Page 15 of Unwell
‘I said, open your mouth.’
My second refusal was harder than the first, my face hot and throbbing where he’d hit me.
The following slap filled my mouth with salty, metallic blood. Tears tracked over my face as I opened my mouth.
‘Better. I know from the state of you that you aren’t a stranger to opening that mouth for a man.’
Earthy musk joined the taste of blood as he shoved the pills into my throat, his other hand grasping me by the nape of the neck and pinning me at arm’s length.
My chest heaved as I gagged on his dirty fingers. Struggling did nothing. I had no option but to obey. Swallowing hard made him release me.
‘With any luck, you’ll miscarry the child,’ he hissed. ‘If not, I’m sure I can make use of it in the basement.’
Wiping blood and dirt from my mouth, I fought the urge to cuss at him.
My shoulders slumped as he turned and stalked back to the building, leaving me amongst the weeds. Using my fingernails, I scraped the muddy remnants from my tongue before drying my tears.
I hated Wellard.
Hated Dr. Marney.
Hated my Mama.
A flash of white drew my eyes to the tree line, a flap of material amongst the dead trunks.
Elijah?
I hadn’t seen him in days.
No one paid me any attention as I slipped away. The trees swallowed me up. Welcomed me in their tangled grasp.
‘Elijah?’ The dried woods deadened my words as I made my way through, looking for any signs of him.
Nothing.
Resting back against rotting bark, I closed my eyes and cradled my stomach.
‘Little un’, I swear your daddy will find a way to get us out of here. We’re family. He’s got to come back for us.’
His familiar scent drifted over me moments before his hand clamped around my mouth.
‘My sweet girl.’ His lips grazed my neck as he pulled me backward against him. ‘I’ve missed you.’
‘I need to get out of here. Please help me? Show me how you get in.’ We could sneak out together. Run away and become a family.
‘You know I can’t take you. Not yet. Not like this.’
‘Then come visit me. Properly. Nurse Nancy said you can.’
Elijah stiffened at the mention of the nurse, and I turned to look at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and breathing him in.
‘You can’t trust them. None of them. Neither can I. But when the time comes, I will keep her safe. I promise, Ginny.’ His face softened as he pulled me to him, kissing me deeply. My body reacted with a rush of heat, my muscles relaxing for the first time in days.
‘What if they see?’ I murmured in between tastes of his tongue.
‘Shh,’ it’s okay. They won’t see.’
Pinning me back against a tree, he pressed himself inside me in seconds. Before I was ready.
