Emma stood there in front of one of the biggest men she’d ever seen. She thought she should be panicking, but she was beyond tired, and her arm hurt bad enough that it seemed to make her whole body throb. The night was warm, and she wore a sweatsuit, but she still felt cold to her very core.
She had fought to stay alive for weeks, and she didn’t have the will to fight anymore. If he was going to kill her, so be it. She was ashamed for giving up, but she had nothing left to fight with. For a long time, she had wracked her brain for ideas on how to get out of her predicament, but she couldn’t think of anything.
“Honey, you’re shivering. You might be going into shock. I need to get you home and take care of you, or maybe we should just go to the hospital…”
She shook her head and took a few steps away from him. “No! No hospital.”
He reached out a hand. “Easy. All right. No hospital. Come on, baby.”
The fatigue that took all her fight and reasoning made it hard to grasp the situation or decide.
“Come on. Come to me.”
She exhaled and took the steps needed to stand in front of him.
“That’s a good girl.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m sorry, honey. My name is Devon.”
She nodded.
“Can I carry you?”
She felt herself sway and knew she wouldn’t be able to hold herself up too much longer. The adrenaline that gave her the burst of energy that got her out of her apartment was fading fast. “Yes, please.”
He bent down and lifted her into his arms, then started back the way they had come from.
She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She hadn’t thought she slept until he lifted her from his car, and they were in a different area.