Page 52

Magnolia isn’t safe out here. Nothing is safe for her anymore.

Not her apartment, not the nest she had in it.

She doesn’t have anyone to protect her or anywhere to go. Maybe it’s not the same as being in heat but Maggie is vulnerable when she’s away from us.

Our omega needs to be with us all the time now, more than she did before, and I think I know exactly how to make that happen.

As quietly as I can, I close the emergency door and step into the rec hall, listening to make sure no one is coming.

It’s silent.

I blow out a breath and push my hair out of my eyes then smile.

I did it.

It was risky as hell leaving the institution during the day but I didn’t have a very big window of opportunity to work with.

Maggie told us last night that Evie was taking her to her uncle’s house, that the twins were picking them up around one o’clock so he could X-ray her shoulder again.

Apparently Dr. Ridgeway is the only person they can trust to help Maggie and knowing him from my years here, I can understand why.

He’s always been nice to me. Not overly nice, not like he’d go out of his way, but Evie’s uncle is a kind man and a good doctor, and he’s also the reason I was moved to Ward C.

Des and Korvin were leery when our omega told us about her secret appointment but once I vouched for the doctor, they were relieved.

That made me feel good.

It made me feel smart to be able to speak up like that and have them listen to me. I didn’t feel dumb, they don’t ever make me feel that way, and it gave my confidence a little boost. So, when I came up with my plan on our way back, I didn’t bother sharing it with them.

Korvin, Des, and Isaak want Maggie to be safe and protected just as much as I do, and when they find out what I did to make that happen, I think they’ll be happy and proud of me.

At least I hope so.

I take a step into the hall, still moving quietly to avoid drawing any attention to myself.

That would be bad.

Really bad since my clothes are singed and covered in ash, and I smell like smoke.

I like it but I don’t think anyone else would.

Especially since one of the things I’m working on in therapy is trying not to associate positive feelings with destructive behavior.

I’d say escaping from a mental hospital and burning down an entire complex of off campus housing in broad daylight is pretty destructive. And, unfortunately for my amazing doctors and their treatment plan, it brought me a shit ton of joy doing it.

Partially because it’s been almost nine months since my last pyro episode but mainly because it means Maggie is going to have to come live here now.

Most likely, anyway.

I don’t actually know that for sure but I know she doesn’t have anywhere else to go and since there are at least two empty apartments on the staff side of Ward C, it makes sense for her to come here.

Tiptoeing into the living room, I pause again, listening for any activity in the other halls, relieved to hear absolutely nothing.

There isn’t even anyone at reception right now so I should continue to go unnoticed until I can get cleaned up enough to sneak back to my place.

The storage closet is the best place to do that.

I can’t stop smiling as I slip inside, grabbing a fresh jumpsuit from the shelf as I make my way to the sink.

I turn on the water and let it warm up while I carefully unzip my suit down to my waist. I pull my arms out then peel off my tank top, trying my best not to get ash all over the floor or counter.

Once I can see the steam from the hot water, I grab a new bar of soap and work it into a lather in my hands and up my arms.

I wince when I reach my elbows, a stinging pain shooting down to the fingers of my left hand that causes me to stop and look for the source.

Shit .

I didn’t even realize I burned myself but I have a four inch long scorch mark that’s real angry and probably already infected.

“That’s going to leave a doozy of a scar,” I say to myself with a chuckle then suddenly start to cough as my air supply is abruptly cut off.

“I have been waiting for the day I could finally get you alone.”

My hands fly to the forearm around my throat, trying to claw at its flesh with my blunt nails as I feel the veins in my neck pop to the surface and the blood vessels in my eyes start to burst.

“You’re always with those two tattooed fucks, keeping an eye on you, covering your ass,” Jones growls, his mouth right next to my ear as he grabs my arm with the burn and wrenches it high up my back. “Not today, though. I’ve got them busy with physicals and med reviews. Today your ass is mine .”

He pulls me away from the sink, my vision going black around the edges as I keep fighting to breathe.

Jones shoves me into the desk and his arm leaves my throat, allowing me to drag lungful after lungful into my chest before he grabs a fistful of my hair and slams me down onto the flat metal surface.

Blood spurts from my nose and I can hear the crunch of cartilage as it breaks. The pain shoots through my skull, my thoughts scattering as my face begins to throb.

“I’m going to ruin you, St. James,” Jones snarls as he yanks my head up off the desk.

“I’m going to fuck your depraived ass until it bleeds and you are going to take it like the beta bitch you are.

” He slams my face into the desk again, a mouthful of red pours from my lips as at least one of my teeth shoots across the space in front of me.

“And when I’m done, I’m going to shove my dick so far down your throat you’ll be sucking your own blood off my knot. ”

I try to move my free arm, try like hell to lift it, to make it move at all but it’s not working. There’s some kind of disconnect between my brain and my body, a delay that’s stopping me from fighting back. Even when he lets go of my hair and pushes my jumpsuit to the floor.

I need to move.

I have to fight.

I’m not the bitch beta anymore, not some worthless piece of trash everyone can shit all over. They can’t use me however they want, can’t take what I’m not willing to give.

Not anymore.

Something cold and hard cracks against my ass as Jones kicks my legs open. “Have to get you ready first, St. James. Gotta make sure you can take everything I’m going to give.”

The same object comes down on my asscheek again before he shoves it between them, pushing it against my asshole while the bastard laughs.

“Don’t worry about lube, once I tear into you with the baton, your blood will work just fine.”

Adrenaline surges through my veins as my fight or flight instincts finally kick in almost too late.

I force myself upright, ignoring the pop in my left shoulder as I crank my right elbow up and back into the side of Jones’ head. He stumbles and loosens his grip, and I manage to get away from him before he realizes it happened.

“You’ll pay for that, motherfucker,” he growls as he comes toward me, staggering a little as he lifts the police baton in his hand. “With your life if you have to.”

Grabbing the first thing I can find, I yank an old intercom off the wall and smash it against his face, dazing him enough to make a run for the door.

But I don’t make it.

About a foot short of freedom, Jones tackles me from behind, both of us crashing into the shelves, knocking them over in a noise I hope someone can hear.

I quickly flip myself over and start scooting away, throwing shoe boxes and sticks of deodorant at him, turning anything I can into even the weakest of weapons.

I manage to kick him in the face as he lunges after me, the way his mouth explodes in a spray of red momentarily satisfying as it slows him down. But not enough.

Jones grabs my ankle as I reach for a chair, pulling myself up on the arm as he gives me a sharp tug back. I fall to the ground, catching myself on hands and knees before I feel a swift kick to my ribs, flipping me over with my back to the wall.

“I’m going to enjoy this so much more now,” he says as he grabs my hair and sits me up.

“I knew when I saw you on B that I was gonna break your record by breaking your neck. Got moved up here just so I could get my hands on you, and it was fucking worth it. I always love it when they fight.” Jones lifts the baton and brings it down on the side of my skull, my head barely moving in his grip.

My vision blacks out for a few seconds and I see nothing even though I know my eyes are open. He hits me again before I hear his weapon clatter against the tile floor and I blink repeatedly to try to see where it landed.

Instead, it clears just in time for me to see Jones take his dick out, tugging on it a few times to try to get it hard right in front of me.

His fingers tighten in my hair, popping several strands as he yanks me forward, tilts my head back and spits in my face. “At least it’ll be easier for me to fuck your mouth with those missing teeth.”

I hope he really does kill me after this.

My mates aren’t going to want me once I stink like Jones. They won’t keep me after this monster of a man uses me up and leaves me broken.

I won’t blame them when they do.

But just when I’m ready to accept my new fate, Jones jumps and turns toward the door as it flies open. It smacks back into the brick wall so hard it comes off the hinges and a huge blurry man roars his way into the closet and comes straight at us.

Korvin .

My heart skips a beat as I watch him lunge forward, spearing Nurse Jones in the side before the two crash against the floor at my feet. Korvin audibly breaks my attacker's arm as he flips him onto his back, straddling his chest as he punches him in the face.

My alpha knocks Jones out with one hit but he doesn’t stop there.

No, Korvin keeps hitting the asshole until his body goes limp, using both fists to smash Jones’ face until it’s a mass of bloody pulp.

He saved me .

My alpha saved me, he killed for me, and those are the words I say over and over in my mind as my head lolls to the side and I finally black out.