“It’ll be my own Goddamn fault. I put her here, Hunter. I gotta do this.”
We don’t have time to stand around arguing so I hand him the knife and nod at him, running toward the door. We don’t need a plan, there’s no point. We don’t have the element of surprise anymore because if he’s here, there’s no way he won’t have heard my bike. We have to be quick.
The front door opens with ease and keeping Jacques behind me, we search the first room. Apart from the crusty old sofa in the corner we put in here to make it look abandoned, we come up empty. We move onto the next room, trying to be as quiet as possible but with both of us with combat boots on, it’s a futile attempt. Looking in the next room, I feel bile rise in my throat. There’s spots of dried blood and black hair all over the floor, but no Keeley. I’m petrified that I’m too late when Jacques shouts my name through my foggy haze.
“Hunter! I’ve found her!”
My feet hit the cold hard floor at a sprint, and I run into the final room. I have to stop myself from pegging my nose at the smell and I catch my breath at the sight of the feral looking girl pushed up against the wall.
She’s completely naked, covered head to toe in cuts, bruises and blood, and her hair is matted and looks like it’s been hacked away at. That explains the hair in the other room.
I gasp, I can’t help it and she raises her pale face to meet mine. “Do your worst,” she spits out, and I follow her gaze back to a body on the floor, Taz.
I shuffle over to him and press my fingers to his neck. “He’s dead,” I confirm to Jacques.
As if noticing him for the first time, she screams and backs into the corner of the room. “He deserved it! Please just let me go!”
She frantically eyes my gun so I hold it up in the air and slowly put it on the floor in front of me. “Keeley, do you remember me? It’s Hunter, you’re safe now. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Moving closer, I notice she looks like the shell of the human she was when I saw her last. Her normally olive complexion looks dull and her face is sunken as her eyes dart around the room, looking for an escape.
I kneel down in front of her. “Keeley?”
I can hardly believe it’s her. I try to touch her and she lashes out, kicking out a bare bloodied foot at me. “I know who you are! You’re the guy I thought I could trust, yet you sent me off into the world on my own over a stupid fucking rumor that wasn’t even true! Don’t touch me!”
“Keeley, that’s not important right now. What is important is getting you medical attention. You have my word that I won’t hurt you.”
She glares at me. “Your word doesn’t mean shit.”
It’s like a hard blow to the chest. “You know I’m a man of my word, it means everything.”
Her face hardens. “I don’t know you anymore, and no, your word doesn’t mean everything. You said you’d always keep me safe. No matter what. Look where that got me.”
I can’t look at her then, she’s right, I failed her. I touch her arm again and she whimpers. She feels like ice so I look around manically, trying to find something to cover her frigid body with. I walk over to Jacques who looks like he’s seen a ghost and has tears streaming silently down his face.
“I… I had no idea.”
“No… you didn’t,” I grit out.
“Keeley… I’m so sorry,” he chokes out.
She focuses her eyes on him and they narrow. “I knew it was you, just couldn’t place your voice until just now. Kidnapping women you thing now?”
“I-”
I don’t have time for this, we need to get her help. Who knows the extent of her injuries? “Jacques, we can sort through your fucked up feelings later on. Take off your hoodie.”
He unzips it and drops it in my arms. “I’m sorry, I need some air.”
He turns and leaves, needing to deal with this alone for now. I kneel down in front of her again and hold the hoodie out to her. She eyes it but doesn’t move. “Please just take it, you’re freezing.”
She eyes me warily but holds out a shaking arm and takes it from me, wrapping it around herself.
“What you gonna do with me?” She asks, looking right into my eyes.
Those eyes. They pierce straight to my soul and all I want to do is pull her into my arms and claim her as mine, even with all the grime, cuts and bruises, she’s still as beautiful as ever. “We’re gonna get you to a hospital.”
She looks confused. “But I thought-”
“No, Keeely. We’re here to get you home, wherever that is.”
Her eyes are still untrusting, but they start to water and she sobs not taking her eyes away from mine. “I thought the club was coming for me.”
My heart breaks for everything she’s been through. “No, you’re safe with us. No one else is here, Jacques-”