Bear knocked over a lamp at the entrance of the room with his thundering stomp, his massive frame filling the doorway. He seized Bones by the neck, his fingers digging into the sinewy flesh. With a swift motion, he whirled the hapless victim around like a rag doll and hurled him towards the wall. The impact was deafening, the plaster cracking and crumbling under the force of the collision. A cloud of dust and debris fell. The room was plunged into a tense silence, punctuated only by Bear’s heavy breathing as he stood, towering over his prey. “You said you would get me if she woke!”
Bones tightly clasped his hands around Bear’s, his long, jagged nails digging into the skin as he attempted to loosen Bear’s unbreakable grip. My body was curled up tightly behind the other side of the bed, trembling as I witnessed the incredible display of strength. The room filled with grunts and heavy breathing as Bones strained against Bear’s unyielding hold.
“You do not touch her!” The roar of Bear was so loud that it drowned out all other sounds.
I winced with the echo of noise and tightly clasped my ears to block out the blaring racket.
Bones’ face turned purple. My panic rose in my throat as I saw this man suffer. Bones was only trying to help, and I couldn’t understand why Bear was trying to kill him.
I wanted to yell for Bear to stop, to let Bones go. Yet I still didn’t have a full explanation of why they were helping me or where I was to go from here. But the act of kindness he had given me already was enough to do something.
Somehow, I rounded the bed, although shakily, and before I put my hand on Bear to get him to stop, more people flooded the room.
“Bear, let go!” A male with a mohawk threw himself on Bear, which made him roar loudly.
I let out a small whimper as the deafening noise filled the room. I stumbled and fell to the floor, instinctively covering my ears to block out the screams and snarls. The sound of people wrestling echoed through the room, making my heart race with fear. I crawled frantically towards the corner of the room, seeking refuge from the chaos. With my ears still covered, I rocked back and forth, trying to escape the overwhelming sensory overload. The memory of being in prison flooded my mind, and I longed for the silence and monotony of my cell. The only sound was the constant dripping of a leaky faucet, a sound that now seemed like a welcome relief compared to the chaos around me.
“You are upsetting her!” A female’s voice screeched. My eyes remained closed, my nose remained in the corner, and I stayed there until the noise ceased and the shuffling of footsteps and bodies either left or stilled.
A gentle hand landed on my back. I flinched and curled my hands tighter around my ears.
“Hey there, Nadia? It’s okay, it’s me. Do you remember me?” Her voice was sweet, like a song. I remember that voice. She was always so nice, but I remember her cries.
Mrs. Delilah.
I squinted my eyes to get a good look at her. Her golden hair was shining, she had gained a little weight, and she looked so… happy.
I gave her a small wave, and she pulled me into her arms for a hug. So much hugging, so much touch. I sniffed and shyly hugged her back, realizing most of the noise was gone.
Once she let go, I shyly looked around the room and saw the audience there.
“Nadia, I am so sorry.” Mrs. Delilah sniffed, brushing away my hair. “I thought you got out. You said you were going to leave right after me,” she whispered. “Then Shane came after me, said he kept you locked up for years, and when we found out, my friends said they would get you out.”
A tear rolled down my cheek.
Mrs. Delilah remembered me.
I wasn’t forgotten.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried.
I shook my head and pulled her closer to me. It wasn’t her fault; it was mine. I got too cocky and thought I could help other women get out of the jobs they got sucked into, but that baffling man came back with Master Cunningham.
I could see Bear out the corner of my eye. He was breathing heavily, and Bones was rubbing his bruised neck. The other men in the room watched as Delilah and I held each other, and even though Delilah said these men were her friends, they looked questionable with their black clothes, leather vests, and animal skull patches.
Delilah sniffed and wiped her nose. “Let me introduce you to them. This is Hawke. He’s my mate—well, boyfriend, husband. We are in it for life, I guess.” She giggled, and Hawke came forward and kneeled on the floor. He was the one who tackled Bear. He was shorter than Bear and had tattoos covering his entire body.
“Pleasure to meet you, Nadia. I think I should thank you for helping get my sunshine out of there. Without you, I’d never have met her.” He pressed a kiss on Delilah’s cheek and rubbed her stomach. A tiny bump lay underneath, and I covered my mouth in excitement.
“Yeah, we are going to have a baby,” Delilah gushed.
I smiled wildly and motioned to touch her belly.
Delilah smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes, and she grabbed my hand for me to touch. It was still so small, but I swore I could feel it fluttering beneath my palm.
“Nadia? Did Shane hurt you? Did any of them physically”—she took in a deep breath—“sexually hurt you?”
I shook my head and pulled my hand away.
