Page 9 of Guarded from Corruption

“I think Rhiannon would be better,” Niall announces, meeting her gaze.

“Absolutely.” She nods. To me, she says, “Our clinic is small, but it’s well-equipped. We have a portable ultrasound and X-ray machine; we can treat most minor injuries here, and I’m very good at suturing—” She stops and makes an apologetic face. “Sorry, Jade. I’m sure you’re not interested in this right now.”

“I am,” I manage, though speaking without crying is difficult. “I’m a PA. So… I think it’s interesting.”

Niall gives me an affectionate squeeze. “Jade’s a brilliant PA. She got her degree at George Washington and works at a family practice in Austin.”

I didn’t realize he knew about my new job.

But of course, Shea would have told him. Even though I haven’t spoken to Niall in over a year, she and her brother talk regularly. Shea doesn’t know about the accusations Niall and I threw at each other, and she doesn’t know that Niall probably isn’t interested in what I’m doing.

Although. He hasn’t seemed upset with me.

But would he, considering the circumstances? Probably not. Niall’s a protector through and through, and he’d never let his personal feelings get in the way of doing his duty. Or helping his little sister’s best friend, as it is.

Thinking about Niall is a welcome distraction from reality, but it comes crashing to a stop when we walk into the clinic. Faced with a gurney and IV stands and a counter with medical equipment neatly laid out across it, I can’t ignore the inevitable any longer.

I’d almost rather remain sick and in pain than have to talk about what happened.

But I don’t say that, because that would be weak.

Instead, I let Niall set me on the gurney and fight the urge to curl up in the fetal position.

I sit there passively while Rhiannon takes my temperature, my eyes focused on the cabinet across from me, trying to read all the tiny labels on each drawer.

When she reaches for my arm to take my blood pressure and asks if it’s okay, I nod wordlessly at her.

I stare at the floor as the sphygmomanometer inflates, counting the rows and columns of tiles.

After days of terror, then hours of running in fear, my mind and body are shutting down.

“Do you see this?” Rhiannon lightly touches the inside of my elbow as she draws Niall’s attention. “The bruising?”

Niall steps away from the wall where he’s been leaning and peers at my arm. He lets out a low hiss of dismay, then says, “Jade, hun. Did someone inject something into your arm?”

It takes a second for his question to filter through the fog collecting in my head. Flatly, I tell him, “Yes. At first. A sedative. I’m not sure which one. But later, I convinced them to give me the pills instead.”

His expression goes stony, while Rhiannon says, “Okay. I’m just going to take some blood so we can have it tested. Find out what you were given.”

She’s about to draw my blood when I blurt out in a panic, “Don’t use my name. You can’t. They can’t know I’m here. I won’t give my blood if you?—”

“We won’t,” she assures me. “There’s a private company we use. There won’t be a name attached. I promise.”

She seems nice, but I don’t know her, so I look at Niall with my brows raised in question. “We won’t,” he affirms. “I promise, Jade. No one will know you’re here.”

After that, things blur together again.

I’m hooked up to an IV after Rhiannon tells me, “You’re dehydrated. And after this, you definitely need to eat something.”

As she cleans the cuts on my face, Niall scowls, looking like he wants to break something.

Rhiannon checks my body while Niall turns away, her brows shooting up when she looks at the blossoming bruises on my hip and upper arm. “From when I escaped,” I explain, and I’m relieved when she doesn’t press further.

But then she says, “Niall. You’ll need to leave the room for the next part,” and everything comes back into laser focus.

I jerk up to a seated position and grab Niall’s hand before he can go anywhere. “No. Don’t leave.” Tears burn behind my eyes. “You promised. You said you wouldn’t leave.”

His gaze bounces between mine and Rhiannon’s, clearly unhappy about it. “I know. But there are some things… I’ll wait right outside. We can leave the door cracked open.”

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