35. Fiona
Chapter 35
Fiona
I try to rest, but the silence of the room is deafening. I replay the horror of what I witnessed over and over. A woman everyone called Doc came rushing in and tended to Clay. A grizzled older man in jeans and a leather vest scooped me up and dumped me in this room. He left with a gruff “sit tight.”
The only other name I caught was Charlie, who told me if I wanted any possibility of a future with Clay, I would hack into their system and open the door. His conviction forced me to hack my heart out, and I barely got the door open in time, just for Charlie to attack the man I love before he killed Paul.
I should have questioned him, but Garrett and the man with the ridiculously cool bionic arm didn’t stop me, either.
If Clay dies, I’ll never forgive myself, but I doubt I’ll have long to grieve before they kill me too.
I’m still reeling from the fact that Skye Reilly is a super soldier, and she healed my severe injuries in mere moments. My arm aches, but I can move it with little pain. The stab wounds are gone like they never existed. She referred to the man with the bionic arm as her husband, which explains why she left Eli, but also opens up an entire book of questions.
The door slides open and I sit up, squinting as the harsh overhead lights turn on. A red-headed woman and Luke Reilly enter the room. His presence cements everything Clay told me. I can’t believe I’m meeting my childhood crush, and I’m too exhausted and terrified to appreciate it.
“Fiona. My name is Luke Reilly. This is my fiancée, Liv.”
“Is Clay…”
“The wound was superficial. He passed out from an overload of energy. He’ll recover,” Liv says.
A tear drips down my face, and I scrub it away.
Luke pulls out a chair and gestures for me to join them at the table.
“When can I see him?” I ask as I drop into the chair.
“When we can confirm that you’re not working for Infinitum.”
I huff an exasperated laugh.
“That’s funny to you?” Liv asks.
I shake my head. “No. Not at all. I’m just…exhausted. I understand your hesitance.”
They share a glance, and Liv’s features soften.
“Is Raven going to be okay?” I ask.
Liv squeezes Luke’s hand. “Skye is still working on him,” Luke says.
“When Garrett and Paul came for you, you denied Candace was your aunt. Tell us why,” Liv says.
“I was told Candace was her alias. Her birth name was Maria.”
“And now that you know the truth?” Luke asks.
“I’m terrified Clay can never look at me the same.” The sobs threaten, but I forge on. “I hate them for what they’ve done to me, to Clay, to you and your family, to the world.” I meet his gaze head on. “If my association with Candace causes him pain, I’ll stay in this cell until I rot, if that’s what he needs.” I suck in air and let the tears fall.
“I trust Clay. And he trusts you, so I’m going to take the leap of faith and believe him,” Liv says.
Luke hands me a tissue from the sideboard behind him, and I wipe my nose.
“The rest of the team won’t be so easily convinced,” Luke adds.
“If Clay still wants me to stay here with him, I’ll do whatever you need to prove myself.”
They stare at each other like they’re having a silent conversation. “If you’ll allow me to sweep your memories, the team will come around much easier,” Liv says.
I frown. “That doesn’t sound pleasant.”
“It’s not. And it’s never something I would do without your full consent. I’ll be digging deep into memories you may not even be aware of. It will be invasive and uncomfortable, but it won’t cause you any physical pain.”
“I guess I don’t have a choice.”
Luke puts his hand on my arm. “With us, you will always have a choice.”
My eyes water again. Why wasn’t I born into this family?
I nod. “You have my consent.”
Luke moves to the corner of the room and Liv holds out her hands. “I’ll try to make it quick.”
I take her hands and squeeze my eyes shut.
“Open your eyes, Fiona,” Liv says.
We’re standing in a black void, but the ground is solid. She squeezes my hands with an encouraging nod. “Imagine your mind is a door and you’re opening it for me.”
I blow out a breath and do as she asks, and in what seems like both eons and seconds, she combs through my memories. The sensation is like being watched in a dark room. I don’t relive each memory, but I ride the wave of emotions they bring to the surface, leaving me a worn out husk by the time her soft voice tells me to open my eyes again.
When I do, she’s crying. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers before Luke wraps her in his arms and she sobs into his chest.
“What happened, babe?” Luke coaxes. Liv takes a moment to compose herself, then straightens and faces me.
“She’s on our side.”
We share a loaded look. She’s seen every dark corner of my mind, and it left her a sobbing mess. In a weird way, it’s a freeing experience.
She takes my hand. “If Luke knew you needed help, he would have rescued you.”
Luke scrunches his brow and I want to die of embarrassment, but Liv squeezes my hand with a soft smile. “I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone to protect you when you needed it most, but those days are over.”
Luke nods encouragingly and I wipe away my tears. “Thank you.”
“We’ll take you to Clay,” Luke says and opens the door. I take a step toward him, but falter, and he steadies me, pulling my arm around his massive shoulders. “On second thought, let’s take you back to the med bay.”
Liv takes my other arm and I fight consciousness. “Your body has been through too much. I’m going to put you to sleep. When you wake up, Clay will be there.”
I mutter my consent, but I wish I had more confidence in her statement. I wouldn’t blame them if I woke up at a random bus stop in the middle of nowhere with no memory of Clay or this place.