Page 18 of Enemies to Wife

"Are you okay?" he asked. He felt down my body, like he was searching for something.

"Am I okay?" I asked, a hysterical laugh escaping from my lips. "You just got stabbed and you are asking if I'm okay?" A grin tugged at Sebastian's lips, and he shrugged. He tugged at his shirt, which was sticking to the wound in his side.

"I've had worse," he said. He turned to look at Davis who nodded.

"Get you and your girl out of here, boss," he said in his deep rumble. "I'll sort out this shit." Sebastian nodded with a smile and took my hand.

"Come on darling," he said, "Let's get you out of here."

I felt a massive weight lifting off me as we walked out of the room. The hallway had much the same cement walls as the room.

"Where are we?" I asked, as Sebastian guided me down the corridor towards some stone steps. There were other rooms and people were going in and out of them.

"We are still on Ivory Crest Estate," Sebastian said. "This is some old underground bunker that McIntyre had converted to holding cells for his…" He trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"His what?" I asked.

"William McIntyre was running a trafficking ring," Sebastian said as we reached the steps. "He was holding girls here until they had decided where they were going to ship them to whatever hell they had planned for them. I had been called in to investigate after there was some suspicion."

"Called in by who," I asked. I was horrified. The thought occurred to me I was right when I had no chance of getting out of there on my own. Alec had the perfect place to keep me and do whatever he wanted to do to me for as long as he wanted. A shiver ran through me, and I didn't know if I had the urge to cry, scream, vomit or a violent mixture of all three. Sebastian pulled me in tighter to him.

"Cold?" he asked. I shook my head.

"More like horrified," I muttered.

"You're safe, I promise," he replied.

"Yeah, but how many aren't?" I asked.

"That's why I do what I do," he said. I shot him a curious look, but he shook his head.

We reached the top of the steps and the small vault-like room seemed jammed with people. Sebastian guided me towards the exit which looked like a low metal door set in the stone. It was wide open, and I could see even more people outside. The first person I recognised was James Killinham as he rushed towards us. I flinched as he took my hand. Sebastian squeezed me closer to him, a somewhat comforting gesture.

"Miss Appleby, my dear," James said quickly, "I am so sorry this happened to you. And for my part in it."

"Your part?" I asked, confused. Was he a part of the ring? I looked over at Sebastian.

"We are still piecing things together," he said. "But it seems that Alec has been pulling strings all over the place to fuel his obsession with you."

"I was one of the board members that Alec convinced that you weren't Regents material," James said. "I am afraid that if I hadn't been so quick to act against you four years ago, that this would never have happened. It's no way even close to making up for it but I will ensure that you are compensated for this misunderstanding." I shook my head. This was all getting too much for me, the people, the revelations, the trauma. I needed space to deal with it all. Sebastian must have noticed because he guided me away from James.

"It can be discussed later," he said sternly. "Right now, Lily needs medical attention."

"Of course," James nodded. "I will be in touch." Sebastian nodded and led me down a little path to a clearing that was filled with cars and an ambulance. The paramedics rushed over to me, and I waved them off.

"Please, him first," I said. "He's been stabbed."

"Don't worry about me," Sebastian growled as he batted away one of the paramedics hands. I glared at him but let the other paramedic fuss over me. It wasn't long before we were both in the back of the ambulance and being driven away from that hell place, hopefully for the last time.

Chapter 13

Lily

Two Months Later

I was forced to spend the next two weeks in the hospital. It was a private hospital that I was informed would be paid for by the Trivium Foundation, which I heard was connected to the Regent's University. I hated being there, but Sebastian had insisted. I had various doctors and nurses and trauma specialists coming in to speak to me. My injuries were minor. Mostly bruising and a slight concussion. There was some tearing from the rape, but the doctor declared it was minimal and would heal on its own. Sebastian stayed through all the physical examinations, holding my hand as people poked and prodded at me. He was there the whole time. Every night that I woke up crying from the nightmares, Sebastian was there to comfort me.

After I was released from the hospital Sebastian took me back to the apartment. He told me he needed to go away for a while; he had to deal with the fallout, but I could stay at the apartment for as long as I wanted to. I told Sebastian about what Alec had told me. How I thought Sebastian had had me expelled because I rejected him, and about how Alec had continued to ruin my life, taking my money, and hurting my friends. Sebastian told me that Alec had also been responsible for Sebastian not getting a place in one of the main clubhouses at university. Alec had reported Sebastian for stalking and sexual assault. He had given evidence that was now believed to be evidence of Alec's own crimes. Sebastian had been told that I was the one reporting him. He had blamed me all these years, just as I had blamed him. We were as bad as each other.

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