Page 43 of Shadows of Recovery

Damon chuckled, clearly enjoying the control he held over her. "We'll see about that. For now, sit with me. I need my pretty lady doctor." He patted the couch beside him.

Ignoring the dread pooling in her stomach, she approached him. "What do you want now, Damon?" Her voice was laced with thinly veiled frustration.

Damon's smirk widened as he rose from his seat, towering over her with an intimidating presence. "Oh, Sophie, always so feisty," he cooed, his tone dripping with condescension. "I just wanted to remind you of your priorities. Don't forget who holds the power here."

She clenched her fists, trying to hide the rising tide of anger within her. "I'm not interested in your power games, Damon. I have patients to attend to. That's where my priorities lie."

Damon’s laughter suddenly echoed through the room, sending shudders down Sophie's spine. He approached her, sneering, “Oh, how noble of you. But let's not pretend you're not indebted to me. You breathe because I let you breathe.”

Sophie squared her shoulders, refusing to back down despite the terror gripping her heart.

"I won't let you intimidate me. I've worked too hard to let someone like you dictate my life." She trembled with defiance. “I want you to let some more patients go.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Tell me, Sophie, what would your precious Tristan do without you?"

Sophie’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Tristan. She tried to keep her face neutral, but the fear was evident in her eyes. "Tristan has nothing to do with this."

Damon's expression darkened, and he stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "Don’t lie to me. I know about you and Tristan. Do you think you can hide anything from me?"

Sophie shook her head, desperation creeping into her voice. "It's not true. There's nothing between us."

Damon’s anger flared, and he grabbed her by the arm, his grip painfully tight. "Liar! Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I didn’t hear the way he spoke to you? The way you spoke to him? And what about the note in your lab coat pocket? This must have come with those roses.” He waved Tristan’s love note like a flag.

Sophie winced as his grip tightened, pain shooting through her arm. The sound of bones snapping filled the air. "Please, Damon, you’re hurting me."

Damon’s face twisted with rage, and he shoved her hard against the wall, his hand wrapping around her throat. "You dare lie to me? You dare defy me?"

Sophie gasped for breath, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes. She struggled to speak, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm not lying... please..." She clawed at his hands.

Damon’s laughter echoed through the room again, but this time it was filled with cruelty and madness. "You’re mine, Sophie. I control your fate. Remember that."

He released her suddenly, and she collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. She looked up at him, her body shaking with pain and fear, but her eyes still held a spark of defiance.

Sophie was hoarse but resolute. "I won’t give up. No matter what you do to me."

Damon sneered down at her, his eyes cold and calculating. "We’ll see about that, Doctor."

As he walked away, Sophie curled into herself, fighting back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her. She wouldn’t let Damon break her. She couldn’t. For her sake, and for the sake of everyone else trapped in the hospital.

Seventeen

Damon paced the room. He looked over at Sophie, who sat curled into herself, supporting her arm on the couch. His face contorted with lust. “Pretty lady doctor, are you ready to take care of me again? I released one of the hostages.” He walked over to her and straddled her, his breath hot on her face. "Time for me to show you just how powerless you really are."

Sophie fought back with all her strength, clawing at Damon's hand with her one functional arm and hand in a desperate attempt to break free. Pain shot through her body as his grip tightened, cutting off her air supply and sending her vision spinning. Darkness closed in around her, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

A torrent of cold water jolted Sophie awake. She gasped, sputtering, her eyes snapping open to find Damon standing over her with an empty patient wash basin. Her skin prickled with the shock of the water, and she shivered uncontrollably.

"Welcome back, pretty doctor. Can't have you passing out on me. I like to look into my woman’s eyes,” he sneered.

Sophie choked, her body racked with shivers. "Why are you doing this to me?" Her voice was hoarse.

Damon's expression was one of sadistic pleasure. "Because I can. Because I like seeing that look of fear in your eyes. Because you’re mine."

Sophie looked at the clock. She’d been unconscious for hours. Her head felt like it would explode. Nausea racked her. She swallowed hard, trying to muster the strength to speak. "I need to be able to check on the ER patients and the hospital’s patients. Take what you want and go away."

Damon regarded her for a moment, his amusement evident. "Alright, I'll let you play doctor a little longer. But remember, Sophie, you belong to me. Don't forget it." He motioned to his men. "Take her to see her patients."

Sophie was led down the hall once more, still wet from the water. The scrubs she wore felt heavier, like a burden she had to bear. She moved through the waiting room, checking on patients with her nursing staff, trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

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