Fire spreads through my veins. I’m ready to slam my fist into the wall. I don’t know where this fucking bastard is, but I will find him. I will kill him, and if by some grace of God he is already dead, I will drag his psychotic ass from his grave and kill him again. I will dream of decimating him and dancing in his ashes for laying a single finger on my girl.

I can’t. I fucking can’t. I can’t stand to be separated from her in this moment. I need her in my arms. My body is coiled so tightly when the first tear falls from her eyes. I almost jump up to grab her, but I hold back. “Savannah,” I say roughly. She looks at me, tears streaking down her face. My heart breaks, seeing her pain as she relives these memories. If I had known, maybe I wouldn’t have pushed so hard. But, I also need to know, so I can hunt him down. I need to know the pains she suffers, so I can help her to heal.

“Baby, I have to hold you. I—I need to know you’re safe. I need to feel you in my arms.”

She sucks in a breath, a sob breaking free, but she launches herself into my arms. I hold her tight, kissing the top of her head, whispering anything I can think of to comfort this gorgeous girl that I am lucky enough to hold, that I will keep holding onto. There’s no fucking way I will ever let her go. That’s it. I’m done. She’s the one. It doesn’t matter how many nights turn to days, I will sit here with my girl in my arms and listen.

I drag our bodies up the bed, so we’re resting against the headboard.

“I have to keep going,” she whispers.

“I know,” I tell her, kissing the top of her head again. I don’t want her to have to keep reliving this, but she needs to let out each piece, and I need to know every detail of Savannah.

She sniffles a few times before beginning again. “When I woke up, I really didn’t remember anything that happened. My head hurt really bad. I started screaming for help, scared out of my mind. When Aiden ran through the door of the room he was keeping me in, I felt relief. I thought he somehow found me and was there to save me. He kept asking if I was okay and looking at my wrists and ankles in the restraints. I asked and asked and asked for him to break me out of there. It didn’t click until he sat back and told me he couldn’t do that.”

She sniffles a few more times, her tears falling onto my bare chest. I feel utterly useless. I tighten my arms around her, holding her more securely, wiping away her tears with my thumbs. “I was so scared and confused, Liam. I stared at him for what felt like hours, trying to understand. My memory slowly started to come back. He knew me, Liam, and he used that against me. I think that’s why it’s so hard to let you—or anyone—in. He fucking knew everything about my family and me. He knew my parents were out of town, he knew I wouldn’t tell anyone right away.”

“How long were you gone before someone reported you missing?”

“How can you report a missing person if you don’t know they’re missing?” Savannah states without missing a beat. It takes a moment to register what she is saying. There’s no anger or sadness in her voice. I search her tone and words for any sign of resentment.

My muscles are twitching from holding her so tightly and holding in so much hostility toward this asshole. “No one reported you missing?” I ask incredulously.

“They didn’t know. I don’t think my parents ever forgave themselves. He had my phone. He would text them updates about our ‘trip,’” she says, adding in the finger quotations. “I didn’t know all of this until later. I thought they would be looking for me. They were coming home the next day. I thought help was coming.”

Savannah takes more deep breaths. I’m collecting every damn morsel she drops like a starving man, and my only saving grace is her words, her story, her heart. “I’m here, Savannah. Take as much time as you need.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t get it. If I stop, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get to this point again. I have to keep going.”

Her bravery and tenacity leave me in awe.

She continues. “At first, he didn’t do anything to me except try to convince me that I loved him and we belong together. He told me that as soon as I realize I loved him, he’d set me free. My first breakout attempt was when that all changed. I convinced him to take off the cuffs, so I could use the restroom and shower. Before that, I could only use the restroom with my cuffs attached to a weight, something so heavy I could barely move with it. He watched me use the restroom, and he started stroking himself as I got undressed.” She pauses, more tears falling. I bring her face up to look at mine, but her eyes are glassy and far away. She’s in whatever hellhole he kept her in. My gut is flipping over on itself.

“I yanked down the pole holding the shower curtain and hit him over the head.”

I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. My little fighter. Pride surges through my chest, thinking the worst is over until I remember she said it was her first escape attempt. Dread fills my stomach when she opens her mouth, knowing everything she just told me is the easy stuff. The worst is yet to come.