Page 28 of Rescuing Micah
Her head lifted, tilted in his direction, and her terrified eyes found his. “For now?”
“I will do everything within my power to get you out of here.” Including sacrificing himself if it bought her enough time to escape. He didn't know how he’d get her out, he didn't have enough intel to formulate a plan, but he would. He’d find a way to save her. He had to.
“I want to believe you, but …” Teresa trailed off, not finishing her sentence, but then she didn't need to. Her words from earlier once again echoed in his mind.
You didn't care enough back then to stay.
Whatever had happened in the past, it seemed they had different recollections of it, but it was clear that she no longer trusted him. He’d let her down by ghosting her the way he had, and while he didn't quite see it the same way, he wanted her trust back. He wanted to prove that this time he could be what she needed.
The problem was, he had no idea how to do any of that.
CHAPTER 8
May1st
8:03 A.M.
The nausea was diminishing,but the fear wasn't.
It was only growing.
Teresa could hardly believe this was really happening.
She was really there. Tied to a bed, in a room that could quite easily pass as a real hospital room. She was going to be operated on, her organs taken.
For the last couple of months, she’d done her best to be as empathetic toward Ava as she could be. Everything her friend had been through was so horrific, and she wanted Ava to know that she was there for her, even if she could never completely understand the horror she’d lived through.
Now she could, though.
Now she was living through it herself.
Only it wasn't just her, it was Micah as well, and she couldn’t help but blame herself for the fact that both of them had been captured. After all, he was only there because of her.
If they hadn't unwittingly timed things to bump into each other as he was leaving Prey and she was arriving the other night, he wouldn't be there right now. There was zero doubt about that. He would have likely flown back home while Nathaniel’s attention was focused on Ava, the break-in, and the trafficking ring. It was because of their past that he had offered to step up as her bodyguard, and because of her stubbornness they hadn't remained safe at Prey. They’d been out and about where any mercenary who wanted to try to get the bounty on her head could make a move.
Now she wasn't even sure why she’d been so stubborn.
She’d been trying to keep her life as stable as she could in the midst of an emotional storm, trying to change as little as possible, but now that just seemed so silly.
Change or dying a horrible death, it shouldn’t have even been a choice.
But she’d made it one, not just for herself but for Micah as well.
“You're okay, pretty girl, try to take a deep breath for me.”
The calm, soothing voice came out of nowhere, and she hadn't even realized that air had begun to saw in and out of her lungs at much too fast a rate. It was only natural to hyperventilate at the thought of what was to come. So far, they hadn't seen any of the people who had abducted them, no nurses or doctors had come into their room, but it didn't mean they weren't aware of who had taken them.
Still, she did her best to calm down. Panicking wasn't going to change anything, certainly wasn't going to fix anything. The only thing that gave them a chance was maintaining control of their emotions and looking for weaknesses.
Ava had done it. She’d escaped.
Isabella had done it too. While all her attempts at escape had failed, she’d gotten a woman out, and that had led to her rescueand the rescue of all the other nurses, doctors, and patients the ring was holding there with her.
Could they escape, too?
If anyone could do it, she believed it was Micah. He was smart and highly trained, he knew how to work under pressure, and he would be significantly stronger than anyone working there, including the armed guards.
She knew how to work under pressure, too, only the pressure had never been this. Had never been life and death. Having to step up at nine years old to take over most of the household responsibilities and childcare had been rough, nothing a child should have to do, but it didn't compare to this.
