Haley

I woke with a start, the desperate reality of my situation sinking in as I blinked against the harsh light shining overhead. Beyond exhausted, I adjusted my awkward position against the wall, grateful to realize my shoulder was practically numb from the pain. If only the rest of me would follow; I would give almost anything to dull the fear and hopelessness engulfing me.

How long have I been out? I glanced at my wrist, rubbed raw from the rope digging into my skin, and discovered my watch was busted. Stupidly, that realization was the one that did me in. My only remaining connection to the outside world was shattered, and so was I. I could no longer face these circumstances . . . didn’t even want to try.

Closing my eyes, I begged for sleep to take me once more. I drifted in and out of consciousness, never quite attaining the sweet relief I so fervently desired.

When I eventually heard noises outside the door, I could barely rouse myself, too weak to care. Besides, if I looked as pathetic as I felt, perhaps the guards would be lenient with me. Images of how they could punish, even torture, me flashed through my mind as the sound of the metal lock sliding caught my attention.

The door swung open, and my heart leapt to my throat when a tall figure appeared. He was dressed in all black and bore a striking resemblance to . . . Jackson? I shook my head, certain my mind had to be playing tricks on me. Either that, or I was dreaming. If that was the case, I never wanted to wake up.

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to bear the possibility that I was imagining his presence.

“Haley? Can you hear me?”

Warm skin swept across my cheeks, soothing me. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself gazing into endless blue depths swimming with unshed tears.

“Jax?”

“It’s me, beautiful.” His thumbs stroked my cheeks again, catching one of my tears. “I’m so happy to see you,” he said, his voice cracking.

“Please be real,” I whispered as much to myself as to him.

“I’m real, and this nightmare is over.” His expression morphed from soft to fierce in a blink. “I swear it.”

“Oh, thank god,” I exhaled, suddenly more alert. “I thought I’d never see any of you again, and I’m . . . I’m so, so sorry for pushing you away.” My voice wavered as a bolt of pain sliced through my shoulder.

“Tell me where you’re hurt.”

“My left shoulder,” I gasped out. “Something’s broken.”

He gently lifted my shirt away from my shoulder and nodded. “Looks like the collarbone.” Turning his head, he called over his shoulder, “We need water and pain meds.”

I saw a blur of black run out the door but couldn’t tell who it was.

Jackson sat back on his haunches and withdrew a pocket knife from his cargo pants. “Let’s get this rope off.”

“The guards?” I asked as he made quick work of my restraints. The relief was almost instant when I was finally able support my left arm with my right, holding it close to my body.

“They’ve been taken care of. Any other injuries?”

“Minor cuts on my feet and bumps and bruises, but nothing major.”

He checked my feet and frowned. “It’s probably best to wait and let a doctor clean and treat them properly.”

“Carmen and the other women?”

Jackson shook his head but smiled. “I can’t get you to focus on yourself for even two minutes, can I?”

“I’ll be fine.” Truer words had never been spoken. This temporary pain was nothing after what I’d been through. Just seeing Jackson again was enough to fill me with a kind of euphoric relief. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight.

“Carmen and the others are all great, thanks to you.”

“I did what I had to.”

He leaned forward and kissed me softly. “No, what you did was extraordinary.”

“Haley! Haley!”

At the sound of my name being shouted from down the hall, I looked toward the open doorway and waited. A few seconds later, Theo raced into the room, face flushed and eyes wild. When they met mine, he swung out an arm, bracing himself against the wall. “Thank Zeus you’re all right.”

“Hi, Theodore.” I finally felt a full smile cross my face. “Where’s the fire?”

“How can you joke at a time like this?”

“Would you rather I cry? Because that can be arranged.” My emotions were so fragile, I was seconds away from bursting into tears, anyway.

He pushed away from the wall and strode toward me, but Jackson stood and put a hand to Theo’s chest, halting his progress. “She has a broken collarbone. Be gentle with her.”

“I’m going to kill those mothersmuckers.”

“Get in line.”

Theo approached slowly and sat down next to me on the mattress. “You scared me, cupcake.”

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional, I assure you.”

He nodded, but I detected a hint of sadness and possibly even guilt in his expression. It wasn’t a surprise—even I had assumed at least some of the guys would believe I’d run away again. It was a natural reaction to my disappearance, especially for Theo.

Leaning over just enough to reach his cheek, I kissed a cluster of freckles. “I don’t blame you if you thought otherwise, but you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better not.”

“I’ve got pain meds,” Chase said as he ran into the room with a first aid kit and bottle of water. He must have been the one Jackson called to before.

“Broken collarbone,” Jackson told him simply, and Chase nodded before kneeling in front of me.

He opened the kit and poured two pills onto his palm, the slight shake in his hands the only evidence that he was rattled. “Open up,” he said with a grin.

Feeling like a child, I opened wide and allowed him to set the capsules on my tongue. He held the water to my lips, and I drank deeply, grateful for the hydration.

“Thank you.”

His smile widened, and I felt an overwhelming urge to kiss his dimple. “You’re welcome. Ready to get out of here?”

“So ready.”

“She has cuts on her feet,” Jackson said, his tone warning.

“Should we call an ambulance?” Chase asked. “We don’t have a stretcher, and I don’t want to risk hurting her shoulder more by carrying her.”

“I can walk,” I insisted. “My feet aren’t that bad, and I’d rather stay with you than get in an ambulance.” And I need to see Liam and Knox. They had to be close.

All three of the guys studied me, looking uncertain. Eventually, Jackson nodded. “Okay. I’ll see if I can find some shoes for you.”

While he was gone, Chase and Theo slowly and gingerly lifted me to my feet. I wanted to scold them for treating me like I was so breakable, but the effort it took to stand zapped all of my energy.

Jackson returned with a pair of men’s flip flops and a frown. “I’m sorry, but these were all I could find. I have no idea what they did with your shoes.”

“They’ll be fine.” I slipped them on and shuffled toward the door. Theo remained on my right side, his arm wrapped securely around my waist. I leaned into him, letting him support part of my weight. It felt incredible to have him so close, his warmth and solid body a physical reminder that I wasn’t alone anymore. I was on my way home.

“I’ll pull the SUV up to the front door,” Chase said, jogging out of the room. I almost called for him to come back, but I knew it was a foolish reaction. He wasn’t leaving me. At most, we would be separated for mere minutes.

When we stepped out the front door, I paused to inhale the fresh air. Unlike when I’d crossed that threshold hours before, my freedom was now absolute. I would never have to return to that tiny room and dirty mattress. I wouldn’t carry the burden of helping Carmen and the others escape from an unthinkable fate. I wouldn’t be forced to degrade myself in front of men who only wanted to use me. I wouldn’t have to imagine a life without the guys.

The gravity of the situation suddenly hit me, and I slumped against Theo.

“Haley? What’s wrong?”

I shook my head, not ready to face what I’d been through and what I’d miraculously eluded. “Nothing. I’m just really happy to be out of there.”

He squeezed my hip. “Me too.”

Knox appeared from around the corner, a cell phone to his ear. When he caught sight of us, he hung up and strode toward me. In unison, Theo and Jackson said, “broken collarbone,” but Knox didn’t falter; he didn’t stop until only a few inches separated us. While Theo continued supporting me, Knox cradled my jaw and touched his lips to mine in a whisper of a kiss.

He closed his eyes and murmured, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I never should have allowed this to happen.”

“It’s not your fault. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

He sighed but didn’t argue. “Do you need anything before you leave for the hospital?”

“You’re not coming with me?” Where was this neediness coming from? It was like I physically repelled the idea of being separated from any of the guys for even a moment.

Jackson responded instead. “Liam and Chase will take you, but I need Knox and Theo to stay here and help me wrap things up.”

“Okay, yeah, of course.”

Knox stepped aside so Jackson could place a soft kiss on my forehead before heading back to the house. “I’ll relieve Liam. Knox and Theo, meet me inside when you’re done.”

Did that mean Liam was with the guards? The idea made me anxious, but I had no doubt the guards had been restrained, so there was no reason to worry. Still, I would feel better once I finally saw him with my own eyes.

Chase pulled up in what I recognized as Patrick’s Mercedes SUV and hopped out. “Sorry that took so long. We parked it a half-mile down the road.”

He opened the back door for me, and I looked at him, not understanding. “The back?”

“Yeah, I assumed Liam would want to sit with you.”

That made sense . . . and was thoughtful. “Oh, thank you.”

Chase helped me into the backseat and carefully fastened my seatbelt. I finally relaxed when Liam walked out of the house, looking handsome and unharmed. He spoke to Chase for a few moments before rounding the front of the SUV and climbing in next to me.

He slid across the seat and seemed to struggle with what to do with his hands. Eventually, he settled on placing one on my thigh and the other on my good shoulder, his thumb tracing my neck.

Shadowed gray eyes met mine, and he inhaled then slowly exhaled before speaking. “Haley, I love you. I should have said it before. I’ve regretted not telling you every second you’ve been gone. The thought that maybe you didn’t know how I feel . . . it’s been crushing me. You not only bring out the best in me, you are the best of me. I love you completely.”

My eyes filled with tears again, but this time, they had nothing to do with the pain or even relief. The only thing I could feel was joy and an abundance of love for the man pouring out his heart to me. “I love you too. So much.”

He sucked in a breath and continued watching me, like he couldn’t believe I’d spoken the words aloud.

“I love you, Liam Carlyle,” I repeated, smiling through the tears that were now falling.

That seemed to pierce through his daze, and his resulting smile lit up the dark, somehow stitching together every broken piece of me. While I’d known everything would be okay when I’d heard Jackson’s voice, this was the first moment I truly believed it. Liam, Jackson, Theo, Chase, and Knox were there for me, and they always would be.

* * *

“Haley, sweetie, wake up.”

A sense of déjà vu washed over me as I blinked my eyes open. But instead of finding Jackson leaning over me, Chase was there.

“Sorry for waking you, but I wanted to give you more pain medication before your earlier dose wears off.”

“Thanks.” I carefully sat up and took the pill and glass of water. “What time is it?”

“Almost four in the afternoon.”

“Oh, wow. I slept longer than I expected.”

We’d made it home from the hospital around nine o’clock this morning. With Chase’s help, I’d taken a desperately-needed shower and eaten a large breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and fruit that Liam prepared. Knox, Theo, and Jackson hadn’t made it back yet, so I’d decided to take a nap, insisting that Liam stay with me until I fell asleep.

“You needed the rest.” He pushed my hair off my good shoulder and kissed me lightly. “Your father is here. Are you up to seeing him?”

“He is? Yes, of course.”

I looked down at my sling then the slip nightgown Chase had helped me into after my shower. “Can you, um, help me put on something presentable?”

He chuckled. “I will happily help you get dressed and undressed twenty times a day, if that’s what it takes.”

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

Chase patiently helped me into a pair of sweats, a tank, and a thick zip hoodie. Once my sling was back in place, I excused myself to use the restroom, thankful I could at least take care of business on my own. My recovery would be exponentially more humiliating if I needed help with that.

As I reached for my lip gloss, I noticed my packet of birth control pills and froze. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I’d missed taking the pill every day I’d been gone. I tore off the detailed instructions and skimmed them until I found the pertinent section. Apparently, I could take the pills I’d missed and continue on like usual tomorrow. I’d have to use a backup form of birth control for the next week, but I didn’t think it would be an issue. None of the guys were likely to try anything for at least a few weeks, which was disappointing, now that I thought about it. Maybe I could wear at least one of them down.

Expecting all of the guys to be lingering in the living area, I was surprised to be met with silence as I made my way down the hall. My dad was pacing in front of the windows but turned around as I shuffled into the room. Just like the other two times I’d seen him since our separation began, I was overwhelmed by his mere presence. Things were so different now, but in some ways, I was still his little girl.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Haley, thank god you’re all right,” he said, crossing the room to meet me. He placed a kiss on my forehead before stepping away, clearly hesitant to attempt a hug. “You scared at least a decade off my life.”

“Is that why I see so much silver in your hair?”

“Yes. It’s all your fault.”

“I’m sorry,” I said earnestly. “I wish the guys hadn’t told you until after I was rescued.”

While we were at the hospital, I had drilled Liam for information about everything that happened during my captivity. He’d been resistant to revealing much until after I rested, but he mentioned that my dad had been staying at Patrick’s almost the entire time I was gone. He also said that Dad hadn’t come to the hospital because he was busy helping Kara with Carmen and the other women, something I needed to know more about.

“First of all, they absolutely shouldn’t have waited, because you’re my daughter and I deserved to know. Secondly, my surveillance on DuBois helped give them their first real lead.”

“I didn’t know that.” My head was spinning with all the things I didn’t know. “Wait, what surveillance on DuBois?”

“Let’s talk about that later. Come sit down. Do you want me to get you anything?”

“No, I’m fine. Where is everybody?”

“They went to pick up dinner.”

“All of them?” Did it take all five of my boyfriends to pick up takeout these days? Maybe if they’re picking up Five Guys burgers, I thought, inwardly groaning at my bad joke. At least I was feeling well enough to make jokes . . . to myself.

“I think they wanted to give us a few minutes alone.”

“Okay.” I reclined against the corner of the couch and propped up my legs.

Dad sat in a chair across from me and sipped from a mug of coffee. “How are you feeling? I was going to meet you at the hospital, but Jackson assured me you were okay, and I didn’t want to overwhelm you by storming in.”

“It’s fine, and I don’t feel too bad. Just sore.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“I have to wear the sling for four to eight weeks. I can’t lift anything with my left hand. Physical therapy is suggested but not required. That’s about it.”

“And emotionally?” His hands clenched against the arms of the chair. “If there’s anything you need to talk about, I’m here for you.”

“It hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but there’s nothing in particular I need to discuss. Not like you’re suggesting. It was scary, but most of the time I was just locked in a room with Carmen.” At some point, I would talk about the photo shoot, but not now, and not with my dad.

He seemed to relax somewhat. “Okay, but please know that I’m here.”

“Right now, I want to hear about Carmen and the other women. Liam said that you helped Kara get them to safety?”

“Yes, when the call came in from Carmen, your guys immediately started trying to pinpoint your location based on the information she reported. Kara was at Patrick’s, so he had her assemble a team to retrieve the women from the gas station they stopped at and take them to a Zenith safe house. I volunteered to help so she wouldn’t have to wait for her team to arrive.”

I noticed the way he’d said your guys but didn’t comment. That was a conversation for another day. “I’m glad you went with her. Thank you.”

“I like Kara. She’s spunky.”

I laughed. “That she is. I need to call her. She’s probably pissed I haven’t been in touch yet.”

“She was worried about you. Everyone was.” There was a thoughtfulness to his tone that made me pause. Did he suspect anything about my relationships with the guys? Or had he merely noticed that they were all exceedingly protective? It would have been impossible to miss while they were in search and rescue mode.

“So, the women are all fine? They’re being taken care of?”

“Yes. You know Zenith—they’ll probably get the best care of their entire lives.”

“True.”

Dad moved so that he was sitting on the coffee table right in front of me. “Haley, I need you to know that I’m proud of you. Carmen told me what you did, all of it, and you were so incredibly brave. I’ve always known you were meant for more than the life I’d given you, but this proves it in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”

“Dad, no—”

He held up a hand. “Let me finish. Now, I would prefer that you not go and get yourself kidnapped again, but apart from that, I’m pleased with what you’ve built here. You’ve surrounded yourself with people who not only care about you but who also care about injustice. This place, your role at Zenith, these people . . . it all suits you. No matter what happens from here on out, I want you to know that.”

Damn it. I was not going to allow myself to tear up yet again. “Dad, you’re the one who taught me to be brave. You sacrificed so much to keep me safe for all those years, and everything I am now is because of you.”

He reached for my right hand and looked down at my mother’s ring. I’d put it on after my shower, thankful I hadn’t worn it the day I was taken.

“I just wish she was here to see the woman you’ve become.”

“Me too.” I wish it every day.