I hated these bastards. The lights above me swam in and out of my vision as I counted my breathing to focus on anything but the pain. If I let myself touch the light, I would pass out. And I did not want to see what these bastards would do with an unconscious, hurt woman.
“I see,” I said, panting, my knees buckling beneath me so I hit the rubber floor with a thump. “We are not starting with foreplay.”
His eyes narrowed, and I shut my eyes, bracing for his next attack. This was going to hurt so much.
When he didn’t touch me, I opened my eyes, but the room was now empty. The guards were gone. As much as I would have loved to get up and walk on out of here, I couldn’t. Everything from my shoulders down hurt so bad all I could do was focus on not whimpering.
I waited until the thought of moving didn’t bring tears to my eyes. No one returned to check on me, or walked past the open door. Finally, after what felt like forever, I got to my feet. Then I limped to the door and leaned heavily on it to catch my breath.
Fin would be paying my medical bills too. The dick left me here to die. Why else hadn’t he shown up by now? When I saw him again, he was dead.
He’d proven I couldn’t punch him, but I sure as shit could shoot him.
For now, I would sit down here and take a little break. I couldn’t stand anymore. The pain was too much.
I slid down to the floor and stared down the empty hallway to the stairs. Light shone from above, and all I wanted to do was crawl to it. Maybe it would lead me out of this hellhole.
“I appreciate the visual, but if you crawl, I have a feeling once you get to the top of those stairs, you’ll torch the house,” Fin said, sauntering down the hall, his tux perfectly immaculate, like he’d arrived for a date.
I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Where the fuck have you been?”
He crouched down in front of me, level with my eyes. “Miss me?”
“If you don’t shut the hell up, I’m going to murder you with my two bare hands then I’m going to desecrate your fairy ass corpse.”
I forced air through my nose, and inhaled, trying to reign in the pain, the anger, cascading through me like water over rocks.
“So that’s a no then.”
I reached out to hit him, but the pain swamped me, and my vision swam.
He cradled my head and helped me lay flat. “You’re injured.”
“That’s what happens when you leave a tiny woman alone to fight a dozen men.”
Finally, a look of concern crossed over his face. He stared down at me, running his thumb over my cheek. “I’m so sorry you’re hurt. I can help you focus so we can get home. I got rid of the guards that were down here, but I don’t know what else we will face. Do I have your permission?”
I wanted to scream at him, but if he could cull some of this pain, then I didn’t have a choice.
“Do it!” I said between clenched teeth.
The vibrations of his magic surrounded me. They felt so different from the mage’s magic. Pure and clean. The sunlight compared to unending darkness.
The pain ebbed away to a dull throb, and he cupped the back of my neck to sit me up. “How’s that?”
“Better,” I said. But then tears began pouring down my face. I touched my cheek, and then brushed them away, even more angry. I did not allow people to make me cry. “This didn’t happen.”
“Of course not,” he whispered. “Can you stand now?”
Gently, he lifted me to my feet, and I wrapped my arms around his torso and let him pull me close. He didn’t squeeze, only held me, and it was enough.
His fingers ran over my tangled hair. “You’re okay now. Let’s go home.”
I pulled myself from his arms, my face hot, and didn’t meet his eyes. “Where were you? Why did you disappear and leave me alone?”
When I glanced up at his face, he pulled away, and wouldn’t look at me.
“Fin?”