Chapter Thirty-Six
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
THE HARSH LIGHT pierced through my closed eyelids, drawing awareness to the aches and heaviness settling over every part of me. Pain pulsed in my face and stomach, a sharp reminder of what had happened, while a dull, deeper ache lingered.
Where was I?
Was I Safe ?
It seemed like a fragile concept, but the familiar hum of voices nearby suggested it might be real this time. A slow turn of my head revealed him sitting there.
Bolt.
In the chair beside the bed, his face was taut with worry, but his eyes softened the moment he noticed movement. Leaning forward, he brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “You’re finally awake.”
The reality of the clubhouse—of being here, not there —slowly sank in, but memories of James flooded back, cold and relentless. Boots, the hotel, James, his hands... No, that was over now. This was the clubhouse. Familiar. Safe.
“Bolt...” The sound came out as a rasp, each syllable weighed down by a throat dry from silence. He reached over to the bedside table, passing a glass of water and helping lift it to my lips. The coolness soothed my throat, grounding me, his warm fingers steady against mine. “Take it easy,” he murmured. “You’re goin’ to be okay.”
The words should have dissolved the fear clinging to every thought, yet the memories refused to loosen their grip, their shadows lurking just behind my eyes.
“Where...?” The question was barely out when Bolt’s jaw tightened.
“He’s gone,” he said firmly, his gaze unyielding. “He won’t ever hurt you again.”
The certainty in his voice should have been enough, but doubt lingered. Something inside felt fractured, too worn to believe in anything lasting, as though shattered pieces had yet to find their way back.
“Look at me,” he said softly, his voice drawing me from the shadows. The intensity in his gaze was almost too much, pulling out feelings too raw to hide. “You’re safe now. He’s gone for good.”
A shaky nod was all that could manage, but the tears that spilled spoke the rest—relief, yes, but pain and fear, too, tangled in a knot that wouldn’t easily come undone.
“I... thought...” The words broke, a sob slipping free before it could be stopped. “Thought it was too late.”
His face twisted, a mixture of regret and something darker. His fingers tightened around mine, anchoring me. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I should’ve... I should’ve found you sooner—”
“No.” The word left in a rush, weak but firm. “You saved me.”
His thumb traced gentle circles over the back of my hand, as if convincing himself that I was really here. Guilt hovered in the air between us, thick and unspoken, but no blame existed in this heart. Bolt had done everything he could. I was the one who had strayed into danger by wandering into the woods.
A soft creak signaled the door opening, and Brenda stepped in, her gaze warming at the sight of me awake. “Good to see you back with us, sweetheart,” she said. “The doc will be by soon to check on you, but for now, rest. We’ll take good care of you.”
A small nod of gratitude was all the thanks I could muster, though her presence was comforting. She slipped out, leaving Bolt and me alone again in the heavy, unspoken silence.
“Bolt.” His name escaped in a whisper, my hand tightening in his. “I won’t be afraid as long as I have you.”
He leaned closer, his gaze capturing mine in a way that dissolved the space between us. “I’ll always be here,” he said, a soft promise. “You’ve got me, your dad, and the club. We’re all here.”
The quiet strength in his voice, the solid warmth of his hand in mine, felt like a lifeline, pulling me from the edges of dark memories, grounding me in something real.
Was it finally over?
With eyes closed, I leaned into his touch, the steady weight of him beside me.