Page 7 of Atone in Darkness
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Chase hurt.
No surprise considering he’d died during the dance, once again murdered at the hands of his captors. God knows they gave it their best this time, and they would probably hate learning that they’d failed to ensure he’d stay dead. His memories of the whole affair were understandably muddled, but he didn’t mind not recalling all the details. It had been bad enough struggling to breatheas his pulse stuttered and stalled without having an audience looking on and laughing as he fought against the darkness. He vaguely recalled the sadistic bastards kicking him a few more times just to make this latest death a little more special.
The return trip back to the living was never any fun, but this time was a whole lot worse. It gave him a new appreciation for everything the Handlersback at headquarters did to ease the process for him and his fellow Paladins. He’d like to thank them personally for their efforts, but it was looking more and more likely that he’d never get that opportunity. Eventually the guards would finally lose control and find a way to endhis life permanently. Chase knew that decapitation would work, or they could sever enough arteries at once to ensurehe bled out before his body could start the healing process.
God help him, but he almost wished that would happen.
His body might be willing to heal again, but his mind was a different matter. Right now, he struggled to keep his jaws clamped shut, the only thing keeping him from screaming loud enough to put howler monkeys to shame. The only reason he had for not giving in to the urge was thatit would scare his keeper and most likely earn him another beating from the guards.
The cell door clicked and slid open. It took everything he had to force his eyes to come back online. They still couldn’t focus right, but at least they worked long enough for him to recognize the blurry human being hovering over him was most likely Marisol. An extra-deep breath drew in enough air to pick up thealmond scent of her shampoo.
“Oh, Chase, how could they do this to you?”
He hated the sound of tears in her voice and tried unsuccessfully to lift his hand far enough to offer her the simple comfort of human touch. Right now, he needed that as much as she did. The trouble was neither of them should reveal that much weakness to his enemies. While she might not be firmly in their camp, neitherwas she completely in his. Not that he blamed her. She’d obviously gotten in way over her head and had no idea how to save herself, much less him.
Although she tried to hide it, his keeper was clearly terrified of her coworkers and had good reason to be. After all, she was a woman alone in the middle of nowhere withonly one beat-up Paladin and a whole lot of violent goons for company.
“Damnit, this time I’m going to give them a piece of my mind, and then I’m going to e-mail my employers and tell them that this travesty has to stop.”
“No!”
He meant to yell the single word, but it came out more like a stage whisper. Even so, she immediately returned to his side. “I’m sorry, but I have to do something, Chase. If they keep this up night after night, it’s only a matter of time beforethey go too far. You might have an amazing ability to heal, but no one comes back from death.”
Okay, that was funny. Had she really never noticed that sometimes he wasn’t breathing when they brought him back? On the other hand, what did he know? Maybe they left him lying in the gym until his heart got started again. It wasn’t the time for such discussions, and not just because his ability tospeak was so limited right now. Plus, there was no telling who might be listening besides his pretty doctor.
Maybe he could distract her long enough for him to regain his power of speech more fully. “Water.”
It took another couple of breaths before his lungs drew in enough air to add, “Please.”
Marisol looked happy to have something she could do to help. “Of course.”
She was back seconds later.“I brought you ice chips. Take it slow and let them melt in your mouth. They’ll ease your thirst, and you aren’t as likely to choke.”
The cool touch of her fingers eased beneath his neck and lifted his head long enough for her to slide a spoon witha few chips on it between his lips. The slow trickle of cold liquid felt like heaven on his parched throat. “More, please.”
Woot! Two whole wordsin a row. He was on a roll now.
After giving him another few chips, Marisol left his side. His eyes were starting to focus better, enabling him to track her progression as she gathered up a miscellany of supplies from the lab outside his door. When she returned, she set it all down on the bedside table. After dipping a washcloth in a basin of water, she gently washed his face.
“Tell me if thisis too hot.”
“Feels good,” he whispered.
She offered him a shaky smile and kept working. After a bit, she carried the basin back out to the sink in the lab and exchanged the bloody water for clean. Upon her return, she started cutting off what was left of his T-shirt, probably intending to assess the damage from last night’s time with the guards.
She paused, and her dark eyes stared down intohis for a brief second. “I wasn’t sure you were even still here at the compound. You’ve been gone for almost three days. I haven’t seen you or heard a word since the guards took you away after your workout on the treadmill.”
She dropped her voice to a low whisper. “I asked two different guards where you were, but they both just ignored me.”
He mulled over that little bombshell. He’d been deadthat long? Well, hell, that wasn’t good news. Paladins might be resilient, but even they had an expiration date that kicked in if they died too often. Each occurrence made it that much harder to come back from the darkness sane and whole. Hisprolonged absence also explained why she looked so much more stressed than usual. Maybe he could manage three words this time. “Sorry you worried.”
“I’msorry they hurt you.”
So was he, but considering she worked for the same assholes who paid the guards to do this to him, her obvious distress still seemed a bit hypocritical. Not that he was going to point that out right now, when he couldn’t sit up alone much less defend himself from another attack.
And one was looming on the horizon. There always was. The guards had made it clear that they’dbeen told to pick up the pace. As much as he’d like to think that had been them just jerking his chain, there had been a little too much glee in their expressions when they shared that tidbit with him. They’d also punctuated the news with their batons to give it extra emphasis.
