Page 9

CHAPTER NINE

DARKNESS WRAPPED AROUND me like a suffocating blanket, the air thick and heavy. I was back there again. I always ended up here.

The park was quieter than it should have been, the swing swaying in the breeze with a creak that had me shivering. My little sister’s laugh rang out, bright and pure, cutting through the eerie silence.

“Aria!” I called, my voice trembling even though I didn’t know why.

She stood by the merry-go-round, her tiny hands gripping the chipped metal bars as she spun herself in slow, wobbly circles. Her curls bounced with every movement, and she giggled, oblivious to the unease growing in my chest.

“Aria,” I called again, my feet refusing to move.

Her laughter faded, and she turned to look at me, her big blue eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, everything was still. Then her gaze shifted, and her face crumpled with fear.

“Lucy!” she cried, her voice high-pitched and panicked.

My feet were moving before I even realized it, the gravel beneath me crunching as I ran toward her. But no matter how fast I moved, the distance between us didn’t shrink.

“Aria, hold on!” I screamed, reaching out for her, my fingers brushing the empty air where her hand should have been.

A shadow loomed behind her, tall and menacing, its edges shifting like smoke. It reached for her, and she screamed, the sound piercing and raw.

“No!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “Let her go!”

But the shadow didn’t stop. It swallowed her whole, her cries echoing into nothingness.

I fell to my knees, the ground beneath me cold and unyielding. My hands clawed at the dirt where she’d been, but there was nothing there—no sign she’d ever existed.

The shadow turned toward me, and I froze. Its hollow, empty eyes bore into me, and its mouth twisted into a mocking smile.

“This is your fault,” it said, its voice like gravel scraping against glass.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I tried—I tried to save her.”

“You didn’t try hard enough.”

The words hit like a punch, and I doubled over, gasping for air. The darkness grew thicker, pulling me under, and Aria’s cries still screaming in my ears.

“Lucy!”

“Lucy, wake up!”

The voice snapped me back, and I jolted upright, my chest heaving, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to me.

The room was still dark and my hands were shaking, my skin slick with sweat. I pressed my palms to my face, willing my breathing to slow, but the weight in my chest wouldn’t lift.

Spinner was standing by the bed, staring down at me, his brows knitted together in concern.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice concerned.

I nodded quickly, not trusting my voice.

“You were screamin’,” he said, touching my arm.

“Sorry,” I croaked, my throat raw.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched me with what looked like understanding. “Nightmares?”

I nodded again, my eyes dropping to my hands, which were still trembling.

“You need to talk about it?”

“No,” I said quickly, too quickly.

He hesitated, then gave a slow nod. “All right. But if you ever do, I’m around.”

With that, he turned and went to lay on the cot in the corner.

I sat there in the quiet, the sounds of Aria’s voice still ringing in my ears.

The nightmare always ended the same way—with her cries fading into silence and the crushing weight of my failure pressing down on me. And no matter how many years passed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it really was my fault.

I couldn’t save her then. But I could save Zeynep now and those like her.

That was the only thought that kept me going, the only thing that made the nightmares bearable.

THE ROOM HAD been drenched in darkness, so thick it devoured shadows, but a sliver of moonlight crept in, stretching across the room like pale fingers. I lay on the cot, my hands laced behind my head, staring at the cracked ceiling. The faint sound of Lucy’s breathing filled the space, steady and soft.

It had taken everything in me not to watch her— really watch her—as she fell asleep earlier. She was only wearing that damn T-shirt, and I had looked close enough to know she was naked underneath that cotton. I was so fucking attracted to her and not making a move was damn hard—just like my cock right now.

The cot creaked as I shifted, trying to find a position where the metal frame didn’t bite into my back. I was halfway to slipping into a restless sleep when I heard it, so faint at first I thought I imagined it.

A muffled whimper.

I froze, holding my breath, listening.

Then it came again, louder this time, like the sound was being dragged from her throat.

“ No... please... ”

I shot up, the cot squealing under me as I swung my legs to the floor. My heart kicked hard against my ribs as I turned to look at her. She was curled up under the blanket, her body tense, her face twisted in pain. The soft glow of moonlight streaming through the window caught the tears trailing down her cheeks.

“Lucy,” I said quietly at first, moving to stand beside the bed. “Hey, Lucy, wake up.”

She didn’t respond. Her breathing grew ragged, her fists clenching the sheets like they were her only lifeline.

“ No! ” she gasped suddenly, her voice hoarse and broken.

“Lucy!” I said, louder this time, my hand reaching out to gently shake her shoulder.

She jolted awake, a sharp intake of breath tearing from her lips as her eyes flew open, wild and glassy. For a second, she wasn’t here with me—she was still there, trapped in whatever nightmare had its claws in her.

“You okay,” I asked softly.

Her chest heaved as she blinked, the terror fading just enough for her to focus on me before she nodded.

“Do you need to talk about it,” I asked, knowing exactly what she was going through.

She stared at me for a beat longer, her dark eyes still wide and haunted. But then she shook her head, curling back into herself as she pulled the blanket up to her chin.

I watched her for another second—just long enough to make sure she wasn’t going to slip back under—but she didn’t move. Her breathing slowed, though it stayed a little too shaky for my liking.

“I’m around if you do,” I offered before walking back to the cot. It protested as I sank onto it, the frame creaking under my weight, but I barely noticed. My gaze stayed fixed on Lucy, her small form tucked against the bed like she was trying to disappear.

I lay back, staring at the ceiling again, but this time sleep wasn’t even a distant possibility.

Nightmares.

It had taken me years to force my memories away to where I didn’t fucking see them when I closed my eyes. Hell, I’d had my fair share over the years to know Lucy’s were a horror she had lived in real life.

The kind of nightmares that didn’t just come from a bad day or a stupid mistake you couldn’t fix. No, these came from something darker. Something that dug into your soul and refused to let go.

I closed my eyes, the image of her face in that moment flashing behind my eyelids. She looked so... lost. And Lucy was never lost. She was tough as hell, hard edges and stubborn pride, wrapped up in a woman who never let anyone see her cracks.

Except tonight, even if unintentional.

And whether she wanted to admit it or not, that crack was there, deep and bleeding.

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a breath that felt like it weighed a ton. I wasn’t the kind of guy who could fix things—I knew that much. But seeing her like that? Hearing her voice break?

It did something to me.

Something I couldn’t explain.

I turned onto my side, the cot groaning in protest, and watched the faint rise and fall of her breathing from across the room.

“ You’re safe, ” I’d said earlier in the evening.

And I hoped those words hung true.