Page 156 of Body and Soul

“Nobody,” Valentine replied. “But I’ve got a file with your name on it—with all of your names on it—and if you want me to lose it, you’ll do as I say.”

“And if we don’t?” Warrick demanded. “Who says we can’t just kill you like we have everyone else down here?”

Valentine’s jaw clenched. “I’m not stupid. Kill me and everything I have on you and your family will transmit straight to ViCAP at the FBI. I’m the only one who can stop that from happening, and only if you let me walk away from this.”

Eli's warmth pressed against me, his scent filling my lungs with every breath, but it wasn't enough to quell the raging fury in my veins. I wanted to paint the walls with Algerone's entrails, to feel his bones snap beneath my hands, to watch the light fade from his eyes as I crushed the life from him.

“Keres,” Eli whispered against me. “Please. Let it go. Let it end. For me.”

Eli's soft plea cut through the haze of bloodlust like a knife, his voice a balm to the raging beast inside me. I tightened my arms around him, burying my nose in his hair and breathing deep. His scent filled my lungs, sweet and familiar, chasing away the bitter stench of fear and death. He was here, warm and alive and safe in my embrace. Mine.

A rumbling growl vibrated through my chest as I nuzzled into his neck. The urge to rend and tear, to paint the walls crimson with the blood of those who dared to take him from me, still simmered beneath my skin, but Eli's presence soothed the jagged edges of my fury. His slender fingers curled into my shirt, anchoring me, grounding me in the here and now.

“Do as he says,” I ground out. “Algerone can keep his miserable life as long as he also keeps his word this time.”

I was reluctant toleave Keres or the others, but there was paperwork to be done and Keres insisted he handle it. Instead, I was led to another room that had been made up to resemble a residential living room to wait for him, but the room wasn’t empty. Annie was there.

I teared up as soon as I saw her and rushed to put my arms around her. In that moment, it didn’t matter that I didn’t know Shepherd’s mother all that well. I was just so happy to see another familiar face, so desperate for comfort after the whole ordeal.

Annie hugged me back just as fiercely, rubbing soothing circles on my back as I cried into her shoulder. “Shh, it's okay now, Eli. You're safe,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I'm so sorry you had to go through that, honey. But you're okay. We got you out.”

I clung to her like a lifeline, my hands fisting in the soft fabric of her sweater. Everything hit me hard and I couldn't stopshaking. Annie just held me, whispering words of comfort until my sobs slowly quieted to sniffles and hiccups.

When I finally pulled back, wiping at my snotty nose with my sleeve, Annie smiled at me sadly and brushed a strand of hair off my forehead. “How about some hot chocolate? I think we could both use a cup after today. Theo, dear, could you bring us some?”

Annie guided me over to the plush beige couch. As I sank down into the cushions, I realized we weren't alone. The young man she’d addressed before—Theo—came over with two steaming mugs. He was probably about my age, with a head of shaggy red hair and warm eyes.

Annie gestured to him. “You haven’t met yet, have you? Eli, this is Theo, River's fiancé. Theo, meet Eli.”

Theo handed me one of the mugs with a gentle smile. “It's nice to meet you, Eli. I'm glad you're okay.”

I wrapped my hands around the warm ceramic, letting the heat seep into my cold fingers. “Hey, uh, nice to meet you.” My voice came out all raspy. I cleared my throat, feeling awkward as hell. “Sorry, I'm not exactly at my best right now.”

“It’s all right,” Theo said, sitting down across from me. “Believe me, I know how it is. Integrating into this family is a trip for everyone.”

Annie patted my knee. “Theo has been through an ordeal himself not too long ago. Similar to yours in some ways.”

I glanced over at Theo, curiosity piqued despite my exhaustion. “Yeah? What happened?” The question popped out before I could stop it. “Shit, sorry, you don't have to tell me...”

“It's fine," Theo assured me, his voice soft with understanding. “I was kidnapped by human traffickers, held captive for years. River and the Laskins rescued me.”

“Fuck,” I breathed out, stunned. “That's awful.”

Theo nodded, his eyes shadowed and gaze distant. “It was. I'm still healing from it, honestly. But I'm getting there, day by day.Having River helps a lot.” He smiled a bit at that, his gaze fond as he mentioned his fiancée.

I’d only met River briefly, and the guy scared the hell out of me. It was difficult to imagine the cold, violent killer I knew as River Laskin having any affection to give anyone, let alone the softhearted young man across from me.

I took a sip of the hot chocolate, letting the rich sweetness coat my tongue. It was damn good, and the warmth spread through my chest, easing some of my frayed nerves. I couldn't remember the last time someone had made me hot cocoa like this. Probably not since before my parents kicked me out...

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the painful memories threatening to surface. I didn't want to think about my shitty childhood right now. “So, what happened to you guys? What day is it?”

Theo and Annie exchanged heavy glances.

“We’ve been trapped here for almost ten days,” Theo answered.

“Though the conditions under which we were kept were much gentler than yours, I believe,” Annie added, gesturing around her. “Algerone wanted to turn us all over to the government for processing, but thanks to Xavier and Xander’s efforts, the worst we experienced was being confined to these rooms and not allowed to leave.”

“We’ve been under guard, though,” Theo said, lowering his head. “And they wouldn’t tell us where everyone else was. I was so worried about River.”

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