Echo barrels through the door. Our eyes lock and emotion rushes to the surface. Air stutters in my bruised lungs, and I start to sob. Tears blur my vision. I flinch when he touches me, but he gently wraps me in his arms.
“It’s okay, sugar, you’re safe now,” he says, stroking my hair and peppering gentle kisses on my head. “I’m so sorry, Livvy. I’m so sorry.”
Shaking uncontrollably, I can’t stop crying. I hurt. My skin’s tight, purple bruises mottling everywhere I can see. My right eye is swollen shut, but I see him. Tremors rack his chest and silent tears track down his cheeks. I pull my head back from his chest and look at him properly. “Echo,” I cry.
He reaches out, stopping an inch before he touches my face. “Please,” I beg. Pain is etched across his features, but he cups my chin and leans in until his lips touch mine. It’s barely a kiss, but the sensation stings the broken skin, and I hiss with pain.
His beautiful face pales. “Fuck, I’m sorry, sugar.” He pulls away, but I stop him, grabbing hold of his shirt. He stills, and I snuggle in close to his chest. He settles cautiously back against the bed, and I nestle into his arms with his lips kissing my hair and forehead like he’s reassuring himself that I’m really here.
“I love you.” My voice sounds weak and small, but I need to say the words and for him to hear them.
His whole body relaxes, his arms tightening and holding me to him. “I love you so much, Livvy. I’m so fucking sorry.”
The door opens and a doctor walks in, followed by Darlene the nurse. “Olivia, I’m Dr Ericson. It’s nice to see you awake. How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. I can’t open one eye, and I hurt, but I’m okay,” I say.
The doctor looks at Echo. “Sir, would you mind stepping out? I’d like to talk to Olivia in private.”
Echo starts to move, and panicked, I grab his shirt and shout, “No, I want him to stay.”
The doctor looks from me to him but eventually nods. “Okay, well, Olivia, you lost a lot of blood. We’ve stitched up your wounds, and hopefully, the scarring shouldn’t be too bad, but we have a great plastic surgeon on staff that is going to come take a look in the morning. You’ve been badly beaten, so you’re going to be in some pain, which we can help with. Your eye is very swollen, but in a day or two, that should reduce and you should be able to open it again. You’re showing no signs of internal bleeding, and all of the tests we’ve run have confirmed that.”
I nod and try to take in all of the information she’s giving me, but the pain starts to overwhelm me. “Olivia, when we examined you we found signs of sexual activity. We need to know if you were sexually assaulted. If you’d prefer to speak about this in private, that can be arranged,” the doctor says, her voice calm and emotionless.
I shake my head, feeling Echo holding his breath beneath me. “I don’t know. He hadn’t touched me. Like that. I think he was going to, but I got free and kicked him in the head. He punched me, and I don’t remember anything after that,” I say, my voice cracking.
“No, he didn’t rape her,” Echo says firmly.
“Echo, you don’t know that,” I say quietly.
“I do,” he says. “I saw you kick him. He knocked you unconscious just as I got there. He didn’t go near you again after that.” Relieved tears spill down my cheeks, and Echo kisses my head. “It’s okay, sugar, it’s okay. He’s never going to hurt you again.”
The doctor clears her throat, gaining our attention. “We’re going to give you something for the pain. We weren’t able to contact a next of kin, so would you like us to call anyone?”
I shake my head. “No, that’s okay. Echo’s here, and the rest of my family are back in the UK.”
Her head flips between me and Echo. “Olivia, because of the nature of your injuries, I can’t release you without someone to care for you,” she says sternly.
Echo tenses. “Doc, I’m gonna fucking take care of her.”
The doctor looks at Echo and then at me. “Olivia, is that what you want?”
I nod. “Yes. Echo will look after me.”
The doctor tips her chin in agreement, and turns to speak to Darlene for a moment before leaving.
The door closes, and I carefully sit up and turn to look at Echo. “What happened, how did I get here?” I ask.
His face blanches and a darkness filters across his eyes. “What do you remember?” he asks cautiously.
I close my eyes and Wyatt’s face is there. I quickly open them again, my heart racing and fear pulsing through me. Echo holds me closer. “Get some rest, sugar. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters,” he says, his hands running up and down my back lovingly.
I shudder, the images of my attack playing on repeat in my head. “Was he arrested?” I ask.
He shakes his head, reaching out to stroke my battered cheek. “He’s dead, sugar. Gus shot him.”
Overwhelmed with relief, I let a sob escape. “And what—what about Mimi? Is she dead too?” I ask as tears stream down my face.
Echo stills beneath me, tensing. “Mimi? What’s she got to do with this?”
I pull myself out of his arms and carefully twist to fully face him. “Mimi was there, Echo. She’s completely insane. They were working together.”
A few moments later, Darlene the nurse re-enters the room and injects something into the drip that’s attached to my hand. My pain recedes, and my eyes start to get heavy. I let my body succumb to the tiredness and fall asleep in Echo’s arms.
I see Wyatt every time I close my eyes, and flashbacks haunt my dreams. I fight them in my sleep, thrashing and punching, fighting with everything I’ve got.
I bolt awake. The room is dark.
Echo.
He’s sitting in a chair by the window, and my breathing begins to settle the moment I see him. He slowly rises and walks towards me, pulling me into his arms and settling back against the mattress.
His eyes are tortured, darkness shadowing his usual brightness. “I’m so sorry, Livvy.”
“Why?” I ask, confused.
I feel his chest sigh when he exhales. “This is all my fault,” he says, anger and pain so clear in his voice.
I try to sit up, but Echo’s arms tighten carefully around me, holding me in place. “How is any of this your fault? I got attacked by two deranged people who thought they were executioners sent from God. None of this is your fault.”
“No, Livvy. I should have protected you. You’re mine. I promised I’d look after you, and I failed. I let you down and you got hurt. Fuck, you could have been killed. I don’t deserve you. You should fucking hate me, Livvy. I’m so sorry.”
I shake my head vehemently. “The only people to blame are Wyatt and Mimi. You didn’t cause this, you and Gus saved me. Without you, God knows what would have happened. You have to stop blaming yourself.”
Both Echo and I fall silent, the darkness of the room surrounding us. Wrapped in his safe arms, I relax into Echo’s chest and sleep pulls me under again.