Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Jude stumbled forward, and I wrapped my arms around him to try and hold him up.
A grunt, mixed with a groan, left his battered lips.
“Here,” Bane said, clasping his hands on either side of Jude’s arms and leading him over to sit down on a stool, then leaning his back against the wall.
I moved Bane over so I could get in front of Jude. Standing between his legs, I held his head up by cupping his face. Tears dripped from my chin as I stared at the horrific things that had been done to him.
“Get Dr. Burl here,” I told Bane, not taking my eyes off Jude. Afraid he’d stop breathing. “DO IT!” I demanded.
“It’s going to be okay,” I assured him. “I’m getting you out of here. We have a doctor. He will fix everything that’s broken.”
A sob shook me as he continued to just stare. Had they damaged his brain? My eyes dropped to his mouth. His tongue. Oh God, his tongue. I closed my eyes and inhaled, trying not to completely fall apart.
“Bane, tell me that they did not slice out his tongue.” The words came out in a frantic rush.
“No, there’s a molar on the floor over here though. Probably the bleeding from that,” he replied so casually that I wanted to slam my fist in his stupid face.
I was going to kill them all.
“Tooth.” Jude’s raspy, barely there voice caused another sob.
I was trying not to cry. He was the one in pain. He needed me, but seeing him like this was another side of torment I hadn’t experienced.
“I’m-okay.” His words ran together.
“No, you’re not. But you will be,” I promised.
“We’re underground,” I heard Bane say behind me. “Broken bones, dehydration, blood loss.”
I winced, listening to the list.
“Hurry. Saylor is having a fucking breakdown.”
“Doc is coming,” I told him. “You’ll feel better soon. I didn’t know. I would have never let them hurt you. I am so sorry.” I wouldn’t be able to say that enough.
I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth to stifle more sobbing. He needed me. I had to get it together.
“What can I do now? Anything?” I asked.
“Water.” Another weak, raspy sound.
I swung my gaze back to Bane. “Do we have water?” I asked.
“No. We got ice.”
“What kind?”
He cocked a brow. “The kind you ice dead bodies with. Fucking ice, Saylor.”
I winced. “Is it in pieces?”
“I can break some up,” he replied, then walked out of the room.
I turned back to Jude. “Who did this?” I asked him. I needed to make sure I shot the right people.
“Doesn’t matter,” he replied.
“Yes, it does. This is my fault.”
One of his arms moved slightly, as if he were trying to get it closer to me. I reached down and picked up his hand as carefully as I could. The blue color was fading, but the broken skin on his wrists looked like raw meat. I bit my lip until I tasted blood to keep from breaking into a fit of sobs I couldn’t control. Once they were let loose, I wouldn’t be able to hold back.
Lowering my head, I pressed a kiss to the top of his hand. “I’m sorry,” I whispered again.
“I’m sor-ry.” He struggled to speak.
I shook my head. “No. You, what you did—different level. This is wrong. You can’t help what you feel. You didn’t deserve to be beaten because of it.”
God, what all had I said last night? Gathe. It was Gathe and Than. Than would have helped Gathe. Again, this was my fault. I had been drinking, and shit had flown from my mouth. Damn them!
“Here.” Bane handed me a plastic cup with small chips of ice.
I took it and picked one up. “I’m going to slide this in your mouth. Is that okay.”
“Yes.”
Easing it between his lips, I tried my best not to touch the cracked-open skin. He made a small noise, and I waited to see if he was going to be able to handle it. I didn’t know how much damage they’d done in his mouth.
“More.”
Relieved that this was working, I tried another of the smaller pieces. Leaning forward, I brushed my lips across his cheek. Needing to comfort him in some way. Not sure if he’d ever speak to me again when I got him free.
“More.”
I tried a larger chip this time.
“Do we have a wet cloth or something I can use to get the blood off his neck at least?” I asked Bane.
“We torture people for information and/or kill them down here. It’s not the fucking Marriott.”
I might shoot him too. Even if he had helped and brought me here. I just needed to inflict pain, and he had never been my favorite.
“S’okay,” Jude said.
I gave him more ice, then brushed the hair off his forehead. Running my hand through his hair. It seemed the only place where there was no blood.