things I didn’t want discovered. Too often lately I felt like an open book for anyone to read—or take advantage of. “He says now that Remi’s awake, I’ll be going home.”
“Oh.” Relief loosened my muscles even as a different kind of tension ran through me. What were they planning for me? “That’s good. You’ll be back with your daughter.”And safe.
Leah continued to stare, knowledge darkening her gaze. I reached for the sheets, intent on putting them somewhere out of the way, somewhere that would allow me a few seconds to hide.
“I know what’s happening to you,” she said softly, continuing to hold her bundle, keeping me close—in her own way, forcing me to be where I wanted to escape. “I may work long shifts, but I’ve seen thenews. And I heard what Eli said earlier.”
Hadn’t everyone? Even knowing I hadn’t done anything wrong, shame heated my cheeks.
“Will they let you go too?”
I glanced up, daring to meet her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know if Levi will release you, or you don’t know if you want to be released?”
That is the question, isn’t it?One I didn’t know the answer to.
“Abby—” Leah glanced towardthe doorway and lowered her voice even more. “Don’t let him fool you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Of course I did.
One side of Leah’s mouth turned up; a smirk. “Right. And you didn’t just have sex with the man who kidnapped you.”
Every drop of blood in my face disappeared. I let go of the sheets, took a step back. The door was only a few steps away; could I make it?
“I get it,”Leah said. “Believe me, I get it probably more than you will ever know.” Something haunted and hurting flitted across her expression. “They seem all-powerful, like they can protect you from the hell that is your life. Like they are gods controlling everything, right down to the weather ruining your day, and somehow, over time, you forget that they aren’t truly good. You forget that they can hurtyou—and they always do. Always.”
“No, it’s not like that.” It wasn’t. Was it? I had no illusions that Levi was anything more than a convenience. When this was over, I would walk away, and these feelings would fade.
But you’ll never be the same.
Leah’s eyes shone with pity. “I wish you were right. But you’re not.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but snapped it shut when Eli appeared in the doorway.
“Time to go, Leah.”
She glanced around at the mess. “I’m not quite finished here.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said with a shrug. “In a few hours this place will be abandoned anyway.”
And where would that leave me? Was I going with them or, like Leah, going home? Was there a home to go back to?
