Keep Me (Broken Heroes 3)

I feel afraid again, my emotions heightened by ten. Tears fall from my eyes, sliding down my cheeks. I can’t lift my hands to wipe them away though. Nothing on my body wants to work.

I feel like such a failure… I couldn’t save my sister. She was right there, and I couldn’t get to her. Now she is gone again, and it’s all my fault. How am I going to find her now? Xander will never help me again after what’s happened tonight.

Time seems to pass slowly, and I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here crying my eyes out, wallowing in my own misery, until I hear voices in front of the door. The lock turns, and the door pushes open. Light streams into the room, hurting my eyes.

I avert my eyes to the floor. I don’t have to look up to know who it is that walked in. Seconds later, I feel something being draped over my body before two strong arms wrap around me and lift me up.

I slam my eyes shut as Xander walks me out of there. I don’t want to see anyone looking at me, and I’m not ready to see the anger in Xander’s eyes. Instead, I lean my head against his shoulder and concentrate on his unique scent. Everything spins around me, and I know I need to tell Xander who did this before I end up passing out. I look up at his face. He’s so handsome… like an angel who lost his wings. A dark angel.

“Be… Bennn…” My voice is so small he can’t understand me, but he knows I’m trying to say something. I can tell from the wrinkle in his forehead.

He leans into my face. “How did this happen, Mouse? Tell me, and I’ll kill them right now. Who did this to you?”

Warm tears cascade down my cheeks, “Benn…neee…” I focus all my energy into each syllable. I know the moment Xander realizes what I’m saying because his dark eyes fill with murder. The darkness lingers, and I wonder how deep it truly goes.

“Benny?” he questions softly, and I use all my remaining strength to nod my head.

I feel myself fading fast, my body softening in his arms.

“Sorry.” The word comes out messy, but I hope he understands them and understands how sorry I really am. I screwed it all up and made him spend a crap ton of money.

“You were worth every penny, Mouse,” he murmurs into my hair, and my eyes close one last time, the sound of his heartbeat lulling me off into the darkness.

***

I blink my eyes open very slowly, trying to make sense of where I am and what happened. My mind feels like it went through a blender. The room is dark, but the door is open and light filters in through the slit in the door.

I press my hands down and realize I’m in a bed, but I don’t know the room I’m in. I jerk into a sitting position and the room spins around me like I’m on a never-ending carousel ride. I groan, holding a hand to my head, but the noise makes the continual pounding harder.

The shadow of a large figure appears in the doorway.

“How are you feeling?” Damon’s thick voice fills the room.

Why is Damon here? Confused, I try to make sense of all the jumbled thoughts running rampant in my mind.

My gaze drops down to my body, and I notice that I’m wearing nothing but a bra and a thong under Xander’s suit jacket that is wrapped around me.

I blink and pull the jacket around me tightly, realizing that Damon has just seen me in my underwear.

“Let’s not tell Xander about that,” he chuckles. I don’t smile. In fact, I feel like puking. My emotions are unhinged, and I know something bad happened.

“What happened?” My voice cracks, my throat throbbing.

“You don’t remember?”

I squeeze my lids shut for a moment of peace to try and comprehend all that took place, but my brain won’t shut up.

“Not everything,” I admit.

“That’s okay. You were injected with some drugs, so memory loss is going to be pretty common. You should start to remember everything soon, just give it some time.”

“Where is Xander?” From the fragments of memories that swirl in my mind, he must be furious with me.

“He’ll be back soon. Hold on. I’ll get you some water.” Damon disappears and returns with a glass of water moments later. I take it from his hand and take a greedy sip. The cool water soothes my dry and scratchy throat.

A picture of my sister’s face enters my mind.

“She was there…” A low sob escapes my throat. “My sister… she was there. Someone took her right before the auction. I saw it happen when I get out of the bathroom. She was right there… but I couldn’t get to her and then…” I pause, pulling another piece to the puzzle from my memory. “And, Benny… Oh, god, he took me and gave me to those men and…” I cover my mouth in horror.