Page 125 of Never the Same

“Close your eyes. Go to that place of peace you created,” Tristan told her.

“Wait,” she blurted out a moment later, then angled her head to get the chain off. “I don’t want this on.” She tossed it over to one of her brothers. Eyes back on me, she murmured, “Just in case you ever need to find me.”

God, I hope not.

She finally shut her eyes, and the needle slid in, and her grip of my hand slackened. Her body arched next, seizing hard enough to shake the bed. Sweat broke on her brow. Her cry burrowed into me when we had to pin her down.

“You sure this is normal?” I bit out, dying on the inside seeing her like this.

“Yeah, she’s just fighting it more than Mum did,” Tristan said, helping us hold her down. “The drug is moving through her system. Waking up the dormant pathways that were blocked off.”

My pulse pounded like a drum, sixty seconds stretching into a lifetime before she finally settled down and went still.

Her eyes parted, wide and frantic. She scanned us one by one.

“You.” She focused on Gideon, breathing hard. “You did this to me, how could you?”

Gideon let go of her and staggered back, wrecked with guilt for something that wasn’t his fault.

Her gaze slid to Tristan next. “What’s going on? Where am I?” Then to me, she whispered, “Reed?”

Hearing that name on her lips shredded me more than I’d ever admit.

“Why are you holding me?” She yanked her hand free, and that was the final blow to my ability to keep my shit together. I backed into the chair.

“Wait,” she called out as I turned for the door. “Your dad. I was looking for something to help him. I—I think. I read the letter you hid, and . . .”

Letter? Oh shit. In my bookcase. Now it all made sense.

Her fists pressed against her forehead. “It hurts. I’m s-so confused.”

I turned, torn apart watching her break, knowing I couldn’t reach for her.

“Why don’t you step out, get some air?” Julian urged.

Her brothers gathered closer to her as I left the room, finding Ryder and Alex out there waiting for me.

“Don’t do something ridiculous like try and hug me,” I warned. The only arms I wanted didn’t remember ever holding me. “How’s Easton?” I deflected.

“He just stood by Gwen’s bed for a minute and looked at her like she was a ghost. He barely said a word and didn’t stay long,” Alex shared, voice tense. “He’s still shouldering the blame. He told Carter out in the hall he was quitting, then he went back to his room.”

My stomach clenched. “He saved their lives. He’ll change his mind.” Things change. People change.

I looked through the window into Hollis’s room. Her brothers were still near her, and she had her hands over her face. She was about to learn everything, and it would break her all over again.

Needing something solid to hold on to, I went for my phone and to the last photo we took before she was taken from me.

“She’ll remember,” Alex said, remaining steady and even-toned for my sake. “And if she doesn’t, I have no doubt you’ll make that woman fall in love with you a second time.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Reed

Charleston, South Carolina; six days later

Wyatt should’ve been the one leading Echo, but he was still in England with Gwen, staying close to her even though she was out of danger. But Echo Team needed an assist on a quick op, so Secretary Chandler spun us up and plugged Delta in alongside the rest of the team. Our boots had barely hit the ground after coming home before we’d had to leave, bringing Trevor with us this time.

We’d deployed to the Balkans, mountains sharp as broken glass, pine air heavy and wet.