Beyond Ransom (The Ransom Series) by Douglas A.T

Author:Douglas, A.T. [Douglas, A.T.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: A.T. Douglas
Published: 2014-01-18T00:00:00+00:00

18

Broken

Every bone in my body aches. Every single bone. It seems impossible to me that a body can still function under the overwhelming feeling of being completely broken, but I’m still here. I draw a deep, aching breath and am grateful to still be alive, even if I am shattered.

“Morgan?”

Leo’s voice is not what I’m expecting to hear, and it only helps to pull me back together, if not permanently, at least temporarily.

I open my eyes to confirm Leo’s presence. I’m draped across his lap on the cot in my cell. He’s clinging to me like I might drift away.

“I’m here. I’m okay,” I say, though I’m unsure of how true the second statement really is. “Are you okay?” I quickly scan Leo’s face and upper body and see nothing noticeably wrong with him other than the couple welts and bruises from where he was struck.

“I’m fine. You’re the only one I’m worried about right now.”

I try to sit up, to prove that I’m as fine as I think I am, but I quickly realize that I’m not fine. My ribcage feels about ready to give out within me at the movement, and I immediately fall back into Leo’s embrace.

“Your ribs are bruised again. You need to take it easy.”

“We were so close, weren’t we?” I ask hesitantly, ignoring all concern for the pain in my body.

“We were. I’m so sorry.” Leo can barely look at me. “I took a chance and it failed.”

I close my eyes, taking in the feeling of Leo’s warmth and touch around me. “We’re still together. We didn’t completely fail.” A subtle laugh escapes me as I open my eyes. “We may even see more of each other now. Look at us, back on this cot together and you don’t even have to be sneaky about it.”

Leo smiles with his lips but the expression doesn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t know that it’s a good thing we’re in the same room.”

“What are you saying?”

“Mark knows we care about each other.” I can’t help the slight jump of warmth in my heart as he says this. “He’ll use that against us, Morgan. He’s going to get exactly what he wants out of both of us.”

Understanding slowly works itself through the painful haze in my brain. “The show in the main room. That’s what it was all about.”

Leo nods reluctantly. “I’ll try to protect you in any way I can, but you’re going to have to restrain yourself from trying to help me. You can’t give in to him the moment he lays a hand on me. I’ve lived with this for years. I can take it.”

I’m visibly angry with Leo at his suggestion. “How can you possibly expect me to do that?”

“Because you have a life to go back to you. You have a family.” Leo soothes me with the slightest touch of his fingers up and down my arm. “You can’t sacrifice all of that for someone who has nothing. I won’t let you.”

“You have me,” I insist.

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