I wiped my hands, turned off the stove, and headed up the stairs. Maybe she’d forgotten the code to the door. But it was propped open the way she had seen me do the other night. I looked toward the garden, and my stomach dropped. I didn’t see her. I hurried forward, stopping when I found her. She was curled into a ball, sobbing, a bunch of basil clutched in her hand. Rushing to her side, I dropped beside her, gathering her in my arms. “Sweetheart, what is it? What happened? Are you hurt?”
She buried her face into my neck, still sobbing but shaking her head.
“Tell me,” I insisted. “Did you get stung? Fall?”
There were more headshakes, but she kept crying. I held her close, letting her get it out, mystified.
Finally, the sobs eased, and she exhaled a long, shuddering breath. I pushed the hair off her face.
“Tell me what happened,” I said, keeping my voice calm.
“My feet. When they threw me in the cage, I tried to kick out the wall, but it was reinforced and I hurt my heels. It pissed them off that I was still causing trouble, and they dragged me out and tied me up so I couldn’t make any more noise. They left me like that for days. When they finally dragged me out again, they took me downstairs and hosed me off, then tossed me back in with a bucket. My hands and feet were still tied, but I could move a little.” She sniffled. “I was so cold and wet and scared. I didn’t think I would make it out of there.”
“Sweetheart…” I whispered, my eyes shutting at the pain in her voice. The horrors she lived that stayed in her mind.
“When I hit the floor just now, the pain in my heels reminded me of how they ached for days. And then I just started to cry when I came up here. The sun was out, the dirt felt so warm under my feet, and then…I was just suddenly so grateful to be here—with you.”
I held her closer. “I’m grateful too.”
I let her settle a little, allowing the sun to soak into her skin, to warm her and chase away the bad memories.
“I’m going to call Julian tomorrow and set you up with our in-house counselor. You need to talk these memories out.”
“I can’t talk to you?”
I passed my hand over her forehead, pressing my lips to her skin. “Anytime. But with someone not as emotionally involved, you might get some ways to cope, rather than hearing me want to find the scum that touched you and kill them all over again.”
She smiled. “My hero.”
“Always.” I stood, taking her with me. “Right now, your hero is going to feed you, then we can relax for what is left of the evening.”
She laid her hand on my arm. “Can I stay up here for a little while longer? Alone?”
I carefully set her on her feet. “Whatever you need.”
“I just want to watch the sunset.”
“Okay, sweetheart. We’ll eat when you come downstairs.”
I headed to the door, looking back over my shoulder. She had sat back down, drawing up her legs. She rested her chin on her knees, her face tilted toward the setting sun. She was the picture of peace, yet I knew there were moments she was anything but peaceful.
Determined, I went downstairs.
I would get her the help she needed to find that peace. I hated the fact that it couldn’t be me, but I also knew I wasn’t the right person for that job. I could be her rock, her safe place, but I had to let her go far enough away that she wanted to return to me.
I only hoped that was what happened. Because somehow, someway, she had become the most important thing in my life.
Missy slipped her hand in mine, the palm damp and cool. I squeezed her fingers. “It’s just to talk to someone, sweetheart.”
“I know. I’m nervous, though. Can you come in?”
“I think Dr. Easton prefers one-on-one. She wants to make sure you’re comfortable and not holding back with me there.”
“Okay. But you’ll be here?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Dr. Easton came out, shook my hand, and introduced herself to Missy. They headed into her office, and the last thing I saw was Missy’s anxious gaze as the door closed. It took everything in me not to follow her in there. I wanted to hold her hand and help her through this process, but I knew from personal experience she had to do it on her own.
I wasn’t surprised when Julian appeared, seating himself across from me. He would know I was in the building. Nothing happened here he wasn’t aware of. The small office building housed one of the most secretive organizations in existence, yet to the outside world was simply another structure in a bustling city. A small legitimate company he ran was a front—but highly successful. Employees were coming and going, deliveries and repairs happening just like any other business, and it blended perfectly. Two front-facing, main-floor legitimate businesses added to the illusion—both handpicked by Julian to serve a purpose. A small café and a corner convenience store were busy and prosperous. Like me, Julian preferred to hide out in the open. No one saw the expensive computer hacking system, the diligent teams that worked behind the screens. The hidden office he worked from. The dedicated professionals who strove to make the city and the world a little safer, one mission at a time.