A low rumble echoes from somewhere far away. I quiet my mind and concentrate. Please be him. I hear the faint sound of his voice.
No, wait. Voices.
His and another. He’s not talking to me, but to someone else. At least he’s close. That’s enough for now.
“Thanks for coming, Rave.”
Who’s he talking to?
“She looks so peaceful.”
My breath hitches at the familiarity of that voice.
“God, I’m so sorry.”
It’s a woman. She sounds so sad.
“It’s not your fault, Rave.”
Rave? I know her. But how?
“No, it’s not. It’s Dominick’s fault. All of this.”
Anger and the fire of revenge ignite my blood.
“I killed him, but he’ll never die.”
Her voice is mad and matches the feeling that surges in my chest.
“I just want her back.”
It’s him, my angel in this hell.
“I know, Rex. Me too.”
My head tingles and my hands feel numb.
Rex. Rex?
Visions explode behind my eyes: blue eyes, hands clasped beneath a door, tattoo-covered arms and chest, and his smile.
Oh my God. Rex!
I rush to the walls of the basement. I’m here. He needs to know. I smack my palms against the unforgiving wall. Rex, help me! I scurry down the wall and hit a corner. My hands search for a fissure, an imperfection that might lead to freedom, something I’ve done before, and still, no escape.
I drop to my knees. Memories wash over me in debilitating waves: the bear, this basement, Dominick, and Hatch. Oh, no. I was dead. I died, and yet Rex is here.
I don’t want to say goodbye. I’m not ready to let go. He’s been telling me this entire time to fight, to break free from the dark, but his words were like gibberish. I get it now. He wants me to come back to him.
Fight for him. Fight for us.
Pushing up with renewed strength, I throw my weight against the walls. My fists pound harder to no avail. I scream and kick the solid mass. A growl of frustration explodes from my throat.
“Gia, baby, I’m here.”
Rex! I fight harder, throwing my body against the darkness that separates us. I kick the solid wall. Once, twice. I punch it, shove against it, cry, scream, and thrash for release.
“Yes, that’s it. Fight for it. Don’t you give up, baby.”
A fierce war cry bursts from my lips. I run from one end to the other, hurling my body against the walls.
“You’re there; now push through. Follow my voice, Gia.”
I listen, close my eyes, and focus on his voice.
“Remember me. Remember.”
I remember.
“Now fight!”
My muscles tense. A tremor starts in my gut and coils with power. I crouch.
I remember you, Rex.
A final thrust from deep within and a guttural roar, and I burst free into bright light. My throat burns. Arms close in tight around me.
“Yes, baby. Fuck yeah, you did it.” His face is buried in my neck; all I can see is his dark hair and feel his breath against my ear. “God, yes! You did it.”
I’m weak and can’t move. I try to talk, but something blocks my words. I try to rip it out. Women dressed in blue scrubs rush into the room. Rex pulls back, tears spilling from his tired eyes. They take something from my mouth. I cringe at the release and gasp for air.
Exhausted, I push two words from my throat. The only two words that matter.
“I remember.”
Twenty-six
Lived locked in a void,
a death with no tomb.
But your light guided me
And brought me home to you.
Mac
A few nurses busy themselves in a flurry around my hospital bed. Anxiety picks at my nerves. I tuck my feet in close and curl around my clasped hands. I’m burrowed into Rex’s side; the only thing keeping me together is the strength of his arms wrapped tightly around me.
Why am I here? Disoriented, I want to close my eyes and pray this away, wake up in Rex’s bed, wrapped in his embrace.
A nurse reaches for my arm.
I jerk away. “Don’t let them tie me down.” My throat is raw, and I can barely hear myself over the commotion in the room.
But Rex hears me. His arms convulse around my shoulders, and he tucks me tighter into his side.
“Listen to me closely.” He speaks into my temple, allowing me to feel his words against my skin. “I won’t let anyone do a damn thing you’re not one-hundred-percent comfortable with.” He nuzzles my hair. “Nod if you understand me.”
I nod and squeeze in tight to bury my face in his chest.
He’s right. I can tell by the layout of the room I’m at a hospital meant to care for people, not the kind that locks people up, binds them with restraints, and drugs them all in the name of their best interests.
“They need to take out your IV.” He pulls my arm away from my body for the nurse but keeps his grasp firmly around my bicep, reminding me that he’s here and in control.
I’m shaking so badly that even my insides feel as if they’re quivering. My gaze darts around the room, leery of every uniform. Getting the hell out of the dark was all I wanted, but waking up in a hospital makes me long for the safety of my concrete prison.
Rex leans in and presses his lips to my head. “Talk to me, baby.”
A young nurse fumbles at my arm. Her eyes slide to mine, and she smiles like she knows me. I blink and bury my face back into Rex’s chest as she removes tape and slides the tube from my vein.
The sterile smell of antiseptic and the muted green walls make my body ache with the urge to run. If they pull out a syringe or a tie down . . . I can’t. I have to get out of here.
The nurse replaces the IV with a cotton ball and a strip of tape. “Georgia can—”
“That’s not my name.” My cheeks heat at my reflexive reaction. But it’s true.
Georgia’s dead. I’m Mac.
A tendril of red hair falls into my eyes. Slowly, I pull at the bright locks and loop them around my finger. Visions of my fight with Rex flash before my eyes. I suck in a breath and a whimper pushes up my throat.
I left Vegas. Mac’s dead.
The bar, Hatchet, the Motorcycle Club. Oh my God, the drugs. My breath picks up its pace to match my racing heart. Hatch left. I was so sick and . . .
I died. Annie died on Hatch’s bed.
The nurse swings her gaze to Rex, questioning, then looks back at me. “Honey, do you remember your name? Can you tell us who you are?”
“I’m not that girl.” Georgia, Mac, Annie, none of them. “I’m not.” I shake my head, earning another sympathetic look from the nurse.
If I’m not them, who am I?
Rex clears his throat. “Would it be all right if we have a minute alone?”
The nurse’s eyes snap to Rex, wide with surprise.
“All the people in here are making her uncomfortable. She’s been through a lot, and I need to make sure she’s okay.”
They stare at him, hands frozen mid-task. One of them, a tall brunette with kind eyes, steps up to the monitor at my bedside. “Her vitals look good. We can come back later and run some tests.” She nods to the others, and they all file out of the room.
At the sound of the door shutting behind them, my lungs release their death grip and I take a full breath. “I want to go ho—um . . .” I don’t have a home.
His hand, warm and comforting, cups my jaw. I gaze up into his soft blue eyes, so clear I notice right away the old shadows that used to be there are gone.
“Fuck, baby. I’ve missed your eyes.” He kisses the tip of my nose, further relaxing my tense muscles. “I’m going to take you home. As soon as they give you the okay, we’re out of here.”