“Then let’s go. We don’t have much time.”
I start to the door but glance back. Cole is surrounded by four Fighters. He looks unsteady on his feet. “What are you doing with him?”
Wyatt’s eyes and the set of his jaw betrays him. “You can’t kill him.”
“Alex…”
“No.” I grab his hand. It’s the first real touch we’ve shared since he walked in that door. “It’s what she wants. We’re not leaving people behind.”
He blinks. “Rule number one.”
I nod and repeat. “Rule number one.”
Chapter Sixteen
The escape from Chloe’s headquarters is quick. She didn’t see the Rebellion coming. The instant we emerge from the building Cole and I have spent the last six months, we’re ushered off the grounds with the sounds of battle at our back.
I struggle against Wyatt and the other Fighters surrounding us, but he quickly shuts me down. “Today is about getting out of here. We’ll return to fight soon.”
I want to argue—of course I do—but I spot Jane near the transport vehicle and the terrified faces of Mary Ellen and Finn and I accept it. We need to get away from here.
“Where’s Avi?” I ask, my sister. Her eyes are wet and I notice blood splatters on her white coat.
“They came in, the Fighters, and then there was gunfire and I saw a knife...”
Green catches my eye and shakes his head. Oh God. I pull her into a hug before the Fighters drag us into the back of the truck. Once settled, I hold my sister’s hand while Wyatt is on the other side, leg pressed close to mine. Two Fighters sit close to Cole, but he looks as tired as I feel. I doubt he’ll be much trouble.
“So this was a rescue mission?” I speak right in Wyatt’s ear, unsure of how much he wants to share with the others right now.
“Erwin’s been planning it for months. You were a priority. I’m sorry it took so long.”
“Erwin?” I rest a hand on Jane’s leg. “What about—”
“Your father is fine. Alive and working as we speak.”
Jane releases a loud sob and links her fingers with mine.
“Okay then,” I ask. “What’s next?”
His eyes flick over to Benjamin, who is watching Cole carefully. He seems harder since I saw him last, but don’t we all? “We’re ending Chloe and the Hybrids. But a lot has changed—you’ll need rest and a debriefing.”
I nod, feeling content to be away from Chloe and sitting next to the man I thought was dead and knowing my father is still alive. The ride back to Catlettsburg is bumpy and all the exhaustion from months and months of captivity crashes down like a tsunami. I close my eyes and listen to my sister crying while feeling the heat from the man I love. In the end, I let sleep take me away.
*
I wake up in an unfamiliar room, on an unfamiliar bed, panicked and coated in sweat. The room is dark, other than the moonlight coming through the window. This isn’t my cell. I’m not a prisoner. I lift my head, still aware of the pain in my side, and spot Wyatt asleep on the couch. I think to go wake him—have him tell me everything—but I’m scared to make a sound. Scared to wake up—fearful this is nothing but a dream.
I calm my breathing and clench the sides of the bed, willing myself to stay asleep. It’s futile, though, in minutes my eyelids are too heavy and I quickly fall back under.
The next time I open my eyes the room is lighter—a patch of sunlight glares in my eyes. It’s in the wrong place. I blink and stare at the foot of the bed. There’s no sunlight. The room is different. I feel a heavy weight on my thigh and peek over my shoulder, coming face-to-face with Wyatt.
He’s on the bed, eyes open watching me, and I feel my heart kick start with a mixed adrenaline of hope and fear. He’s not wearing a shirt and I see the battle scars on his shoulders and chest. I touch his face; there’s a new one on above his eye.
My voice comes out low and scratchy. “Since when do we share a bed?”
“Since we both just went through hell and back.”
I nod, feeling the pressure of tears behind my eyes. I don’t want to cry. I never do, but sometimes it’s all just too much. Fighting to survive is one thing. Fighting for love? I’m in uncharted territory and I have a feeling the man lying inches away is in the same situation.