Page 107 of Ravaged Soul

He attempts to sit upright, huffing when he can’t move more than an inch or so. I lean into Warner’s strong arm, his fingers still gripping my shoulder, as my built-up sobs refuse to ease up now that they’ve found an escape route.

Tom stares at me with bloodshot eyes, appearing bewildered by my unexpected breakdown. I’ve never been the one to sit and fall apart. Not even when our mother died. I can’t decide if he looks happy or disturbed by this new me.

“Breathe.” Warner attempts to soothe me, gently holding me through the painful sobs. “Tom’s here now. He’s home, and everything is going to be okay. You can let it all out.”

“It’s all my fault…”

“None of this is your fault,” Tom wheezes out. “Christ, Em. How can I fix this?”

“No!” I erupt through my tears. “You almost died! I d-did this. I’m the reason you’re here.”

“I’m back now. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Taking his papery hand in mine, I hold it tight while leaning back into Warner’s chest. Emotion like I’ve never experienced before overwhelms me as the sheer exhaustion of the past few weeks takes over, leaving me exposed and defenceless.

All the times I’ve swallowed my terror and plastered on a faux mask leave me sitting in the rubble of the person I once was. I’m not the numb, embattled girl who picked her brother up offthe floor or strolled into the fighting ring despite her terror. Not anymore.

Is that a good thing?

I have absolutely no idea.

With my brother’s fingers curled around mine and Warner’s unshakeable strength keeping me upright, I can let those ashes scatter. The sensation of being stripped bare is acute. All the armour that’s kept me alive can’t hold up against my turmoil.

“She’ll be okay.” I hear Warner whisper over my lowered head. “A lot has happened recently.”

“I hardly remember anything after they broke into my apartment.” Tom’s audible uncertainty breaks my heart. “It’s all a blur.”

“Luis called Ember while he… he was beating you.” Warner sounds distinctly uncomfortable, barely holding in his contempt. “He threatened Ember with your death if she didn’t surrender.”

“Shit! That evil bastard.”

“When we tracked you down, Carlos Morello was waiting. Ember pretended to surrender to him long enough to secure your freedom. She got us all out of there, Tom. But it was a bloodbath.”

Tom spits out another shocked curse.

“Ember saved our lives.” Warner pecks the top of my head. “She’s incredible.”

Sucking in air, I look up to find Tom eyeing me like I’m an exotic creature he’s never seen before. The fading bruises across my face twinge when I scrub tears aside to regain some composure.

“Sorry,” I choke out. “It’s been a long few weeks.”

“Are you okay?”

Tom’s concern for me is a living, breathing entity, filling up the room.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one who got kidnapped.”

“I’m asking you,” he says sternly. “You’re the one he was trying to break. So are you okay?”

“Honestly, not even remotely. I don’t think any of us are. But that’s a problem for tomorrow.”

After Tom adjusts the nozzles slotted into his nostrils, hooked up to the still-flowing oxygen machine, I reach for the water on his bedside table. He takes a sip when I fill the plastic cup and hold it to his lips. My hand quivers while returning it to the table.

“How’d you find me?” Tom’s gaze flits between us.

“Blaine Madden tracked down an old suspect from the Briar Valley case,” Warner explains. “He gave us intel. It seems our past is a lot more connected to this mess than we thought.”

Tom licks his cracked lips. “Carlos… He… He was talking to Gael on the phone. I watched them drag Luis away unconscious before I was locked up again.”