Page 59

“What the fuck is going on?” Johnny snapped.
I stormed over to Isabelle, snatching the ruler out of her hand just as she was about to slam it down on her bloodied hand again. I threw it across the room as I grabbed Isabelle by the arms, turning her to face me. Tears streamed down her face, but it was like she wasn’t even seeing me.
“Isabelle, what’s going on?”
“I belong to Ebarardo,” she murmured. “No one else is allowed in here.”
My brows pulled together as I tried to decipher what she was saying.
“This is our bedroom and no one else is allowed in here.”
Understanding dawned on me and I hauled her up in my arms, storming out of the room with her. Johnny stood there, shellshocked as he watched me carry her down the stairs. I vaguely saw Vira stand from the couch, her jaw slack as she caught sight of Isabelle.
“Get me some bandages and alcohol!”
She rushed off while I took Isabelle to the kitchen. I gently set her on the counter, then cupped my hands around her face, forcing her to look at me. “Isabelle, look at me.”
Her eyes flicked to mine and something finally clicked with her. “Jason, what are you doing?”
“What the hell were you doing in there?”
She flinched as she pulled her hand into her body. I let her twist her head to see the damage she’d done to her hand, but there was no embarrassment there.
“I shouldn’t have let you inside.”
“Isabelle, Zavala is gone,” I snapped. “He’s dead.”
She flinched at my harsh words, but she needed to hear them.
“Do you understand me? He’s not here anymore. He can’t tell you what to do.”
“He wouldn’t like you being here,” she said, her eyes flicking to mine. “You shouldn’t be touching me. You need to leave.”
Her voice rose with panic and her hands grasped mine, pulling at me as she fought to push me away. “You have to leave. You can’t be here!”
“Isabelle, you need to calm down,” I said, trying to get through to her. “He’s not here. No one is going to hurt you.”
But the more I touched her, the more she freaked out. “You can’t be here! You need to leave! You need to go!” she screamed, squirming away from me. “Go! Just go!”
I finally released her, taking a giant step back. She jumped off the counter, staring at me with wild eyes. I couldn’t leave her. She needed help. I couldn’t walk away, knowing what she might do to herself if I did. And that’s when I saw something else. My breath stalled in my chest at the bloodstain on her pants. Blood oozed from her thigh.
“Shit,” I hissed, running my hand over my jaw. “Johnny, get FNG over here now.”
“Jason—”
“Get him over here now. Tell him to bring his med kit and a sedative.”
Vira’s eyes flashed to mine. “Are you sure that’s necessary?”
“Look at her leg.”
“What—”
When her hand flew to her mouth, I knew she saw it. Her hand was bad enough, but this was worse than I thought. If I was right—if she was cutting, this was something that had been going on for a while.
Isabelle leaned against the counter, crying and staring at us with wide eyes. She was ready to run, but where? I couldn’t let her leave, and I would restrain her if necessary—even if it meant she would scream. She would hurt herself if I let her go.
“Johnny…”