Page 23 of Liberating Mia
“Kaden Finn, at your service, ma’am.”
Kaden Finn.The name of her rescuer, her hero. It suited him.
“I think this is the part where you tell meyourname?”
“Oh. Right. Yes. Um – I’m Mia. Mia Shore.”
“Well, ‘Um – I’m Mia’, let’s get you out of there, shall we?”
“Yes, please!”
Mia mourned the loss of his comforting grip when he let go to search for something in one of the many pockets of the pants he wore. She had no idea what it was he took out but watched in fascination as he got to work on the lock of her cage. In no time at all he had the door open, and Mia couldn’t hold back the tears of gratitude.
She’d come to believe she’d never be free again.
Finn extended a hand to her. Slipping her palm into his warm clasp, she allowed him to help her out of the cramped space. Clear of her confinement, Mia struggled to straighten from the crouched position she’d had to maintain while she’d been locked up. Tears of gratitude turned to tears of pain as her muscles protested.
Finn cupped her face, his touch gentle. “Hang on to my shoulders. I’m going to rub the muscles down to ease the pain.”
She nodded. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she bit down on her lip. While his teammates worked around him, letting the other women out of the cages, helping them regain their posture and gathering them together, Finn methodically worked his way up Mia’s legs, over her back, and down her arms, massaging and rubbing the muscles. Slowly, the torturous pain eased, dull discomfort taking its place. That she could live with.
“Thank you,” Mia said softly. “Thank you for everything.”
He smiled. And just like that, everything receded. The noise, the pain — it all went quiet for a moment.
He opened his mouth to answer her, but it was lost when one of his colleagues spoke to him. He stepped away from her to talk with the man. She felt it keenly. Having him close kept her calm, made her feel safe. The noise rushed in again, and she became aware of her surroundings once more. Looking around, Mia took in the other men dressed in tactical gear and finally understood they were being rescued. Oh, academically, she knew she was being rescued before, but in that moment, it really sank in, really hit home. It wasn’t a dream. They – she! – had truly been freed!
When the glass had first shattered, no one had known what was going on. The smoke had made breathing difficult, and the screams of the women around her had been frightened, confused. And then she’d seen Dylan and Christoff hurrying toward her. Already panicked, she had prayed he wasn’t coming for her.
Mia remembered hearing somewhere that when you thought you were about to die, your life flashed before your eyes. Hers hadn’t, but she’d had enough time to regret all the things she wanted to do and never had. In that moment, she’d promised herself if she made it out of this nightmare, she was going to take life by the horns and live the hell out of it.
The thought of Dylan filtered into her daze, and she looked over to where he lay. A pool of blood had gathered beneath his prone body, bright against the dull grey of the concrete floor. His eyes, open and lifeless, seemed to be fixed on her. A shiver raked her frame, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
The sight was unpleasant – one Mia hoped she never had to see again. Ever. Yet she couldn’t find it in her heart to be sorry Dylan was dead. While she’d once fancied herself in love, she now realized she’d been flattered by his single-minded focus on winning her affections. It had never occurred to her that he was simply determined to get what he wanted. And apparently, she’d been it.
Turning away from the grizzly sight, she almost bumped into Finn. She hadn’t even heard him approach. Clapping a startled hand to her heart, Mia choked back the scream that bubbled up.
“Sorry, Sugar. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m just really jumpy.”
“Yeah, I can understand why.” He gestured behind him and said, “We’re about to shut this all down. Paramedics have been called to assess all of you, so you’ll be escorted to a gathering point outside.”
“No, please …” Panic gripped her at the thought of being separated from Finn. “I’ll stay out of the way. Please.” Mia gripped Finn’s forearm.
Lifting her hand from his arm, he enclosed it between both of his. “Unfortunately, you can’t stay here. I promise I’ll come find you when I’m done. Yeah?”
Knowing she had no right to stand in the way of him doing his job, Mia agreed. “Okay. But I’m holding you to your promise.”
The dimple that made her knees weak creased his cheek as he grinned down at her. “Scouts honor. Now go with Agent Young and let the paramedics check you over. I’ll see in a bit.”
“Okay,” Mia repeated.
Young placed a gentle hand on her upper back, and she allowed him to escort her outside.
As they made their way to the door, Mia saw others in tactical gear continue to crack locks and open cages. Her stomach clenched at just how many women and young girls Dylan and his sick lackeys had been holding hostage. She couldn’t help but be grateful he was dead.
The twisted bastard deserved nothing less.
