Chapter Twenty-Two
Beckham was gone when she woke up. The indentation where he had slept was still visible. Evidence that their perfect night had really happened.
There was other evidence, too. Like the groan when she tried to stand.
The pain as she hobbled across the room to the shower.
Her lower half was tender. They’d definitely gone harder than she’d thought.
The bruises on her skin were a road map of their pleasure.
She traced them across her hips, thighs, and ass.
She liked them. It was proof this life was real.
Perhaps next time she wouldn’t need such a powerful reminder, but it wasn’t as if she hadn’t wanted it.
She’d begged for it—and she’d do it again.
Her only regret was that in the heat of their evening she’d never gotten around to asking Beckham about Laura’s wedding dress. She’d had it on her to-do list, and then it had just slipped her mind, like most things did when they were together. She’d make it a priority for next time.
Reyna spent the rest of the day in bed, savoring the lingering smell of Beckham on her sheets. Her stomach was grumbling so ferociously by dinner, though, that she finally had to change and go downstairs. She was too hungry to care how she looked.
She was heading toward the door when a knock rang out through the room. “Come in,” she called.
Jodie poked her head in. “Where have you been all day?”
“I haven’t been feeling great.” Not entirely a lie.
“I brought you some dinner,” she said, holding up a bag.
“You’re amazing.”
Jodie shut the door and wandered into the room. Reyna took the bag from her and eased her way back to the bed.
“Why are you hobbling like an old lady?”
“I told you, I don’t feel well.”
“Uh-huh,” Jodie said, unconvinced. “Explain these symptoms.”
Reyna’s cheeks heated. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh man, please tell me that you got fucked so good you’re waddling. You look like you’ve been riding a horse.”
“Jodie!”
“Come on. Tell me you got some.”
“Fine,” Reyna said. She pulled herself together and picked at the sandwich and water Jodie had brought her. “I had sex last night.”
“So…vamp, huh? What’s it like? Did you let him bite you?” When she just looked up at her in exasperation, Jodie continued. “Girl talk, Reyna. Give me the goods. I was locked up for ten years. I need this.”
“Ten years is a long time,” Reyna said slowly.
“Yeah. Yeah. And I have a lot of lost time to make up for. So spill.”
“It’s amazing. And he didn’t bite me. He didn’t want to lose control.”
“I heard it makes it ten times as intense.”
“Well, last time, it got out of hand. That’s… Well, afterward, I ran out, and then I got kidnapped and taken to Visage.”
“Damn. Was it better with the bite?”
Reyna considered. “Different. It was already the best sex of my life. Like he understood exactly what I needed and then took it. When I had the bite, it was a complete loss of control. It took over and heightened everything. I’d take either as long as I have him.”
“Well, sign me up,” Jodie said with a laugh. “Where do I find my own vampire boyfriend?”
Reyna shook her head. “You’re outrageous.”
“Sounds right.”
“Did I miss anything today while I was gone?”
“Nah,” Jodie said, slouching back into a chair. “Laura has been out of commission, too. Meghan disappeared early this morning. I’ll tell you…I’d really like my own room sometime soon so I don’t have to hear her come and go.”
“Yeah. I think most people are bunking up. I’m surprised I don’t have to share.”
Jodie rolled her eyes. “With vampire boyfriend on your side? Puh-lease.”
Reyna laughed. “Vampire boyfriend. I love that.”
A knock came at the door. “Come in,” Reyna called.
Meghan stuck her head in the doorway. “Hey. Just the people I was looking for.” She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.
“I talked with Reyna the other day, and I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation.
And I want to help you. Both of you. I know what you went through was horrible, but we are not Visage.
We want you to be happy. We would love to help you find anyone if you have people you want to bring in. Do you have someone we could look for?”
Jodie shot a look at Reyna, who held up her hands in surrender. She’d asked Meghan to look into it, but she hadn’t given out Jodie’s private details. Still, it was important for Jodie to open up just as much as it was for Reyna.
“You want to help me?” Jodie asked.
“Yes,” Meghan said. “I do.”
Jodie glanced down into her lap, where she threaded her fingers together. “Then why did you never come for me? Why did you leave me in there for ten years?”
Reyna could feel something slice open in Jodie. Could see her heart rip and spill all her inner turmoil onto the floor. The abandonment, the years of captivity, the hopelessness. It all came tumbling out.
Meghan’s eyes welled with tears. “Ten years?”
“You saved Reyna after eight weeks but left me forever. Left all those other kids. How could you do that?”
“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I didn’t know, Jodie.”
“No one knew?” Jodie asked.
“I don’t know, but I personally didn’t know.
I didn’t have access to that information.
I had no idea that they had done this or that they had you or even that there were others like you.
I found out when we got you out. I would get everyone out of there if I could.
That is what we want long term. What we have always been fighting for. ”
Jodie looked skeptical. “You really didn’t know?”
“No. And if I had, I would have done something about it. We’re still building up to the resources we need to make a jailbreak of that caliber. But I don’t want anyone in there any more than you do, Jodie.”
Jodie deflated as all the righteous indignation she had been riding on dissolved. “I have a cousin, June Gardner. They took me from her.” Jodie looked up into Meghan’s face. “Can you help me find her?”
Meghan shot both of them a bright smile. “Of course. I would love to help you find your cousin. Why don’t we start now?”
“What’s the catch?” Jodie asked.
“There’s no catch, Jodie. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you we’re not Visage for it to sink in.”
“Probably a few more.”
“Come on. With a name, maybe Tony in tech can point us in the right direction.”
Jodie’s gaze shot between Reyna and Meghan uncertainly. “Reyna, do you want to come?”
Reyna’s smile was bright as she said, “If you don’t mind me hobbling around?”
Jodie snorted. “I don’t mind.”
“Why are you hobbling around? Are you injured?” Meghan asked.
“You could say that,” Reyna muttered.
“Why didn’t you come to medical?”
Jodie choked on her laugh. “She’s been fucked properly.”
Meghan held her hands up. “Oh dear God, I don’t even want to know.”
Reyna carefully got out of bed and limped behind Meghan and Jodie. The idea of finding June had clearly already brightened up Jodie. She seemed more relaxed and less wary. If they could help her, maybe they could help everyone who had been stuck in Visage.
And then, someday soon, she was going to make sure Harrington paid for what he had done.