Page 25 of Save Me

“What you have been through was torture. That is why I am here—to help you work through all the pending pain and make sense of the new life you have to face,” he says, the intensity in his gaze is both comforting and unnerving, causing my palms to grow damp with sweat and I can’t shake the feeling that I know him from somewhere.

“I’m sorry, I just—you look so familiar,” I nervously admit, a small smile forming on his lips. He leans back in his chair, folding his arms. “I was wondering when you were going to say something. We have indeedmet before, but only briefly—a few months back,” he declares, his response knitting a frown on my forehead.

“I was in captivity for more than a year... how—” I begin, my voice trailing off as a wave of memories crashes over me.

‘I heard you earlier, saying that you’re not ‘that kind’ of doctor…so, what kind of doctor are you?’

‘Oh, um, I’m a psychologist.’

His words echo in my mind, sparking a mix of disbelief, anger, and resentment. My gaze locks onto him, shooting daggers through the air.

“You—you could’ve helped me... but you didn’t!” I raise my voice, the anger and frustration boiling over. He wipes his hands over his face, a defeated sigh escaping his lips.

“I couldn’t—”

“Bullshit!” I yell before he can finish speaking, my voice laced with disappointment. He hangs his head in shame, his eyes avoiding my gaze.

In a moment of surrender, he rises from his seat, his footsteps echoing softly as he walks around the desk. He comes to a halt right in front of me, his presence looming over me. I raise an eyebrow, waiting for anexplanation, as he lowers himself, practically on his knees before me.

“I wanted to. I wanted to help you get out. But Zavier and I—we had an agreement that I couldn’t walk away from. Not helping you has haunted me every single day. I wish I could go back—to just… rescue you from him. I am so sorry, Starlet.”

I could feel the intensity of his plea, and the desperation in his voice as he spoke. My heart ached as I stared down at him, my vision blurred by the tears streaming down my face.

I reach up to brush them away, trying to compose myself as I abruptly stand up from the worn chair, the sound of its legs scraping against the floor breaking the stillness.

“Thank you for your time, Doctor Storm.” With one last look, I turn and walk out of his office, the heavy silence following me like a ghost.

Chapter 19

ARGENT

To say that tensionsand testosterone are running high would be an understatement. Adrian found out about Chloe and Demitri and he is pissed. It's not a good feeling when you find out that a guy who became a good friend has been sleeping with your sister.

After leaving the warehouse, I decided to stop at Aiden to see if he had found anything on where Zavier may be hiding before I head home to see Star after her appointment.

As we gather around Aiden’s chaotic workstation, I can’t help but notice the intense glare exchanged between the two boys, their eyes shooting daggers ateach other with each passing moment. It’s enough to make me chuckle.

However, the laughter is short-lived as the room falls silent, interrupted only by Aiden’s sinister chuckle. “What is it?” I ask, leaning closer to the glowing monitor. “Found him,” he proudly announces, a wide smile stretching across his face as he points to the screen.

Squinting my eyes, I see the location where Aiden found a ping on his phone. He’s at a motel outside the city. Adrenaline courses through me, my heart pounding in my chest as I fixate on the screen. Today is the day I find this asshole and slaughter him like the fucking pig he is.

“Send me the location. Good job,” I say, patting Aiden on the back before making my way to the door. “If you ladies are done sulking, let’s go,” I taunt Adrian and Demitri with a smirk playing on my lips before striding towards the car, both of them following closely behind.

I’m coming for you, Zavier. Hope you’re ready.

As we make our way to the motel, the tension in the car is palpable. The silence is broken by the incessant bickering of the two idiots. Adrian can’t accept the fact that his little sister isn’t a virgin anymore—like Demitri was her first.

Fucking idiot.

Finally arriving at our destination, I speak up, my words dripping with impatience, “Shut the fuck up... we’re here.” The sudden harshness in my tone catches them off guard, and they instantly fall silent. We all divert our attention to the motel looming in front of us.

“Come on,” Stepping out of the car, I take a moment to adjust my sleeves before slamming the door shut. I lead the way towards the motel office, but Adrian halts me in my tracks. “Hey, we can’t just walk in and demand the room number. They won’t just give it to us,” he cautions. He clearly underestimates me.Although he’s right, we need to acquire the room number without causing a scene or arousing suspicion.

Entering the office, we are met by a tired-looking woman in her early 60s. Her exhausted eyes lock onto us as we enter, and I can almost hear her sigh of resignation as she reaches for some paperwork. The room is filled with the faint smell of stale coffee and old wood, giving it a slightly musty odor.

“One bed?”

Adrian steps forward, closer to the desk, and starts speaking. “What? No, um, we are actually looking for someone.”

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