Page 105 of Healing Conviction

“You’ll be okay. We just need some fresh air.”

She nodded, wanting to make him happy. To cure the panic in his voice. But always trying to figure out how to make people feel better was exhausting.

“Everything… it’s too heavy.”

The weight on her suddenly disappeared, and she felt like she was floating. Soft murmuring became ragged, shouting against her forehead, but it still comforted her.

“We’re leaving this shit here. I don’t give a fuck if it burns as long as you don’t.”

“O… kay,” she whispered, not sure what he was talking about anymore. Not sure that she cared.

“You’re gonna stay with me, Pix. You’re not allowed to leave me. That’s not how our story ends. I don’t get you just to lose you.”

She wanted to believe him and tried to grab onto his words, to grab on to anything to keep her there.

“You can let go now, Nora. Let go of everything except for my hand.”

That sounded nice. She could do that.

All the tension in her body, every muscle that ached and strained, the unbearable pain suffocating her chest, she let go, focusing it all into her palm and fingers as she held as tight as she could.

“Yes, Pix. That’s it, baby. Hold my hand. I can see it. We’re almost there.”

She might’ve murmured her agreement, but no matter what, she held his hand, even as her back scratched and scraped on whatever was underneath her. Her eyes pinched shut as she tried to shut out the pain and the bright fluorescent burning in the sky.

Was this how she went? With Drake literally dragging her to heaven? Was heaven real?

All her life, she’d been swearing on, blaming, and invoking deities she never believed in. It’d always been fun to curse the gods and thank the goddesses, like a harmless fudge you to the patriarchy. But she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that there was always that quiet hope. That maybe… justmaybe, she was speaking to someone good up there who was listening.

Regardless of where she was going, or who or what was on the other side, holding Drake’s hand on the way to find out was exactly how she wanted to get there.

Her eyelids fluttered open, cool tears streaming down her hot cheeks. The blinding light beamed down on her and realization depleted her of everything but cleansing relief. This was it. This was how it ended. She closed her eyes against the bright light and exhaled, ready to leave the world, hoping she’d left it better than she found it.

“Open your eyes, Pix. We made it.”

CHAPTERFORTY-TWO

It was surreal, sitting inside the tree line on the embankment, the night breeze cooling his face while the world burned behind him. He held Nora’s weak hand while rocking her in his arms and watched his team clear the CTI facility one hundred yards away.

With all the helicopter searchlights shining down on the facility, accompanied with all the police and FBI headlights, emergency lights, and utility lamps, Drake had a pretty epic view as EMTs helped several women out of the container that’d started the whole night.

He pushed Nora’s hair back with his free hand and spoke against her forehead. “We did it, Pix. We helped save them. If we hadn’t been here, who knows what would’ve happened to them?”

“We did it.” She sighed. He tried not to let her mild response get to him. Guilt rode him hard as he cleaned the soot from her cheek. She’d gotten hurt. If he hadn’t gotten there in time, what would’ve—

No. Not now. Don’t think like that. Wait until later.

He took comfort in knowing she was finally resting after their ordeal. She was exhausted and her body was catching up and healing. That was all either of them could do.

The relaxed rhythm of her breathing was exactly what she needed to make sure she didn’t overwork her abused lungs more than she already had. There was no way they hadn’t suffered smoke inhalation damage, not to mention exhaustion, and no doubt there were injuries they hadn’t let themselves address. Even though she was conscious, she needed medical attention as soon as possible.

A harsh truth kept pounding in his chest. Over a year ago, it would’ve been faster for him to carry her and all their bags over the bridge to the facility. But now?

He was so. Fucking. Tired.

The box on his back dug into his spine, reminding him that relief would come soon. He didn’t want to take the medicine yet, wanting to stay alert for Nora until help arrived.

Push through. The only easy day was yesterday.