Page 79 of Finish Line

“Did he say what was missing?” I ask.

“It was some prototype for the military.” Dom’s brow pinches.

“Shit, for real? Roger took them, so you’ll have to tell your dad.” Dom’s parents aren’t going to care what condition I was in when the incident happened.

Dom shakes his head while Mav outright says, “No. Let’s see what happens.”

“If that’s what you want.” I shrug.

They know their dad the best.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

SHELBY

No one is in the living room when we return to the house.

I say good night to Luke and Dom before heading toward my room, Cam and Mav trailing behind me.

“Shelby, if you don’t want us in here, we understand,” Mav says.

Stopping at my door, I turn to face them both. “No, I want you both in here. But to warn you, I expect to have a nightmare after telling everyone my story.”

“I told you the first day I’m here for you,” Cam says.

“Thank you. I’m beat.” The guys and I undress, and I crawl up and into the middle of the bed to lie down. Cam and Mav move to either side of me, Cam being the big spoon to my little.

Mav presses himself along the front of me, pulling my leg over his hip. The guys link their hands over my waist, wrapping me in their warmth.

It doesn’t take long before I drift off to sleep.

The dark, moldy basement looms around me. I’m naked and chained up. Goose bumps run along my skin when footsteps echo from the stairwell. Evan walks out of the dark corner.

“Do you think you could escape me that easily?” Blood drips down from his neck.

No! This can’t be happening. I shake my head. “I killed you. I killed you and got out of the house Roger was holding me in.”

I ball my hands into fists to hide their shaking.

He stalks toward me, making me back up against the wall, coming to a stop within a foot of me. “True. But you will never be rid of me. Every time someone touches you, every time you sleep, every time you have sex, you will think of me. I’ll always be here.”

Evan’s face splits into a bloody grin as he reaches out his hand, resting it on my cheek.

“No!” I scream. “Don’t touch me. Leave me alone.” I push away the image, my hands not touching anything.

Still lost in the haze of my nightmare, I bolt upright and scramble away.

“You’re safe, gorgeous,” Cam says.

My eyes drift toward where he sits, my vision blurring the image of Cam seated against the headboard with the memory of him lying in the basement. “But I freed you. You escaped. And why is Mav here? He wasn’t here.”

Whimpering, I wrap my arms around myself and rock back and forth.

“She’s still caught in her nightmare,” Mav whispers. “You’re safe. Here with us. You’re not in the basement anymore, Shelby. You got Cam out. He’s safe. Look at Cam, Shelby.”

I blink a few times, clearing the fog from my head. Cam’s not dirty or flushed with fever like he was in the basement.

The image of the basement fades from my vision.

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