Page 11 of Fall of Hellfire (Hellfire Society #3)

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ALI

Carefully, I try to open my eyes, hoping that the coma thought was really just a crazy thought, but when my eyes don't open, my heart rate starts to pick up, and panic begins to consume me.

Oh no, something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

My body automatically jerks up on its own, panic fully taking over as I reach to touch my face.

Pain shoots through my limbs at the moment a cry escapes my throat.

Watery tears filling my eyelids. A rush of pounding footsteps sounds to my right, causing me to jerk away, not knowing where I am or what is going on.

Someone had to have done something to me.

Worst-case scenarios start to flood my mind.

Maybe I was kidnapped...again. That would be my luck.

Maybe I really was hit by a car, and now I’m in a hospital. But when I moved, I didn't feel attached to anything machine-like. Nor did I hear the tell tale sign of a heart rate machine.

Maybe I’m just dreaming and it's really, really vivid? But that doesn't seem right either.

Suddenly the bed dips beside me, and I freeze.

"Ali." Riot's usual deep, powerful tone is nowhere to be heard as he settles next to me, whispering, "Wife.

You're safe." The moment the word wife crossed his lips, my body releases the tension it had been holding as I reach for him, needing to feel that he is real.

That this isn't all in my head right now. I ignore my body’s screams to not move as I all but climb into Riot's lap.

I breathe him in, trusting my senses more than my mind right now as I smell Riot's sandalwood with a hint of copper scent. Instantly I relax into his chest as he murmurs that I’m safe and that he's here.

I'm not sure how long I stayed curled up in Riot's lap, silently crying while trying to think back to what had happened, but I must have fallen asleep again.

This time when I wake, I can feel the heat of a body and hear the thump, thump, thump of a heartbeat.

Taking a deep breath, I can still smell my husband, which is a relief.

I stay like that, soaking in his warmth as I try to once again think back to what was happening.

"I think she's waking up again."

"Good, I need her to take these antibiotics, and I want to clean her.

." There's a small pause that has me frown before Arsen continues.

"...wound again. It looks like it bled through.

She will probably want to take a pain pill too.

I'll go grab everything." The body beneath me shifts, and I wince as pain shoots through my thigh.

"Shit, sorry, baby. Here, let's turn you to the other side so Arsen can clean your leg.

" I frown once more, confused about why my leg would need to be cleaned.

I open my mouth to ask what is going on, but it's so dry that I only rasp out a painful cough.

"Fuck... Cash water now! Hold on, baby." My throat feels like it's the Sahara Desert as I try to swallow what little spit I have.

I hear rushing footsteps a second before the rim of a water bottle is set against my lips.

I open greedily, trying to suck the water down as the cool liquid soothes the ache I was feeling.

Water rushes down my cheek as I try to take large gulps before someone pulls the bottle back.

I let out a sound of protest before someone lets out a deep chuckle.

"Slow down, you will make yourself sick.

Plus, I need you to take some pills." I must've made an uncomfortable face or something because Riot finally gently shifts me before I feel hands trail up my leg.

I must flinch from the touch because Arsen speaks.

"I need to clean your leg, little flame.

I'll be as gentle as I can, but I don't want it to get infected.

I also have some antibiotics and pain pills for you to take to help.

" My confusion from moments ago reappears.

This time when I speak, it feels like I've been screaming for hours, my voice raspy and harsh but less painful. "W-what happened?" I figured that was the first and most obvious question to ask. As soon as the words leave my mouth, it's like the room freezes. Like actual freezes over.

Somehow I was expecting one of them to tell me I had some freak accident or something, but Cash's ever-so-calm and cold voice fills the room. "Ali, what do you remember happening yesterday?" Yesterday? What does he mean by that?

I shake my head in answer as I stay quiet, trying to gather my thoughts and go over the last thing I do remember doing.

I was shopping for supplies. As I try to process the day's events, I feel Arsen’s fingers trail up my thigh until I feel a soft material glide across my skin.

He's unwrapping something. Something cool, yet warm and wet, swipes across my flesh as he continues to unwrap what I’m guessing is gauze.

His earlier comment clicks ‘bled through’, but why was I bleeding in the first place?

The room remains soundless as Arsen tends to my "wound.

" His fingers graze a spot on my thigh that shoots pain to all my nerve endings as I let out a whimper, but then it happens.

Like an electric cattle prod to the brain, my brain processes everything all at once.

So fast that I get an instant headache trying to keep up with the details.

I spoke with Ethan after he came looking for me at the gym.

We had talked, and I made the decision to try and gather more of my own information.

Stupid me had gone back to my childhood home.

What was I thinking?! Ethan had caught me in Richard's office and hit me over the head.

I woke up in my old bedroom, where the asshole decided to try and torture me for information. When I didn't give anything away, he...

"The tracker!" I screech, reaching for my thigh to where I remember Ethan putting it, ready to rip it out myself. Panic rises as what could be about to happen flashes through my mind. I blindly claw at my leg before hands grip mine, stopping me.

"Ali. Ali. Stop! You're going to hurt yourself more. You need to calm down." Even Cash's stern, commanding voice doesn't calm me as I continue to reach for my leg. I need to get it out and destroy it.

"He- he left a tracker in my leg. He wanted me to give you up, but I refused," I cry out, needing them to take me seriously right now. This is life or death; Ethan is off his rocker and has gone insane.

"We know, baby. I need you to calm down and breathe.

The tracker is gone. You already warned us, we got away.

" Riot's words instantly have me calming down as I suck in air, filling my lungs until they hurt, and release it in a whoosh.

"That's it. Here, take these. One is a pain pill that I’m sure you need right now.

" With my eyes still swollen shut, I reach blindly until Riot hands over two small pills. Just as I’m about to stick them in my mouth, I remember something.

Shit. Not caring about the pain, I throw my body to the other side of the bed and shove my fingers down my throat.

I gag but force my fingers deeper. I need to do this.

Hands on my shoulders try to pull me back, but I shake them off.

"Ali, stop. What are you doing?" I shake my head in answer as the gagging worsens.

Come on, stupid gag reflex, work. "Ali!" Someone snaps, but with one more push deeper, I feel it happening.

My stomach tightens; my throat goes dry as saliva fills my mouth.

I lean over further, hoping this doesn't hit anything important as my stomach empties its contents. I can feel something rough scraping against my throat, almost getting stuck as I choke and cough, but I get it all out before reaching down and sticking my hand into the pile of puke. On any other day I would not be doing this, but I need to make sure the beating I took was worth it. It has to be. I almost throw up again just from the feeling of grossness I’m touching as my fingers touch it. The flash drive.

My men whisper to themself behind me, probably thinking I finally lost it or something.

I get it; this was the least ladylike thing I've ever done, and if I look the way I feel, I bet it was one hell of a sight.

Their voices and words all blend together as exhaustion starts to hit me.

"What's wrong with her?" "What do we do?

" "Why is she doing that?" "Okay, that's gross.

" "I'm not cleaning that." "I hope Shane doesn't expect a deposit back. "

I turn back over on my side, still trying to ignore the pain as I focus on where the voices are coming from.

Holding up the flash drive, I give them a weak smile.

"I copied and downloaded files from Richard's home office before Ethan caught me.

I had to swallow it to make sure I got it out.

Hopefully it will still work." Someone takes the drive from me and replaces it with a bottle of water.

"Take the meds, then tell us what happened.

" I give them a small nod before quickly taking the pills in one big gulp.

Someone takes the water while someone else helps me sit back on the bed.

I still have so many questions, like how I warned them and where we even are, because this doesn't feel or even smell like the gym apartment.

But I suppose I should start with how we might have gotten here.

Arsen resumes cleaning my thigh as I try to hold back my wincing, hoping the pain meds kick in soon.

Taking a deep breath, I focus on the sound of my men breathing.

I knew they were safe, at least for now, but I could have put them in a lot of danger.

For the hundredth time I ask myself, what the hell was I thinking?

! I know the guys are staying quiet, allowing me to gather my thoughts, but the silence is becoming too much.

Letting out a sigh, I begin to explain. "So, it started when I decided to call Ethan. "