Page 59 of Smoke the Enemy

I’m mostly needed at night to hold Soren through some pretty terrible nightmares. They’ve scheduled a special therapist through The Illicit to come and visit with him. For the most part, they’ve kept Soren on drugs to force him to remain in bed and get some rest. Steffan is extremely angry about it, and says it’s his father’s way to try and control him.

My heart breaks for Steffan. He is in and out of his brother’s room every spare minute between hunting Bryce Van Doren, dealing with Brotherhood business, and now his father is staying in the mansion — whom I’ve noticed hasn’t stepped foot in Soren’s room. But he has the nurse to stand guard and see to it Soren gets his “proper treatment,” and “medication.”

I’ve made a little spread on the floor with all the photos Steffan and I developed, and am working on putting them in a new binder for Soren when I hear him stir. I climb to my feet and rush to his bedside. “Hey, easy there.”

Right on cue, the nurse pops up with a cup.

“No medicine,” Soren croaks out.

“What?”

He blinks a few times before those blue eyes look into mine. “Don’t let them give me anymore medicine.”

I look at the nurse and then back to Soren. She’s a medical professional. Surely she wouldn’t be giving him anything that could hurt him. “It’s to help you.”

“It’s to keep me out of it. Please.”

It’s the please that guts me. His father won’t be happy. I would say he can go kick rocks, but if I’ve learned anything this year, it’s those men are deadly and have no morals. I walk up to the nurse and whisper, “Give it to me and give us a moment. I’ll get him to take it.”

“I know you are trying to help, but I could lose my job.”Or worse.She doesn’t say it, but I can read it from her expression.

“I promise. Mr. Carmichael won’t find out. It’s just us in here. I’m certainly not going to tell him.”

Her eyes are full of pity as she takes in Soren on the bed. “Fine. I need to go to the restroom.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. I go back to Soren’s side.

“I need to tell you something. Are we alone?”

I look around to make certain, even though I know we are. “Yes.”

“I remembered some stuff.”

“You’ve been having a lot of night terrors. The doctor said that’s normal after what you’ve been through.”

“Not terrors. Memories, Little Mouse. Where’s Alex?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure. He hasn’t reached out to me. Maybe he has changed and–”

Soren reaches over and grabs my wrist. “The fuck he has. I remember now. HeknewI’d killed his mother. I don’t know how, but he did. Then it was all an act. Finding me.Rescuing me.Being shocked by my confession. He was one of the ones torturing me…and he has a partner.”

My throat is closing up. I knew better than to trust Alex. I keep falling for his games. He played me, and now I have made a deal with the devil. I can’t tell Soren…it’s the only way to keep him safe. Steffan can’t find out either. Maybe it will be easier this way. I can convince them I want Alex, but ugh! I feel so stupid for believing him. How can anyone be this good of an actor? A more concerning issue is who is helping him? Bryce? That’s the only logical explanation. I’m stuck now. I have to save them both. I will do anything to protect the men I love.

“Van Doren?”

Soren shakes his head. “I think he has helped Van Doren. But I think it’s all part of his mind games. It’s someone else. I don’t know who, but I’ll find out. First, I have to get away from these drugs. This is no doubt my father’s doing. To keep me sedated while he puts out the flames.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I was too injured and weak to send off. Plus, I guess it’s easier just to lock me away and dope me up.” His head rolls over to the side and his eyes zero in on my little project in the floor. “Whatcha got going on there?”

“Allow me to show you.”

Blue Rose, Alabama

Taylor

It’s been two weeks and Alex has only pushed me for kisses and dates. He’s been respectful for the most part, but I know there’s a resentful monster lurking underneath that gorgeous skin. He’s extremely jealous of the Carmichael twins, and now I know this has been more about them than me all along. Staying away from Soren and Steffan is killing me. I took off from their fraternity house and have been hiding at my own again. I’ve declined texts and calls. I’ve gone out of my way and upended my whole schedule to not run into them on campus. Not that they were there frequently. After everything, they have had to be at their fraternity more. It’s better this way. I knew they wouldn’t understand, and their reaction is exactly what Alex wanted. He wants them to hurt, to make them pay, and now I’m a pawn in his game to destroy them.

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