Page 91 of Wrecked for Love
Lucien’s voice slithered through the confines of the car. “Looking forward to seeing your old pals?” He chuckled, savoring every ounce of my discomfort. “How long has it been, Claire? Three, four years?”
I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction.
“What’s the matter?” he sneered, leaning in too close for comfort. “Moving through the stages of grief now? From denial to…what, realization?” He paused, letting his words sink in.“You know, your boyfriend did put up a decent fight. Better than your brother, at least. Cody, right?”
How dare he mention my brother’s name!
But I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction. I just glared, keeping my mouth locked shut.
“He was an easy shot,” Lucien continued with a laugh, the sound grating and obnoxious. “I didn’t need the details. But I know The Revenants—they’ll have you begging before you even know what hit you.”
I bit down on my tongue, refusing to let him in. My heart was screaming for Elia, but I wasn’t feeding Lucien a damn thing.
He rattled on. “Oh, and by the way, Gideon Purcell? Still thinks the world of you. You might want to figure out how you’re going to impress him. Can’t be showing up with that pathetic, beaten look on your face, can you?”
After what felt like an eternity of him droning on while I stayed unresponsive, the vile man finally fell silent, no longer looking at me.
The drive dragged on. The car jolted through the dark, winding roads of Montana. Each bump threatened to stir the nausea that churned inside me, but my resolve held firm. No matter what happened, no one could know about my baby. I’d fight with everything I had to protect this life growing inside me.
Elia’s legacy.
I forced my body to behave. The darkness and the chatter between the men gave me the cover I needed to hide it all. I even swallowed my own sick. I would give my captors no reason—nothing whatsoever—to seize the upper hand.
Hours had passed, and the world outside disappeared into the pitch-black. Eventually, the sky began to change. Dawn was creeping in, casting a gray light over the landscape. That’s when we arrived at a house tucked just around a bend off the main road.
They dragged me out of the car and marched me inside, and immediately, I knew. These men weren’t Lucien’s. Their postures, their demeanor—too familiar. The Revenants. I’d know them anywhere.
The house was a typical country place—neither run down nor grand, just plain. No one would suspect a thing. I wasn’t sure where I was, but it felt busier than the other towns we’d passed.
Inside, more men waited, their eyes cold and unreadable. My skin prickled as they lurked in the shadows, watching me with the same calculating intensity I remembered from New York.
And then,hestepped forward.
“Hello, Claire,” he said, his tone marred with eerie amusement. “Miss me?”
39
ELIA
Life never handed anything to me on a silver platter—I’d known that since I was a kid. Ranchers were raised tough. And tough didn’t mean sitting around waiting for things to happen. Two days stuck in this damn doom room felt like two years, and every agonizing second reminded me of my failure. I’d failed to protect Claire.
Another night down, another twenty-four hours of doing nothing but letting frustration build. My fists clenched of their own accord, every movement sending a sharp wrench through my swollen joints. But that wouldn’t stop me. I had to get the hell out of here. Now.
Just as I was ready to toss the sheets aside, the door creaked open, and a nurse stepped in.
I froze, slipping back into stillness and pretending like I hadn’t moved at all.
“Good morning, Mr. Lucas,” she greeted me cheerfully. “Just checking in to see if you need anything.”
I almost replied with a reflexive “no,” but getting out of here meant I needed more than this humiliating excuse for clothing.The flimsy gown barely covered anything, leaving my back—and much more—completely exposed.
“I’m cold,” I said instead.
“I’ll grab an extra blanket for you,” she offered, unaware of my deeper need.
I hesitated for a second before adding, “Actually, do you have something I can wear? Something that, you know, covers more than this?”
She paused, thinking it over, then nodded. “I get what you mean. I’ll see what I can find.”
