“It’s time,” I say, and give Hank a nod. I lead the way through the back alley and through one of the secret entrances. The door has been ‘accidentally’ left ajar and this is our sign that all is good to go.
A few hundred dollars more got us a map of the building, so Hank and I know where we are headed. Through several hallways and down a dark set of steps, we come to the end of a long hall. The lights are set to low and we can hear the sound of women talking. We are on the right floor, and we need to make this fast before the guard we paid off has to flip the cameras back on.
I count off doors as we reach the end of the hall and come to a door with the deadbolt on the outside. This is her. I look back and Hank nods at me, signaling he’s ready. He draws his weapon to cover my back and I pull my gun, ready for whatever is behind this door. I silently flip the lock and turn the knob. When the door is just a few inches open, it’s jerked out of my hand and a metal tray is swinging towards my face.
I duck down, so the tray barely misses my eye, and catch it before it bangs against the wall, giving our position away.
“Bray!” Rebecca shouts, and Hank and I fall into the room, shutting the door behind us. Hank pulls the door back open just a crack to keep watch and see if anyone heard her. I’m scooping her up in my arms and holding her to me as I scan the room for danger. “Oh God, oh God, Bray. I didn’t think you’d come for me.” She clings to me and weeps in my arms.
“Shh. Not now, Tink. Let’s get you out of here.” I look to Hank and he looks back, giving me the all clear. I want to take time to find Nico and take him out, but my priority is always getting my fairy back to me. I shift her up higher on my hips and she locks her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. “Hold tight, Tink, we’re going home.”
Hank leads the way out as I carry Rebecca and keep watch behind me for anyone following. As we reach the dark stairs, I catch a glimpse of a woman out of the corner of my eyes. I look over and point my gun at her, but she doesn’t make any move towards us. She’s got long dark-brown hair and her eyes are wild with anger. Rebecca tenses in my arms, and I know something is wrong.
“This going to be a problem?” I ask the woman. She looks at Rebecca and then looks at me, and shakes her head. She turns the corner and slowly starts walking down the hallway as if she never saw us. I feel Hank behind me and I know we are cutting it close. “Four minutes,” he says, and we start to move again.
Exactly four minutes later the secret entrance door closes behind us and we are running down the alley. I’m still holding my fairy when we reach the side street and pile into the getaway car. Hank starts up the car and pulls away from the curb as I’m shutting the door. Once we’re enclosed in the back seat, I allow my fear to fall away. I’ve got her back and that’s the only thing that matters. Whatever else happens I can deal with, as long as she’s with me.
I feel her tears start again and she cries into my chest. I don’t know how to help, so I just rub her back, arms, legs. Anything I can run my hands over, I touch. I kiss her hair and make soothing noises while she cries her stress out against me. We have plenty of time to talk about everything that happened and why she left, but in this moment, I feel her relief to be back in my arms. I can feel it, because I’m relieved too. It felt like our souls were ripped apart and are now finally being put back together.
When we arrive in the underground garage of my building, Hank pulls up to the private penthouse elevator and opens the door for us. I get out of the back seat, still holding my fairy, and carry her to the elevator and up to our home.
When we enter the house I walk straight to the bedroom and to the master bath. I set her up on the counter of the sink and lean back to finally look her in the eyes. Her face is red and blotchy from crying, and she tries to wipe away her tears. I touch her cheeks to stop her movements, and hold her face, just looking at her. “God, how I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she says, and reaches up to touch my face. “I’m sorry, Bray, I—”
“No. I’m sorry, Tink. This was all my fault. I should’ve never left you unprotected. You’re so small and the world is so big. I hate myself for not being in more control of your safety. I should’ve never left you. I should’ve stayed home when you asked me to. I should’ve stayed home every single day since the moment I met you. I’ll never make that mistake again. I’ll always choose you. I was only trying to protect you.”
I lean down to kiss her lips, but she pulls back and jumps off the counter. I watch her as she goes over to the toilet and start to throw up.
Panic starts to take over, because all I can think is I tried to kiss her and she started throwing up. I don’t know what Nico did to her, but my imagination runs wild. I shake myself out of my fog, and grab a washcloth. I run some cold water over it, go to Tink, and lay it on the back of her neck. I pull her hair away from her face, but it looks like she’s only dry heaving. I pull out my cell phone and send a quick text, while trying to do everything I can to help.