Page 42 of Rescuing Erin

I was so thankful when a faint grunt hit my ears.

“I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what I was apologizing for but I didn’t know what else to say.

I dipped a rag in the bucket of water and started to clean some of the blood off his face. There was so much of it I had to clean the cloth after every pass. It took several attempts to wash away all the red liquid before I could find the source of the flow. I put pressure on the largest gash, trying to stop the bleeding. His moans cut me to the quick. I was having a hard time even looking at his battered face. I was afraid to lift his shirt and see what wounds there needed care. The sight would be more than I could handle.

I felt his hand on mine, and his eyes opened into tiny slivers. “You’re doing great.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You are. I know this is hard. I’m proud of you.”

“Shhh. Don’t try and talk. You need to rest.”

His eyes closed, and I went back to rinsing out the blood-soaked rag. This was bad. Really bad. With Colin hurt, I didn’t stand a chance. After a long bout of silence, during which I’d thought Colin had either gone to sleep or had passed out, he started to speak again. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“I need you to promise me something.”

“What?”

“No matter what happens to me, you stay quiet.”

“I can’t—”

“You can. Someone will come and get you, and I need you to be in one piece when they do.”

“I’m not going to let them do this to you again.”

“You don’t worry about me. I need you to promise. Right now Warren and his guys have no idea what you mean to me, if they did, they’d exploit it. We need them to think I’m nothing more to you than a bodyguard. If I have a chance and I think I can keep you safe, I’ll make my move. But when I do, I need you to make yourself as small as possible. Stay out of the way. And, Erin, no heroics. Do not try to help. If your dad sends in a team to get you, get down and let them do their job. No helping.”

I understood what he was saying but I couldn’t stay quiet if they started hurting him in front of me. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I knew myself too well. I was already on the verge of breaking. If I saw Colin being beaten to death, I’d try and stop them. But I didn’t tell him that. Instead, I gave him what he needed to hear, my acceptance.

“Okay.”

“I’m serious. I have to know you’re walking out of here even if I don’t. My dying wish, Erin. You alive and in one piece.”

Dying wish. I wanted to scream at the unfairness, cry at the desperation of our situation. He couldn’t die. Not when we’d finally found each other.

“Okay. But, Colin, you’re not going to die.”

“That’s the plan, sunshine. The next time they take us out of this room, you stay quiet and let me figure out a way to get us out.”

That part I could do.

“Okay.” I lowered my head to his ear and whispered, “I love you.”

“You, too, Erin. So fucking much.”

I pulled his shirt up the best I could, angry red welts dotted his torso.

“I’m sure it looks worse than it is.” I doubted that very much but kept my thoughts to myself. “Did you see how we got here? Where we are?”

“No. You passed out, and when you were pulled off me, one of the guys stuck me with a needle. When I woke up, I was tied to the chair in the other room and you were chained up. That guy immediately started telling me all I needed to do was tell my dad to sign some documents and I’d be free to go. Do you know who he is?”

“Yeah. The former director of the CIA. Your dad fired him about a year ago. But he and Zane have had issues for many years. The man is a lying scumbag, but I never thought he’d go this far. I can’t figure out how he came to work with the NSA. There’s no way your dad would’ve allowed that.”

“What if my dad didn’t know?”

“Your dad knows everything. And I mean everything.”