25 First Steps #2
I expect her normal vanilla scent, but instead I'm hit with damp concrete, copper, sweat, and fear.
Fire grows in my belly, and I scoop her up in my arms. The hall is clear, and I turn to meet Jace's eyes.
He's standing there, almost dumbfounded, just staring at the girl in my arms. He steps closer, I take a step back, cradling her to my chest.
“Come on, Luca.” His shoulders drop.
“No, you failed her, Jace. I'm not letting you fail her again. I don't trust you.” I narrow my eyes at him. “She trusted you with her heart and look what you did with it.” I brush past him.
“I got her, we're coming out,” I say into my comms.
“Copy. Clean up and get out,” Lucian orders.
I make my way through the house, holding Isobel to me; she's so small I'm barely using any strength.
What lame-ass guards is Gideon hiring that two men couldn't move this small eighteen-year-old girl?
Pussies.
There are plenty of bodies being dragged out of Gideon's compound towards the trucks we have off in the trees. I jog over to the medical van where Lucian has professionals prepped and ready to go.
They meet me with a stretcher, and I lay Isobel down gently.
“Are you leaving now?” I ask one woman hooking her up to get her vitals.
“Yes, are you coming with her?”
“Definitely.” I nod, jogging along with her and follow them to the van.
“I'm going with Isobel,” I announce into my comms.
“We'll meet you there; monitor her.” Lucian's voice cracks.
At the Guild, they rush her into the medical wing. I’m told to wait as they check her over. I almost get into a fight with the nurses but I promise to stay out of their way and just stick to the wall.
I may or may not have lied and said Lucian's orders. I don't care.
Whatever gets me in the room and keeps her in my sights.
After the doctors take some X-rays and scans, they plaed an NG tube to give her body some energy. Even just after an hour of the IV fluids, she's looking better. I watched as a couple of nervous nurses set up to bathe Isobel.
One is nice enough to explain how since she's been held captive for so long, it’s usually nice to wake up and not feel like you're still there. I nod and agree. They set up warm water basins, different soaps prepared, towels, and a clean gown.
As much as I wanted to stay with her, I know this is something private. Isobel wouldn't want me to see her this way. So I leave, walking to the waiting room to get a cup of coffee.
I'm sitting down and stirring the coffee when Lucian barges in, Jace and Noah following closely behind him.
“How is she?” Lucian beelines towards me; this is the first time he looks like a distraught father.
His hair is disheveled, there's dirt and what I'm guessing is concrete or drywall on his shoulder.
And for the first time, the worry shows in his eyes. The fear for his daughter.
“The doctors checked her out and they did some scans. The nurses are cleaning her up right now. They've been giving her fluids, and they've started her on an NG tube. The doc said she's severely malnourished. But we already knew that.” I can't help the glare I throw Jace’s way.
He at least looks ashamed. Lucian takes a breath and crumples into one of the seats. Running his hand through his hair for probably the hundredth time.
“Did she say anything?” his voice wavers.
“No, she's been unconscious this whole time. The doctors say that's normal considering her condition. Her body needs energy and time to heal.” I take a long sip of my coffee.
“I saw the basement.” Noah sits next to me, “I don't think you went down there, but it was bad.”
“I didn't need to go down there to know it was bad.” I stare at Jace with rage flowing through my veins. “I saw all the evidence on Isobel. You didn't see her… she—” I swallow hard, meeting Lucian's eyes. “She barely looked alive.”
Jace wavers in the corner of my eye, then turns and walks out of the room.
Typical.
Lucian sighs.
“How are you okay with him being alive?” I genuinely don’t know.
Lucian lifts his head. His eyes, Isobel's eyes, have dark circles under them.
“Don't mistake my demeanor, Luca. I'm not forgiving or even remotely okay with what he did. But I've been doing this a long time. I’ve learned to compartmentalize what I'm feeling.”
“But now, Isobel’s back, and you haven't done anything to Jace.” I gesture toward the door, “He’s still walking around here, what if he's still Gideon's spy? And we're just letting him in?”
Lucian shakes his head while I talk. “I understand your concerns, Luca, but I know the difference in Jace's actions.
Maybe one day you will too. Jace is committed to taking Gideon's empire down, and it needs to happen.
We're already making moves to dismantle it with the information he provided as we speak.
We're not just sitting back. Gideon will get what's coming to him, I promise you that.”
I see the familiar fire dancing in his eyes. My heart aches for the girl who’s consumed me, who’s possessed my every thought since the first day we met.
Jace had other plans then, and I was following them. But as soon as she opened her pretty mouth, I was done for.
I saw the way she looked at Tex, and I saw the shift when she finally accepted Jace, too. I just wanted her to be happy. I thought Jace was going to give her that. The way he looked at her, how he acted around her, she defrosted him.
I was willing to suffer in my pain as long as she had that smile on her face. But then… all of this. I'm never going to let him hurt her again. He’s had his chance.
Now, it’s mine.