Page 65 of Dauntless

“Stop it. Step away from her right now.” Warm hands cradling my head. “Can you hear me, Gia? It’s Trish.”

Thomas? Everything went dark.

Then came light, or was it a dream?

I stood up and left the patio. Somehow, I had gotten away and was moving to the side of the house, and that was when I saw him. Elliott. He was in jeans and jacket storming through the house, knocking things over angrily. He was upset. He was desperate, searching for me.

“Nobody is here. You’ve found nothing,” Thomas complained coming up behind him. “You’re going to pay for everything you destroy.”

“Sue me,” Elliott said bluntly.

I swallow hard. That was my Elliott. “I love you,” I said. “I love you.”

“Nothing here, Elliott,” Trish said coming back to where he was standing.

“Now you need to leave,” Thomas said. “You’ve been here three times. I’m filing charges of harassment.”

“I’m going,” Elliott said pushing a bookcase. He was strong, powerful, ready to tear the place apart to find me. Trish came up and shook her head. His shoulders and head dropped. They walked out of the room. Was he leaving? No. He can’t go. Grabbing a rock near me, I threw it with all the strength I had. It hit the side of the house, but no one heard. They were not there. I was left behind.

No. NO. NO. I shrieked. Louder and Louder. “You can’t leave me. I need you. Help me, Elliott.”

“Help is on the way, Gia. You’re safe now.”

Trish? Had they come outside? Where is Elliott?

Darkness pulled me under again.

“Gia, sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

Clear eyes. Twisted smile above me. Dimitri.

Sweat falling from his face onto mine.

I was still on the bed in the room.

Had my rescue been a dream??

His body over me. Laughing.

I screamed and thrashed as arms held me down.”

“She’s been going in and out of consciousness, nurse.”

“She’s tiring out. Let her rest.”

***

Light streamed behind the blinds near the window I laid close to. Morning.

I moved my head around; it throbbed. It was a hospital. I was no longer in the bedroom basement or the patio at Loren’s house. I was alive. I had been rescued. When? How? Was this real?

“This is real,” a woman answered as if I had spoken. I moved my head toward the direction of the voice, and I recognized Trish, but it wasn’t exactly the Trish I’d come to know. Her face was pinched and pale.

I frowned. What was going on?

“Mrs. Walsh-Ruiz?” One of the nurses I hadn’t seen stepped closer to the bed.

“Don’t call her Mrs. Walsh-Ruiz. Her name is Ms. Ruiz, but she likes to be called Gia.” She adjusted her glasses, and I could see her eyes, they were red-rimmed. Something was wrong.

Why was Trish here? Where was Elliott?

“Elliott,” I attempted to say, but my voice was graveled. “Where is he?”

“He’s not here,” she replied. “He’s missing.”

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