Chapter 18
The following morning, Hannah showered and dressed in jeans, a blue sweater, and sneakers.
Her body hummed as she dried her hair and applied makeup.
When she finished, she stepped back and stared at the woman in the mirror.
She badly needed a haircut, and most of her products resembled dried clumps of color from misuse.
Yet, she felt somewhat like her old self before…
“You can do this,” she muttered to herself. “Don’t let them win.”
“Hey. Do you know where my friend Hannah went? They didn’t tell me she moved rooms,” Scarlett greeted her from outside the door.
“Hi, Scarlett,” she said, slowly. “I’ve imagined what I might say to you. Thank you for visiting me.”
Scarlett beamed. “You have a lovely voice. It’s funny how I never noticed the tones in people’s speech until I went blind. You have a strong voice, full of courage.”
“Ha. I’m not half as brave as you,” she protested as Scarlett and Ice went to their usual seat.
“Bravery happens when you least expect it,” Scarlett said. “It took a lot for you to step out of your comfort zone yesterday.”
“It’s not bravery,” she denied.
Scarlett cocked her head. “Sometimes small steps lead up to one big one. When I came here, I felt terrified. If I failed, what kind of future would I have? The people here don’t give up easily. Most of all, I met Ty, and he taught me to see things through his eyes.”
“Cole asked me to meet your team. He thinks I’ll feel safer if I know how they protect everyone,” she told Scarlett.
“What do you believe?”
“I don’t want to fail. I can’t forget what happened.
I’m safe as long as I’m in here. If I go outside, how can I tell the good from the bad?
” Hannah asked miserably. “You’re strong.
I heard how you rescued the kids and the senior citizens.
I’ll never feel brave like you.” Hannah sat down and sighed.
“Don’t measure yourself against me,” Scarlett warned.
“We’re apples and oranges. You seem to forget we’re here together.
Both of us survived. Some of our brothers and sisters in arms didn’t.
They gave the ultimate sacrifice. It’s our duty to live on for them.
Patch says the team has taught him how to do this.
I live in honor of Debbie, the woman lost to the fire.
She encouraged me to have a good cry, pick myself up, and keep going. ”
“They killed all the men riding with me,” Hannah revealed. “I feel guilty they died protecting me. In the end, it didn’t matter. I’m still a disappointment to my dad. It might’ve made his life easier if I had died. Then, he could say I died with honor.”
Scarlett pursed her lips. “I already don’t like your dad. I’m sorry to hear about your friends. Do you ever wonder what they might want you to do?”
“I didn’t know them. Their supply clerk got food poisoning.
I went in his place. They made the routine trip hundreds of times without any issues.
One of the units ran out of medical supplies, and they needed them desperately.
I agreed to accompany them and I picked up another shipment along the way.
The attack came out of nowhere,” she said, caught up in the memory.
Scarlett reached for her hand and squeezed it. “It happened the same way with me. Rocker pulled me to safety. I can still smell the scent of gunfire, flesh burning and the cries.”
“How do you deal with it?” Hannah asked.
“I attend meetings here and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night. Ty sits and listens to me. I meet with Dr. Meyers and Kassie sometimes. It’s no secret around here, but they survived a kidnapping.
Tess, Taco’s wife, got shot when Avie’s ex-husband kidnapped her.
Samantha and her son were held hostage. The head nurse, Catherine’s ex-husband, got embroiled in some scandal, and the team rescued her from a fire.
We’re not alone. They may not be in the trenches, but these women would sacrifice themselves to protect any member of their extended family.
Have you heard of Victoria? If anyone dared to hurt Kassie or any of her grandchildren, they might as well have signed their death certificate. ”
“Wow,” Hannah said quietly. “They all sound brave.”
“It doesn’t begin to describe them.”
“How did you get past your fear? Dr. Meyers says time heals, and be patient with myself. She asked if I forgave myself for living,” Hannah admitted.
“Yeah,” Scarlett nodded. “Hindsight always gives us a different perspective. In the moment, we did what we needed to survive. Now, we have a second chance to live our lives by our own rules. How do you want to start yours? I married a hot chef, joined the security team, and have wine parties with Gabby, Knight’s wife, Annabelle, and Claire.
Ty’s mom, Cherise, takes me to the library and lunch every other weekend. ”
“I can’t leave this room. The last doctor said I have paranoia. I worry the men will find me. Cole offered to have you accompany us to the team building. He’s nice to me, but I don’t want him to see me freak out and start screaming.”
“One step at a time,” Scarlett reminded her.
“We’ll figure it out. You’re my sister in arms and I never leave a sister behind.
Patch, on the other hand, I might consider it for a hot minute.
He’s the most aggravating man on this earth.
When I got shot, they sent me to physical therapy.
I returned to my room to find him sitting by my bed.
He’d say, ‘All right, Sparky, now it’s PT time. ’”
“But you already went,” Hannah said, confused.
“Oh no, to him it’s ‘Patch Time,’” Scarlett explained. “It means you express your feelings and he shoots you down with sarcastic remarks and tells you to get over yourself. Don’t worry, I have your six. He’s not getting his grubby paws on you.”
“He doesn’t even know me,” she insisted.
Scarlett shook her head. “He knows your age, weight, social security number and your last boyfriend’s name and address. Trust me, these guys can be very thorough.”
“Cole said they run a very tight security. He mentioned the Russians and the Irish?” Hannah asked, confused.
“Ivan’s the head of a Russian mob and Victoria runs the Irish mafia.
They have men here who protect the mountain.
Ivan plans surprise infiltration exercises with Leo to catch his men sleeping on the job.
You won’t believe their punishments. They have to watch all those teething babies, pick flowers, or they must go to Victoria. ”
“Does she lecture them?” she asked.
“No, she unmans them, one ball at a time. Trust me, they never pick her,” she said, laughing. “I’m not sure if they’re more afraid of her or Ivan.”
Hannah joined her, imagining the men picking flowers and holding babies.
“Ice and I have to go to training this morning. Have you considered Cole’s suggestion?” Scarlett asked as she reached for Ice’s harness.
“I can’t get past the door,” Hannah confessed. “I want to see all the things you, Kassie, and Dr. Meyers described.”
“Ty taught me something when I get overwhelmed. Instead of thinking about the problem, find your way around it. Sometimes, we’re our own obstacles,” she advised, rising.
Hannah stood and approached Scarlett. “Your friendship has meant a lot to me. Thank you for never giving up.”
“I’m still not,” Scarlett said as she walked to the door. “You have courage in you, Hannah. You’ve forgotten where to find it.”
Hannah sat on the bed. The unused cell phone lay on the nightstand. Her mother’s daily text buzzed.
I miss you, Hannah. I love you, my sweet girl.
She stared at it, debating what to do. She slowly picked up the phone and dialed her mom’s number. The phone rang, and her mother answered.
“Hello?”
“Mom,” she choked out. “It’s me, Hannah.”
“Oh, my sweet girl,” her mom exclaimed through her cries. “I knew you’d come back to us. How do you feel?”
“I’m all right, Mom,” she said, as tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Wait until your father hears your voice. He’ll be ecstatic,” she hiccupped.
“I have to go to therapy now,” she lied.
“I’m fine. I’ll see you soon,” she said before disconnecting the call.
She wanted to tell her mom about Brody, Nine, and Cole and how she made a friend on the mountain with Scarlett.
The tiny voice in her head didn’t want her dad to ruin the moment, chastising her for keeping them waiting for months on end.
Hannah stood, walked to the door, and glanced into the hallway.
Nurses sat at the desk, charting orders.
One helped a patient across to the sunny sitting area and handed him a book.
Her foot slid to the edge of the doorframe, testing the waters.
She bit her lip, hedging her toe closer toward the hallway.
Her heart raced and tiny beads of sweat covered her forehead.
She gripped the doorknob, making her knuckles turn white as she willed herself to make the leap.
Her body refused to budge. She tried again and again, until she finally slumped against the wall in defeat.
Tears slid down her cheeks. She needn’t worry about her father’s opinion of her.
Hannah saw herself as the failure he always considered her to be.
At the facility, Scarlett and Ice made their way to the kitchen for a much-needed cup of coffee. The guys put a piece of tape on the countertop to keep her from scalding her fingers. She reached above her head and took a mug down while her fingers felt for the edge.
Pouring herself a cup, she let Ice lead her to the kitchen table. She scratched him behind the ears and sat.
A minute later, Cole and Brody entered. “Hey, Sparky,” he greeted as he grabbed a water from the fridge.
Brody went to his bed and curled up, brooding.
“He doesn’t sound happy,” Scarlett said while sipping the beverage.
“He didn’t make a sound,” Cole said, amazed she picked up on the animal’s unhappiness.
“His gait changes when he pouts. I heard it when he left Hannah’s room the other day. What’s the matter with him?”
“He wants to see Hannah,” Cole said quietly.
“Don’t you plan on going over there after training today?” she asked, shifting to face him.
“I’m working on something. I don’t want to push her too fast. But I believe Hannah hates staying in the room as much as we detest seeing her not talk. She’s finally speaking, and I can’t figure out how to get her out,” he said, mulling over his problem.
“I saw her today,” Scarlett told him. “Hannah fears failure as much as what happens when she leaves the room.”
“Can’t Dr. Meyers or Kassie help her? I’m at my wits’ end trying to come up with a plan,” he said, discouraged.
Scarlett set her cup on the table. “What did you say?”
“I’m at my wits—”
‘No, before that,” she interrupted.
“I asked if Kassie or Dr. Meyers might help her with this,” he repeated.
Scarlett’s face lit up. She pulled out the phone Bear programmed for her and dialed Kassie’s number.
“Kassie Winters speaking,” she answered.
“It’s Scarlett. Can I come over and talk to you and Dr. Meyers? I have an idea,” she blurted out.
“I’m feeding the babies. Can you give me half an hour? I’ll call Dr. Meyers,” she offered.
“Perfect. I’ll see you then,” Scarlett said before replacing her phone on her hip.
“Can you gather the men?” she asked.
“Yeah? What do you want us to do?” he asked, surprised by her abrupt actions.
“First, I need you to take me to the hospital. Then, I want the guys to meet us here. Call Ty and ask him to bring the team lunch and include the wives around 1300. Tell him no staff, only him. Ask Leo if we can bring Hannah here.”
“Only employees can enter the facility without permission. I can ask him if we can meet outside in the dog play area with the picnic area,” Cole said as he stood, chugging down the rest of the water.
Scarlett rose and reached out, feeling his arm, and then punched him hard. “Stop acting like a ninny. We have work to do. Do you want to help Hannah or not?”
“Yeah. Of course,” he argued. “What do you have planned?”
“Come on, I have to ask Kassie and Dr. Meyers first. I’ll call you as soon as I get their permission. In the meantime, call Ty and tell him I said pretty please and I’ll ask our horse, Hank, to take us to the lake,” she said, taking her cup to the dishwasher and starting down the hall.
“I don’t understand what a horse going to the lake has to do with Hannah,” he grumbled.
Scarlett rolled her eyes and muttered, “Men.”
He escorted her to his truck and then settled Brody and Ice.
Cole didn’t know what Scarlett planned, but he hoped with all his might she found a key to unlock Hannah’s prison.
He spent the night going over every scenario in his head, and they all ended in disaster.
Without speaking, Hannah won over his heart and he desperately wanted to release hers and see where it led.