Page 36 of Into the Blue

“Fuck.” I brush the hair from her face with shaking fingers. “Fuck, baby.”

The tape over her mouth is my first priority. It’s stuck to her bedraggled hair and over her bruised and bloody face.

Whoever did this, taped her up after they pulverized her.

My fury mounts as I take my time trying to get the tape off as gently as possible. I know I’m not gonna be able to keep from hurting her further.

Each millimeter it releases, I wince.

Who the fuck did this?

I’ll kill them.

It takes me a few minutes, but I’m able to get the tape off her face so she can at least breathe better. She still hasn’t moved, but Redd is there by my side now.

“Shiiit,” he says, before turning back to the security door to call for someone to bring a car around.

I don’t know where to grab her.

She’s beaten so badly, that I’m scared I’ll hurt her more by even touching her.

With my arms under her torso, there is the faintest movement of her lips as I try to get to her hands behind her back. A low, suffering moan escapes into the humid night.

“Racquelle. Racquelle, can you hear me?”

She mumbles something finally. She’s alive.Thank fuck.

Cutting the last tape from her wrists and ankles with my knife, I tell her, “Gonna pick you up, okay baby?”

I don’t wait for her reply when Vert comes over to help me pick her up with as much care as we can.

Normally, I’d be pissed to even see another man with their hands on my Diamond, but anything to make her more comfortable right now is better than putting her through anymore pain.

Her head rests on my lap as we take that drive back to my spot.

Redd makes all sorts of calls as I stroke the hair from her face, counting each nick and bruise that’s visible in her dirty, bloodied clothes.

There’s a car already waiting for us there. It must be the doctor we use for our soldiers to come check her over. I’m grateful that Redd is at least on top of things as my thoughts turn more and more murderous.

We park and I try to lift her head. Racquelle jostles, startled and disoriented. “Just let us carry you inside. I’m not tryin’ to fight with you on this. I got you.”

She settles and I watch diligently as the doctor examines her on my bed.

Three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, two black eyes, countless butterfly bandages and unknown substances keeping her mostly unconscious.

I hope that she wasn’t awake for any of it.

I told her that I would ensure that if anyone hurt her, I’d make them regret it in the worst way.

Rage and hate mix at toxic levels in my bloodstream as she lies in the bed looking like she does.

I’ll find who did this, and I’ll make them pay for what they did to my Diamond.

PART 2

Chapter 13

When I wake, the room is awash in Blue.