Page 37 of Fractured Future

Hyland leans forward to smack Axel on the shoulder. “Run to the store while we get checked in. Food and booze.”

“Sure,” Axel volunteers brightly. “I’m fucking starved anyway. Anything specific?”

He looks over this shoulder at me, a brow raised. “Well?”

The simple question stumps me. Once I was purchased by Mr Gael, I was fed regularly. The psychological torture of being starved ended when he needed me strong enough to earn him money.

That doesn’t mean I was given a choice. Every aspect of my captivity was still controlled. They didn’t use sexual intimidation to control me like the other women. I was quicky designated as off-limits. But my life was still dangled in front of me like a carrot.

When I don’t answer, Warner speaks up.

“She has a sweet tooth. Always has. Her mum used to make her sit on the naughty step for an hour when she ate sweets after eight o’clock and couldn’t sleep.”

Axel chuffs a laugh. “Is that true?”

“She was strict,” I offer neutrally.

“Well, I can work to that brief. Leave it to me.”

Pulling out a crumpled stack of Pesos, Axel flicks through the creased notes as Warner navigates the car into a corner spot, far from the entrance to the abandoned-looking roadside motel.

“I’ll take some of that.” He sticks a hand out to Axel. “We need to keep a low profile. No credit cards.”

“You think we’re being traced?” Axel hands him a thick stack.

“Better safe than sorry.” Warner shrugs. “The entire world knows we’ve been searching for Ember. Now that she’s vanished, you can bet they’ll be looking at us for answers first.”

“Why are you three here?” I blurt out.

All eyes slide over to me.

“Looking for you.” Warner’s mouth curves down after he answers me. “I told you that.”

“No, I mean… You’re thousands of miles from home, and for what? I’ve been gone for six years. Why not give up?”

His disapproving frown deepening, Warner studies me. He’s always had an uncanny ability to read people. It goes hand in hand with his caring nature. He’s a textbook empath.

But I’m not sure what emotion it is that sears behind Axel’s disappearing smile or Hyland’s thick brows drawing together. Neither of them know me well. I’m practically a stranger.

“Beyond it being our jobs?” Warner eventually says.

“Well… Yes.”

“Em, I swore to Tom that I’d bring you home, one way or another. I’m not in the business of breaking promises.”

For someone who doesn’t like crying or wallowing, I’m winning awards for holding back tears today. I can barely see them through my rapidly blurring vision.

“I could’ve been dead for all you knew.”

“That changed nothing.” Warner shakes his head. “But for the record, none of us doubted for a moment that you would fight like hell to keep on living.”

Opening the car door, he battles to heave himself out then slams it shut with a loud rattle. I wince at his departure, swiping a hand over my one good eye.

“He loves Tom like a brother,” Hyland adds softly. “Warner never would’ve let him down by giving up on your case.”

“Yeah.” I swallow the noxious guilt trying to plug my oesophagus.

“Come on. He’ll get us a couple rooms, then you can get cleaned up.”