Page 48 of Patch's Bride
I swallow thickly. “Yes, sir. I did, but my sister was scared to be left alone.”
“From now on, when I call, you will come immediately. Understand?”
I force myself to nod and sound agreeable, when all I really want to do is claw his eyes out. “Of course, sir.”
My easy agreement seems to calm his anger. “How are you settling in?”
Confused, I ask, “Is this supposed to be our new living quarters?”
He glances around the room and shrugs. “For now. Is this going to be a problem?”
“My sister needs her care team,” I tell him. “She won’t last long here.”
“Well, she’s going to have to make do. You will both stay until I release you from your obligation to me,” he snaps back. “Then you will be free to do as you like.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I say nothing.
He steps closer. “Your needs are being met at the moment. Don’t ask for more than that before you submit to me for the first time. It’s rude.”
“We need another inhaler or oxygen. I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”
He frowns at me. “You don’t listen very well. We’ll have to work on that. If you listen and obey, your sister will enjoy better conditions. Defy me and she will go without.”
He turns and leaves without waiting for a reply. For a brief second, I almost lose hope of being able to save my sister. He’s going to use her to force me to do what he wants, that much is clear.
The guard yawns. He pulls out my phone and watches a silent video. I get the distinct feeling that I’m never getting that phone back.
***
Three hours pass. Maybe more. A soft chime sounds upstairs. It doesn’t sound like a doorbell, more like a security tone. The guard shifts, listening closely. There are more footsteps passing overhead. And the chime stops. The guard relaxes, but I don’t.
I lean towards Lila. “Time to wake up. We need to get ready. We’re leaving,” I whisper.
“When?” she asks, opening her eyes.
“Soon,” I tell her in a faint whisper.
“How do you know?” she asks.
“It’s just a feeling. When I left the clubhouse Patch and his club brothers were still trying to find out where you were being held. I’m sure by now they’ll have gotten some leads.” My voice is certain, but me? Not so. I’m still worried that if Roxy tells him the lie I told her, he might think I’m not worth the effort.
She sits up and stares me in the face. “Do you promise?”
“I promise.”
We sit there listening and waiting for any sign that Patch and his club brothers have arrived.
Not long after, we hear movement upstairs again. Our guard doesn’t seem bothered, but the footsteps are different. They sound more solid, like the men are wearing boots instead of the fancy leather dress shoes these men favor. I feel my heart racing in anticipation. That can only mean one thing, the Legion is here, probably with Patch leading the charge.
Or it’s the alternative, it’s the Grave Diggers and they’ve come to take me away.
The door handle jiggles and I let out an involuntary gasp. There’s a click, and before the guard can respond, the door flies open, and men slip into the room. Patch is first. He flies at the guard, bearing him down to the ground. I’m shocked when Patch wraps his arms around the guard’s neck and squeezes until he falls unconscious like that move that some wrestlers do. I wasn’t expecting him to do anything like that.
I realize at some point that Tank, Dutch, Siege, and Rigs have slipped into the room behind him.
Patch leaves the guard and rushes towards us. I’m so pleased when he drops to his knees in front of my scared sister. Someonehands him a black duffel bag, and inside is everything he needs to stabilize Lila. The relief on her face is bittersweet.
He clips an oximeter on her finger. Then he takes her blood pressure and listens to her lungs and heart. “You’re doing okay, Lila. You’re gonna be fine.”
