Chapter 19
Cora felt like complete shit.
She hadn’t felt like this since one night in her early twenties when she’d gone to a bar, feeling sorry for herself, and drank way too much.
She had no recollection of how she’d gotten home, but when she’d woken the next morning, she’d had a hangover from hell.
It had taken her almost two days to recover from her night of binge drinking, and she’d sworn she’d never do that again.
And yet, here she was. Feeling just as nauseous and out of sorts as she had back then.
But she didn’t remember going out. Or drinking anything.
Then in a flash, her memory returned.
Lara. Coming to Arizona. Making love to Pipe.
The house. Creepy Guy. The locked door. Feeling dizzy and confused and then…nothing.
Cora opened her eyes and stared up at a dated popcorn ceiling. She curled her lip. Here she was in a freaking mansion, and they had old, nasty popcorn ceilings? It was ridiculous.
She slowly sat up and looked around.
To her immense relief, she saw Pipe lying to her right. Then she panicked when she couldn’t see his chest moving, only for relief to swamp her again when she finally realized he was breathing. The quick seesaw of emotions made her even dizzier.
Looking to her other side, she saw Owl lying in much the same condition. They were on a concrete floor, and she shivered as she realized how cold it was.
As her gaze went around the room, Cora decided they were likely in a basement. There were windows, but they were tiny and at the very top of the walls. The room wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t a cell either. There was a door on the wall opposite her, and a bathroom—without a door—on the far right.
Moving slowly because every muscle seemed to hurt, Cora crawled over to where Pipe was lying.
She put her hand on his chest to double check that he really was breathing.
When his chest rose and fell, she sighed in relief.
He looked different like this, unconscious and vulnerable.
Cora didn’t like it. He’d done all he could to protect her when they were locked in that room, but even her badass special forces soldier couldn’t protect her from an unseen enemy like poisonous gas.
Honestly, she was completely shocked they were alive right now. Anything could’ve happened while they were unconscious, or the gas itself could’ve killed them. In fact…why were they moved at all? If Creepy Guy was going to kill them, did it really matter where he did the deed?
Looking around the room again, she spotted something she hadn’t before, several feet away from Pipe.
A drain in the floor.
Her entire body shuddered when she considered its purpose. And it answered the question of why CG had bothered to move them.
No. They weren’t dying today.
She vowed to do whatever was necessary to protect Pipe while he was unable to help himself, even as she suspected it was probably a stupid thought.
What could she do? She was a fairly short, chunky, not-very-educated chick.
But then again, hadn’t people told her all her life she should probably be a drug addict or homeless by now?
She was neither of those things. She was hardworking, resourceful, stubborn.
Her resolve strengthened. She wasn’t helpless, and no way was she going to let an asshole like Ridge Michaels harm her or Pipe.
A quiet noise startled Cora so badly, she jerked, then spun so fast the room swirled for a moment.
She blinked when she focused on the object behind her.
A bed. Since she was on the floor, she couldn’t see who or what was on top, if anything.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. If Ridge thought he was going to use that bed to do anything sexual to her, he’d find out she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Moving slowly and as quietly as she could, Cora stood. Trepidation filled her as she stared at a lump under the covers. She must’ve made a sound, because the lump suddenly moved. Whoever was there turned their head, dislodging the covers, which had been pulled up over their face.
Cora blinked, not believing what she was seeing.
Then she made a strangled noise in the back of her throat and leapt toward the bed.
“Lara!” she practically yelled.
Her friend languished on the mattress. Her blonde hair was limp on the thin pillow. She had a vacant look in her eyes, but it was Lara. Alive.
Tears sprang to Cora’s eyes. They’d found her. She never would’ve admitted it out loud, but Cora was beginning to doubt that she’d ever see her best friend again. She’d never get to talk with her, laugh, enjoy dinner together. But here she was. Alive.
“Lara!” she said again, as she sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled the blanket back.
Her friend didn’t say anything. Didn’t move. Simply continued to stare blankly as if she didn’t even see Cora sitting there.
Cora heard Pipe and Owl beginning to stir on the floor, but she couldn’t take her eyes from her best friend. Tears welled up and ran unchecked down her cheeks. What was wrong with her? Why wasn’t she responding?
She put her hand on Lara’s shoulder and shook her gently, but Lara’s eyes still didn’t focus.
“Oh my God, what’d he do to you?” Cora whispered when she noticed Lara’s body for the first time.
She was wearing a spaghetti-strap nightgown that Cora had never seen before.
It looked odd on her friend, because Lara hated anything with lace.
Found it too scratchy. She always slept in an oversized T-shirt.
This nightgown had lace around the entire neckline, which was so low her boobs were on clear display.
But it was the bruises that had most of Cora’s attention.
They were everywhere. Around her neck. On her upper arms. What she could see of her chest was covered in bruises. Whatever had happened, it had been bad.
But the worst part was that the bruises were all different colors, obviously in various stages of healing. She hadn’t been abused once, but many times. Over and over again.
Cora’s heart shattered. She wanted to scream. Wanted to kill Ridge for doing this to her friend.
And just like that, the tears stopped. Sorrow disappeared, and anger took its place. Cora had never been so angry in her life. Not when she was a kid and had faced rejection after rejection. Not when she was bullied. Not when she was fired unfairly because she’d rebuffed her boss’s advances.
Lara didn’t deserve what had happened to her. No one did, but especially not Lara. She was the kind of woman who always gave people the benefit of the doubt. She gave her trust willingly. She had the kindest soul Cora had ever met. She was untainted.
Cora knew without a doubt that whatever had happened here would change her friend forever. And it filled her with absolute rage.
“Cora?”
She wiped her cheeks with her shoulder before turning to see Pipe standing next to her. Owl was sitting up, obviously trying to get his bearings.
“Are you all right?” Pipe asked.
Cora shook her head, but said, “Yeah.” She couldn’t deal with the concern and sorrow she saw in his eyes. “Something’s wrong with her,” she said, looking back at her friend.
It was Owl who said, “Scoot back, let me look at her.”
Without a thought to ask him if he had any medical training, Cora stood and stepped away from the bed, not taking her gaze from Lara. She felt Pipe’s arm go around her waist, but she suddenly felt oddly detached, as if she was floating, watching what was happening from above.
Owl leaned down and held his fingers at Lara’s throat, taking her pulse. Her eyes had closed, and he lifted each eyelid one at a time to check her pupils. He gently palpated her hands, arms, then eased the blanket down so he could get to her stomach.
Her nightgown had been rucked up, and they all saw she was completely naked beneath the flimsy garment. Owl moved quickly, pulling the nightgown down, preserving her modesty as best he could—but not before they’d all seen the bruises on her belly and inner thighs.
Not to mention the dry, crusted…stuff…on her body.
Cora’s fists clenched. Anger swept over her again so fast and hard, it was all she could do to keep breathing.
“Easy, love,” Pipe murmured.
Needing to strike out, to try to dispel the fury coursing through her veins, Cora turned on him. “Easy?” she practically shrieked. “Did you see that?” she asked, flinging an arm back to where Lara lay on the bed.
“Yes,” Pipe said, sounding too calm.
“She was violated! Someone jacked off on her! They hurt her! Those are finger marks on her thighs. On her throat! Someone beat my friend. She doesn’t deserve this!” She was yelling now, shoving Pipe in the chest to punctuate her words.
He wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled her against him roughly.
Cora let out an umph as she landed on his chest. Pipe wrapped his arms around her so tightly, she could hardly breathe.
But it worked. As suddenly as her anger had welled up, it disappeared.
She was left feeling hollow. She buried her face in his chest as the tears flowed again.
“He hurt her. Lara. She’s the kindest, gentlest person I know… and he hurt her!”
“I know. And he’s gonna pay for that. I give you my word.”
Cora pushed the tears back. She didn’t have time to cry. Not now. Later, maybe…probably…but for now, she needed to keep herself together.
“She doesn’t have any broken bones,” Owl said. Cora turned in Pipe’s embrace to face the other man. “From the way her pupils are dilated, and given she’s so out of it, I’d say she’s been drugged.”
“Will she be okay?” It was a stupid question. Owl wasn’t a doctor, even if he did seem to have some medical training.
But he answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
The word was firm and determined, and hearing it made Cora feel a hundred pounds lighter. “Okay, can I…can I clean her?” she asked.