Page 13 of A Raven Revived (The Raven’s Den #4)

Chapter Thirteen

D aisy had woken up ready to fight again and quickly found herself plunged into the cold water. It was startling how grateful she felt when they pulled her out. She didn’t want to be thankful for anything they did.

“Lift your arms.” The man in the white coat stood before her, completely emotionless.

“Please don’t make me do this.”

With barely a move of his chin, she was deposited back in the tub.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she bawled, but she didn’t get a response. Her body burned in the cold water.

Finally, after she stopped fighting them, they pulled her out again. Her muscles were weak, and her body trembled violently. She had to lock her knees to keep herself upright.

“Lift your arms.”

She closed her eyes but did as she was told. It was more humiliating than anything she’d ever experienced. Not only standing naked before a group of men, but submitting to them. Allowing them complete control of her mind and body, unable to hide her fear and her pain. She couldn’t bear to look at them as she struggled to dry herself, sobs still racking her body.

Samantha wasn’t in the room when they finally returned her. Where had they taken her? Was she being punished too? Daisy laid her shaking body on the bed and pulled the blanket around her. Hell itself could not be worse than this place.

A short time later, the man in the white coat came in. He held some kind of metal cup.

“Sit up.”

“What is that?”

He sighed and shook his head. He was about to send her back to the tub.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted, quickly sitting up. Her body still shook from the cold.

“I’m going to let that slide just this once. I will not be lenient again. Is that clear?”

“Yes.” She hated her cowardice, but she didn’t want to go back in the tub again. Her mind screamed for her to fight him, but every inch of her already hurt.

“It’s hot milk. You need to drink it. It will help to warm you and will provide nourishment for your body.”

Hot milk sounded like heaven. She reached for the cup, but he shook his head. “I’ll hold it for you. Your hands aren’t steady.”

“You don’t say,” she said angrily. “I wonder what could possibly have caused that.” She slapped the cup out of his hand. Milk splashed across his front and over the floor and the cup landed with a clang.

He merely shook his head, moving aside for the other two men as they came into the room.

Dread filled her as she was dragged back to the tub, but she had to fight them. She couldn’t allow them to win, couldn’t let them crush her spirit.

She continued to fight, refusing to lift her arms or cooperate, but after being pulled out for the third time, she was no longer able to stand. One of the men held her naked body upright while the other dried her off and slipped a dry gown over her head. They carried her back to her cell, and Mr. Whitecoat followed her in, once more.

“Are you going to cooperate and drink this? Or are we going to force it down your throat?” He held up another metal cup.

She didn’t have the strength to continue fighting and really didn’t want to experience having it forced down her throat. He wasn’t bluffing about that. “I’ll drink.”

“Good.” He held the cup to her trembling lips. The warm liquid was so comforting as it filled her empty stomach and heated her from the inside. Too quickly, it was gone.

She was overwhelmed with gratitude, and almost thanked him when the cup was empty, but managed to stop herself. She would not show this monster appreciation. But how much longer could she really do this before they broke her completely?

* * *

After what felt like the longest ride of his life, Fitz rushed into Ash’s office, his heart thundering. “Is Daisy here?”

Ash’s brow dropped ominously. “She’s supposed to be with you.”

Fitz shook his head. “I don’t know where she is.”

Ash pushed the door closed. “Sit down, Fitz. I’m going to need more information than that.”

He nodded and dropped into the chair. His thoughts were in a tangle and tumbled from his mouth all at once. “I don’t know what to do. She’s gone, and I don’t know where to start. She’s just gone.” He gripped his fingers into his hair as a renewed wave of panic raced through him. “I don’t even know if she’s running from me or to me.”

Ash tapped on the top of the desk to get his attention and waited for him to meet his eyes. “Fitz. Slow down.” He drew the words out, deliberately. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

“I don’t know. We went to her family’s estate yesterday afternoon. Her father doesn’t like me, so I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t want me there, but the bastard didn’t seem happy to see Daisy either.” He paused and took a shaky breath. “Her mother begged her to stay the night, so at Daisy’s insistence, I left her there.” He let out an anguished roar and pounded his fists on the desk. “I left her there,” he repeated, his chest heaving. “I thought she’d be safe, Ash.”

“Of course you did, Fitz. She should have been safe with her family.”

“I’m so sorry.” Agony ripped at his heart. He’d failed her. She’d counted on him to keep her safe, and he’d left her there.

“It’s not your fault, Fitz.” Ash slowly drew in a deep breath and gradually blew it out. Fitz nodded and tried to follow his lead. “One more,” he said, and breathed in deeply again. Fitz copied him again and felt a little of his terror recede.

“There. Now tell me the rest of the story.”

“Her father wouldn’t allow me to stay, so I spent the night with my family, and first thing this morning, I went back to collect her. I knew she might be miserable there, but it never crossed my mind that she might run away again.” He reeled himself back in. He was getting off course again.

“She wasn’t there. Her father said she must have run off.”

“Are you sure she was actually gone?”

Fitz nodded. “I checked every room in the house. Her bed had been slept in, and she wasn’t there, but her clothes and her robe were.” He met Ash’s eyes. He was listening to every word still. “I found Lady Litchfield in a drawing room, and when she realized Daisy was not in the house, she became distressed. She looked in the direction of the dining room where her husband was, but then she refused to speak another word to me. I confronted him, but only managed to get myself dragged out of there. I don’t know what to do.”

Ash nodded. “We’ll get her back, Fitz.”

“How?” he asked desperately. Tears were threatening. “I have no idea where she’s gone.” He looked up into Ash’s eyes. “Do you think she ran because she doesn’t want to marry me?”

“No.” Ash shook his head and let out a long sigh. “When Daisy first told me about her family, she said if she went back, her father would have her committed to an asylum. At the time, I thought she was exaggerating. She was terrified after running into you. But now, I would guess he’s done exactly that.”

“Dear God, why didn’t she tell me that? Why didn’t you tell me that?” he shouted over the desk. “I never would have left her there if I’d known that.” He slammed his palm on the top of the desk before storming out.