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“Impossible to contact anyone without a name, but not so far. Police are still trying to locate the man who rented the apartment. Disappeared without a trace. Fake ID."

"Can I see him?" I asked, knowing it was a long shot.

Wendy hesitated. "Technically, visitors are restricted to family and official personnel."

"Please, Wendy. I just need to know he's okay."

She studied my face for a long moment before sighing. "Officially, I never saw you." She swiped her access card and nodded toward the elevator. "Room 412."

I took the elevator up, my mind racing. Nineteen. Legal adult, which explained why he wasn't in a pediatric ward, but compared to my thirty-six, still so young. Who could do something like this to another human being? The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and I stepped onto the ICU floor.

Room 412 was at the far end of the unit.

It looked like all the staff were busy with two other patients, and no one questioned me being there, and even though I was known to some of them, they must be short-staffed.

I paused outside the room, steeling myself before quietly pushing the door open.

The room was dim, the only light coming from various monitors and the muted glow of early morning through the blinds.

The glass windows allowed for the staff to see into the room from the central point but no one was looking at the moment.

Our smallish hospital was lucky to have any kind of ICU unit at all, and patients with long term monitoring needs would generally be transferred.

This unit was more an extension of the ER for patients needing a longer assessment period.

Jesse lay motionless in the hospital bed, looking impossibly small.

His face was partially obscured by an oxygen mask, but I could see dark bruises blooming across his cheekbone.

His arms rested above the blanket, thin wrists wrapped in gauze where the restraints had cut into his skin, and wires traced from the pads fastened to his chest.

My throat tightened as I moved closer. He must have sensed my presence because his eyes fluttered open, wide and terrified. He flinched away, his pulse immediately spiking.

"Hey, it's okay," I said softly, keeping my distance. "I'm Chris. I'm a firefighter. I helped get you out last night, and just wanted to see how you were doing."

Jesse's eyes darted around the room, like a cornered animal looking for escape. The monitor's beeping stopped, but his body remained rigid with tension.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I continued, keeping my voice low and steady. I gestured to the chair. “Mind if I take a seat?” He shrugged so I took that as permission and sat down.

I kept my movements slow and deliberate, making sure Jesse could see my hands at all times. The chair creaked under my weight as I settled in.

"You look a lot better than I expected," I said, trying to find words that wouldn't frighten him further.

Jesse's eyes, a startling blue against his pale face, watched me warily. He made a small motion with his hand, and I realized he wanted to remove his oxygen mask.

"You sure that's a good idea?" I asked, but he nodded insistently.

I reached forward carefully, and because I knew how, swapped the mask for a nose cannula. His breathing was raspy but steady. “That better?”

"Why are you here?" His voice was barely above a whisper, rough from smoke damage.

"Because I wanted to make sure you were being taken care of," I replied calmly, the Dom in me rising to the surface. He might be medically out of danger but emotionally and mentally he was very fragile, and I itched to move nearer.

Jesse's gaze dropped to his bandaged wrists. "You saw the cage," he whispered.

It wasn't a question. I nodded anyway.

"Been a year," he croaked.

My stomach clenched. "Jesse, I?—"

"Don't," he cut me off, his voice suddenly stronger. "I don't want your pity."

"It's not pity," I said, but just at that moment I heard a footfall and Doc Jennings stepped in.

I stood, prepared to leave for Jesse’s privacy, but out of the blue Jesse reached out and grabbed my wrist. I stared at his fingers in shock, and when I looked at his face, I could see the tears in his eyes. Doc Jennings noticed and smiled gently. “Didn’t realize you two knew each other.”

“I was on duty last night,” I murmured and the doc nodded in understanding, then glanced at Jesse.

“I just need to talk to you for a few minutes. Chris will wait outside.”

“No,” Jesse rasped and his heart monitor bleeped again.

“Do you want Chris to stay while we talk?” the doc asked like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Jesse nodded and eased his grip on my wrist but didn’t let go. I was stunned, but I scooted my chair closer so Jesse didn’t have to reach for me, and just waited silently while the doc walked around the other side of the bed.

“We’re happy to discharge you.”

“What?” I blurted out in surprise

The doc ignored me. “But not until we know you are going to be supervised over the next twenty-four hours.”

Jesse bit his lip and didn’t answer, and the doc sighed. “Jesse, you won’t give us a last name or an address, and you refused to talk to the cops.”

My eyebrows shot up. He had? I would have thought he wanted the fucker who had kept him prisoner to be arrested.

Jesse shook his head, then let go of my wrist. For some crazy reason I wanted to snatch his hand back. “You can’t make me do anything,” he rasped. “I’m an adult.”

“Except you’d have to prove that,” another voice from the doorway said, and we all looked over at Sergeant David Martin. “Because unless I know otherwise you could be a minor and will need to be under adult supervision.”

I frowned, not a hundred percent sure how legal that threat was, but I knew David Martin and he was generally a good guy. I understood his worry as well, because when I first saw Jesse I’d thought he was a kid.

Jesse seemed to shrink into himself. “If I tell, you promise you won’t say where I am?”

David sighed but nodded. “We want to catch who did this, but if you mean are you old enough to refuse us informing a next of kin, then yes.”

I felt Jesse relax a tiny bit. He met my gaze and I tried to look encouraging. Was he a runaway?”

“Jesse Carter.” He rattled off a date of birth and then a social security number. I did the math and realized he’d only turned nineteen last month. Dave unhooked his radio and went to step out, but Jesse called out, “You’re not allowed to tell anyone I’m here.”

He inclined his head and went out.

Jesse looked at the doc. “You can’t make me stay.”

“I really think?—”

“I’m an adult and you said I was okay. When the cop comes back, he’ll tell you.” Jesse started coughing then, and I got up and grabbed his water, holding it for him while he took some sips. By which time Dave came back in the room.

“I really think you should stay in if you won’t let us call any family,” the doc tried again. “If you’re leaving it’s against medical advice.”

“Okay, son,” Dave said. “Your age has been verified.” He hesitated. “You’re sure you don’t want us to call your parents? They reported you missing over two years ago.”

“No!” Jesse sat up in alarm, but started coughing badly again.

So I’d called it. At some point he’d run away, but he obviously wasn’t in any legal trouble or Dave would have arrested him.

“Look,” Dave said. “I’m happy to give you a ride to the bus station or we’ve a motel in town, unless there’s someone you can call?”

He pressed his lips together. I doubted he had any money.

He didn’t even have any clothes. Hoping Saul wasn’t going to kill me, I stood.

“Jesse, I have a spare room you can stay in tonight. Sergeant Martin knows me and my boyfriend Saul, so he knows you would be safe.” I glanced at the doc.

“I also know what to look for post smoke inhalation.”

“Your house?” Jesse repeated in shock.

“It would give you a night or two to make sure you’re okay then you can figure out your next move.

” Yep, Saul was going to kill me. Or no, actually he wouldn’t.

I’d met Saul because he dashed out in front of my car after a dog he thought I was gonna run over.

Saul would want to encase Jesse in bubble wrap. Feed him.

Which might be even more dangerous. Saul’s need to care for strays had gotten us in a tight spot a few times.

Not that I was much different. But I could get my needs met by Saul. I just couldn’t help him with what he needed.

Dave arched an eyebrow and I held my breath. Jesse met my gaze for another few seconds, then nodded. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“I’ll do the paperwork,” the doc said and left.

A nurse bustled in with some scrubs to lend Jesse to get dressed in, and I stepped outside while he changed. I fingered my phone, deciding to give Saul a head’s up.

The trouble was I had no idea what to say.