Page 176 of The Delta's Rogue
“Sarina?” His hand hovers over my body, but he doesn’t touch me. “You’re safe, remember?” he whispers. “Look at your wrists.”
Look at my wrists—the coping mechanism I created with my therapist during our virtual appointments this past week. If I see shackles, it’s a dream. If I see scars, it’s real.
I hold my breath, glance at my hands—at my shackle-free wrists and the scars wrapping around them—and then I exhale.
Sebastian helps me sit up, taking my hand in his. He keeps hold of it and places his other on my shoulder, leaning close to me. I rest my forehead on his as I catch my breath and calm my heart.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, cupping my cheek.
“I know.”
“The traffickers won’t play by any rules, and there won’t be a safe word option. You need to find something else to keep you grounded in the present.”
I nod. I’m still too wound up to respond in any other way.
“You don’t have to fight. If it’s too much for you, if you don’t think you’ll be ready—”
“I’ll be okay,” I whisper. “I want to fight. Icanfight.”
“No one judged you when you gave leadership of your mission away, and no one will judge you if you decide to pull out completely,” he continues.
“No. I can do this. I’ll be ready by Saturday.”
Sebastian’s hand drops from my face, and his jaw clenches.
“Sunday,” Maddie corrects me.
Sebastian exhales through his nose and drops his chin to his chest as I stare at him.
“Sunday?”
“Yes,” he admits.
“Why aren’t we attacking during the next auction?”
“We’d have to split our focus between their headquarters and their auction if we attack on Saturday,” he explains. “On Sunday, they’ll be tired.”
Everything in me deflates. “But then more girls will be auctioned off.”
“I know.”
A lump forms in my throat, and I grab my kneecaps, squeezing as tight as I can. “We’re supposed tosavethem, not sacrifice them.”
“I don’t like it either,cariño.” His voice breaks as he covers my hands. “But this is what they agreed on. This is Micah’s plan.”
“When was this decided?” I ask.
“The day you stepped down.”
I glare at him. “Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’tyoutell me?”
I tear myself away from his touch, jump to my feet, and storm across the clearing with my back to everyone. Sebastian follows me, and I scan the treetops to keep my shimmering eyes away from him. A sob works its way up my chest, but I shove it down.
“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. You stayed away from the meetings to protect yourself, and I wanted to help you keep your focus on your healing.”
I spin towards him and lean my face into his chest as he embraces me and kisses the top of my head. “Se supone que las rescatemos. We’re supposed to save them,” I repeat throughthe choking sensation wrapping around my throat—a shadow of the silver collar that gave me my scars.
“We will save them,” he insists, hugging me tighter and rubbing my back. “When this is over, we will find everyone they ever sold, and we will rescue them.”
