Page 132 of Unbroken

“I saw the dirt caked under my nails and clinging to every inch of my body. But it wasn’t until after that I saw the scars on my back, running up and down my spine, where you could see the bones. The tattoo covers most of them now, but that brick really did a number on me.”

“Blakely, we’ve discussed this. Reliving it again, it’s?—”

I laughed, but the sound was choked and maybe a little manic. “We’ve discussed it, but we haven’treallydiscussed it.”

Dr. Mann straightened in his seat and braced his elbows on his knees. “What more is there to talk about?”

“Isn’t thismytherapy session? Am I not allowed to discuss what I want to?”

Dr. Mann stared at me for another moment and then tossed his hands to the side, gesturing for me to continue. “By all means…” He sat back as I scooted forward to the edge of the couch.

“Thank you.”

“So, you want to know why.” Not a question, a statement.

I nodded slowly and looked directly at him. “Yes, so why don’t you tell me?”

“Blakely—”

“Tell me why you did it, Dr. Mann.”

Time stopped as we stared at one another. His brown eyes were unblinking, but I hardened myself and willed not to let any glimmer of emotion cross my face.

As I expected, Jeffrey eventually scoffed. He looked away and shook his head before returning his gaze to mine. “Are you really trying to accuse me of kidnapping you?”

“Not trying,” I clarified with a smile. “I’m just doing it.”

“Blakely, I thought we were making progress, and now, this? Months of work down the drain. What do you expect me to say?”

“The truth would be preferable.” It was funny how the quietrage running through my veins made me so calm even in the face of true evil.

I enjoyed watching him struggle for an answer. This man, who’d been one step ahead of me for years, was finally scrambling. And I relished every fucking second.

We were locked in a battle of wills. Neither of us intent on dropping the other’s stare. But I wouldn’t be the first to break. I’d waited two long years for this moment, and I wasn’t going to go down without one hell of a fight.

Several seconds passed, and neither of us blinked. On the surface, his stare appeared unwavering, but then he licked his lips and sat back in his seat. The smile that spread across his face was slow and calculated.

“I underestimated you, Blakely Warrier-West.”

“That was only the first in a long line of mistakes, Jeffrey.”

He dropped his head back and laughed toward the ceiling, like what I’d said was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “I’ve been asking you for months to call me by my first name, and suddenly,now, you decide to do it.”

I shrugged. “It was a respect thing before, so I guess you could say that’s gone now.”

“You don’t respect me anymore?” he asked, his tone mocking and unsurprised.

“Nope.” My tone was just as casual and unserious.

“So, tell me,” he began. “How did you figure it out? You were clueless for years, so consider me a little shocked that you walk in today guns-a-blazing, set on what, revenge?”

Needing to expend the energy welling up inside me, I stood and rounded the couch. “A photograph,” I explained. “I found it in some of Shelly’s old stuff, and you happened to be in the background. There wasn’t another plausible explanation for why you’d be at the treatment center. It would’ve been too much of a coincidence.”

He sighed and shook his head, running his palm over his mouth like it was only a minor inconvenience that I’d figured itout. “Damn, I knew it was too risky to go down there. I only went a few times, when Nick Hammond was indisposed. I’m not surprised a photo got me—they really liked their photo ops there.”

“You were so careful,” I said. “That’s kind of messy, Jeffrey.”

“Well, it still took you this long to find the one photo?—”

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