Page 56 of Where We Ended

Wes glared at Killian, then peered over at Jameson as if they were all silently speaking. I ignored it and kept talking.

“From what I gathered, Fable wants Silas distracted. He was hoping my abduction would have him so distracted that he’d be able to take the Death Raiders from him. Or at least that’s the story they tried to sell me.”

“So he didn’t want to hurt you?” Penelope asked, wincing the smallest bit. “I mean that wasn’t his purpose for taking you.”

I shook my head. “He would have, and threatened it, but he gave me over to Alec…”

Silas’s grip tightened around my stomach.

With a shuddery breath, I tried to continue, but Wes asked, “What do you mean by gave you over to Alec, did he separate from Fable? Just trying to figure out if there are multiple locations.”

The hand moving along my spine froze and I felt Silas move so he crowded my back.

“Fable wanted me alive, out of the way…he has plans for Silas, that much I know. It’s all about him. Alec has…well he had affections for me from when we were younger. He?—”

Shit, maybe I couldn’t say it.

It was as simple as saying I was handcuffed to another human for four days and was emotionally manipulated, while being sexually assaulted.

But I couldn’t seem to say a single word.

“He treated you okay?” Laura asked quietly, tentatively while glancing at Callie and Pen.

Her words were soft, but they felt like road rash, gravel sliding under my skin, burning in a way that made me feel like I’d never be okay again.

The answer was burning in my throat, to explain what he’d done, but with everyone’s eyes on me, I couldn’t.

“Non hic Caelum.” Not here, Heaven.

I sunk into Silas’s chest and took a deep breath. Everyone in the room must have realized I wasn’t ready to talk about it because Killian spoke up.

“Was there anyone else there that you can remember?”

My eyes flew up.

“Yes.” I looked over my shoulder, trying to see Silas, but I was sitting too close. “Silas was supposed to tell you.”

Killian leaned forward, waiting for me to continue, while glancing back at Silas.

This time I adjusted myself so I could make eye contact. “You said you would tell him.”

His hand idly slid up my back, where he toyed with the ends of my hair.

“Said I would once you were settled. You’re not settled.”

I let out an exasperated sound. “Silas, I can’t be?—”

“Can you just tell me?” Killian interrupted; an angry edge set to his jaw.

“Yes, sorry. There was a woman named Rachel there…she showed me kindness and didn’t seem to be there completely of her own free will. I’d like to go back and look for her.”

The president of the Stone Riders stared at me with a bewildered expression until something in his gaze shifted. He glanced quickly over at Laura and then back at me.

“Rachel? Did she…” He paused, as if he was too nervous to continue. “Was she,” he tried again, this time his throat working—his Adam’s apple moving.

I nodded as my own emotions began to grow thick in my throat. My eyes burned and I wished there weren’t so many people in this room right now.

Killian stared, his eyes going wide until he breathed a simple, “how?”

---