Page 25 of What Lies Within

A sigh escapes Ronan, and then he moves behind me, returning to cup the back of my head with one hand. The cool rim of the glass touches my bottom lip. “Drink.”

He could have poisoned it.But then again, if he wanted me dead, there were ample opportunities before now. Why make it so elaborate?

I sip the dusty-tasting water, savoring the feel as it slides across my tongue, and push it around my mouth to wet every inch before I swallow.

“Aye,” Ronan coos. “That’s a good girl. Bit more.”

He taps my lip again, and I guzzle a bigger mouthful this time. Yet not too much. Enough to keep hydrated, but not so much that I need to find out how the fuck they plan to let me use the bathroom.

"Thank you," I whisper when I'm done, unsure if he's still there.

The gentle exhale assures me he is. "No need to say thank you for this shite, darlin'." His fingertips graze my jaw. "Such a pretty girl. I bet your father's losing his bleedin' head over you bein' gone."

I wait for the knife at my throat. For the switch to flip in his crazy head. Yet neither come.

He moves away, the absence strikingly clear despite not being able to see a damn thing. I lament his loss, shocked at how quickly I appreciated the security he provided between me and Fox. The door to the left clicks shut; precious minutes pass in silence before the dull growl of the car as it leaves filters into the house.

“Don’t get used to it,” Fox gripes, crossing the room. “You won’t get treated like that all the time.” There’s a rattle of keys and then the unmistakable creak of leather as a man shrugs on his jacket. “I got other places to be and fuck load less interest in waitin’ on you hand and foot.”

“Then why bother taking me in the first place if I’m such a burden?” I can’t goddamn help myself.

"Because, unlike your little friend, you didn't have a fuckin' watchdog followin' you around."

His boots strike the timber, and then he’s out the same door, the rumble of his bike starting moments after.

I sit in the goddamn room as day turns deeper into night, the temperature dropping as what little light permeates the blindfold dissipates.This is all about her.I'm bound and alone—God knows where—all because I did what any good friend would and helped a buddy in her time of need.

Because I cared. Because I valued Rae's well-being over my own.

All I can think as I shift to my knees and rise to my feet is I hope she feels the goddamn same.

11

RAE

Clouds mar the sky, the sun barely shining from behind the obstruction while we wait for Connor to arrive.

The worsening weather matches my mood; a sense of foreboding weighs heavy on my mind.

With his ass on the tabletop and a ballcap pulled low over his head, Digger holds me to him where we wait at the picnic tables, one arm draped over my shoulder and lower legs pressed against me from ribcage to hip. It's as though he thinks I'll disappear if he relaxes. As though he believes all Connor needs is a second of distraction to snatch me from their property. I tug the sleeves of my hoodie lower over my hands and lift one to set it over Digger's forearm, the connection a comforting distraction from the frantic pace of my heart.

Maybe he's right. I've spent so long believing my distrust of Connor stems from the results of my own actions that it seems surprising that others may feel the same way toward him.

I tilt my head back, rest it in Digger's lap, and stare at the underside of his handsome face. Brow pinched, he studies Tyke, out in the yard waiting on our visitor. A beat passes beforeDigger registers my position, and he glances down, a small smile pulling at his full lips. "Hey."

“Hey,” I echo. “You okay?”

“Be happier when this is done.” He sighs, then leans down to peck a kiss on my brow. “Don’t like how he makes you feel when you see him.”

I twitch my lips into what I hope is a placating smile. “It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not.” He goes back to watching Tyke, arm banding tighter across my chest. “I don’t give a fuck what he says; he scared you. Made you fearful of leavin' your place. Goin' to work. Doin' all the things you got a right to do as a woman and a human fuckin' being." He draws a deep breath. "It’s wrong."

My heart swells, and I choke back the emotion that threatens to spill over. I need to keep it together for this. I need to present a united front of strength, not fall apart at the seams. Drawing a deep breath, I rest my chin atop Digger’s arm and hold him tight.

I fucking love him. For what he’s done for me, for what he promises to do.

I know what the swirl of nerves in my stomach means. I recognize the tension in my chest. The fear of losing something so good.

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