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I turn to Dekker. “Go get a pair of my sweatpants and blanket from my closet.” I watch Dek run off, and I turn back to her. “You’re okay now. We’ve got you.”
She sniffles. “Xayden?”
“Yeah, Rory?” I push the hair back from her face.
“I don’t remember anything.” Tears start to roll out of her eyes. “But I heard his voice.”
My body freezes as my stomach drops. “You heard who’s voice?”
“I can’t. It can’t be.” Her voice wavers as she starts to sob.
“Where were you, Angel? Where did you go? Who took you?” Dekker asks.
She says nothing, just sobs as she curls into herself. Her body bruised and broken from the beating last night, but I also see fresh marks and cuts.
And that makes me see red.
“Let us help you, Rory.” I rub her arm and then take her hand in mine. “Let me get you cleaned up. Let’s get you in the shower, and then we can talk about all this later. Sound good?”
Her eyes meet mine, and she gives me a small nod.
As carefully as I can, I help her up and we go toward my shower. I sit her on the toilet and start the water. I grab towels from the cabinet and set them on the hooks for her.
After testing the water to make sure it’s not too hot or cold, I help her stand.
“I need to ask again, are you okay with me going in there with you so I can help clean you up?” At this, she bites her lip and gives me a small nod.
Leaving my boxers on, I take off everything else and throw them to the other side of the bathroom. Then I grab her hand and lead her into the large walk-in shower. Placing her under the water, I watch as she closes her eyes and the water streams down her face and body. She begins to tremble moments later.
“Is the water too cold?” I ask tentatively.
“No,” is all I get from her.
I reach back and grab my shampoo, watching as the dirt washes off her body and down the drain, her pale, silky skin breaking through.
“Can I help you wash your hair?” I ask.
She nods and steps closer to me out of the water. I pour a bit of shampoo on my hand and begin to massage it into her raven hair. As I work the suds around, I can start to see her shoulders relax a bit.
“How are you doing, Rory?” I ask as I tilt her head back into the water and begin rinsing out the shampoo.
“This isn’t a dream,” she whispers.
“No, it’s not. This is real life. I promise you, I’m real.”
“Then why did I hear him? He was there.” She begins to shake, and I quickly shut the water off. I need to get her out of this shower and sitting down.
I grab the towels behind me and wrap her in one of them before sitting her down on the toilet. Then I reach behind me, grab the second one, and start working it through her hair to dry it.
She is staring off into space again, and my stomach sinks as I watch her fade into a dark part of her mind.
“Rory, Princess, can you tell me where you were? Where you were taken?” I cup her cheek and try to get her to look at me.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see anything. But he was there.”
“You keep saying that. Who did you hear? Who was there?”
Nothing can prepare me for the words that are about to leave her mouth.