“Don’t move her,” Jackson says. “She might be hurt bad. We need to check.”

Cade peers over at Jasper, who’s trying to slide towards the door.

“Fuckin’ move, I’ll blow your brains all over that wall,” Cade roars.

“Take care of him,” I hear Spike growl. “I’ll get her out.”

“Baby, you’re gonna be just fine. We’re gonna get you out,” Cade rasps, then he says to Spike. “You fuckin’ take care of her. Whatever you got against me, it ain’t her fault.”

“I’d never fuckin’ hurt her. Go finish that scum.”

Cade grips my face, coating his hands in blood. “I’m gonna be back in less than five minutes. You hang in there, baby.”

“I’m okay,” I croak. “Kill him, Cade. Make it count.”

He nods, and then Jackson strokes my face, his eyes red and glassy. Then they both turn, stand, and haul Jasper up, taking him outside. I can’t begin to imagine what they’re going to do. I don’t care either. Spike kneels down in front of me, swiping a bloody piece of hair from my face.

“You sure do know how to get yourself noticed. If you wanted this kind of attention from me, you should have just asked.”

He leans in, inspecting the wounds on my head. My stomach begins to turn violently as he begins to gently move me.

“Talk to me, precious. What hurts?”

“Everything,” I croak.

“He shot you twice, God knows what else, and you’ve lost a lot of blood. Your body is working overtime to get those drugs out of your system. We’re goin’ to get you up slowly. You tell me if anything hurts too much.”

I nod, and just as Spike’s wrapping his arms around me, I hear Jasper’s screams. They’re the kind of screams you don’t forget in a hurry. They’re the screams of torture. I jerk and begin sobbing wildly, over reacting because of the drugs in my body. My stomach turns harder, and I know I’m going to be sick.

“Hey, hey, calm down.”

“Sick,” I rasp out.

“Shit.”

Spike gently lets me go just in time. I drop forward and begin throwing up violently. I hear Spike mutter a few ‘fucks’ before he grips my hair and moves it off my clammy face. When I’ve stopped throwing up, he gently sits me back and focuses instead on undoing my hands. I can hear Jasper’s screams turn into high pitched begging. I don’t know what they’re doing to him. I don’t want to know. I hear the sound of a gun, and then everything goes quiet.

“It’s all over, precious.”

It’s all over? Years and years of abuse, of torture, of mental pain, and it’s over? It’s really over? Spike pulls me into his arms when he’s done with my binds, and stands, walking towards the door. Cade meets us at the entrance, covered in blood. I don’t even want to know how he got that much blood on him. I croak out his name and he takes me from Spike’s arms.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” I hear him say to Spike.

“Yeah,” Spike says, his voice full of emotion. “Anytime.”

Cade cradles me in his arms, and the familiar scent of him soothes something inside me.

“She’s in a bad way,” I hear him say.

“Get her to a hospital,” Jackson says, his voice hoarse.

“What do we fuckin’ tell them?”

“Tell them it ain’t none of their fuckin’ concern, and if they want to argue, by all means, argue.”

Cade nods and walks us outside. When the sun hits my bruised and battered body, I wince. It’s so bright. Too bright.

“It’s okay. It’s all goin’ to be all right soon.”

“Hurts,” I croak again.

“I know, sugar. We’ll get you better.”

I close my eyes and listen as he shuffles around. Then he places me down onto the backseat of his truck. He covers me with a blanket, and gets in.

“You need us to deal with this?” I hear Spike ask.

By this, I assume they mean Jasper.

“Yeah, appreciate it.”

Before I know it, the car has started. My eyes begin to flutter closed, a mixture of relief and the drugs. My legs are throbbing, my shoulder burns and my entire body feels broken, but I’m here. I’m alive and most of all…

I’m free.

EPILOGUE

“Fuckin’ makin’ me work extra hard,” Cade grumbles and tosses a bag of food onto my eating tray.

I grin at him. “I’m an invalid. Someone has to feed me.”

He grunts. “Your hands still work, yeah?”

I shrug.

“And your mouth.”

I shrug again.

“Then you ain’t a fuckin’ invalid.”

I pout at him and he grins, walks over and tangles his fingers in my hair.

“Can’t fuckin’ wait for you to come home.”

“I know,” I say, stretching. “Two weeks is too long.”

“Fuckin’ tellin’ me, my dick hurts.”

I giggle and grip his face, bringing him down for a kiss.

“You know, hospital sex is said to be good.”

He chuckles against my lips. “Don’t tempt me.”

“I’m not tempting. I’m serious.”

His eyes widen and he pulls back to meet my gaze. “You’re all sore and fucked up.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t need my leg and my shoulder to feel my man’s cock inside me.”