His to Take (Wicked Lovers #9)(136)
Author: Shayla Black

Bailey nodded. “McKeevy drugged me.”

And she didn’t want to think about him more than that. Already she knew she’d have nightmares about the psycho and the terrible day she’d spent at his “mercy.” Honestly, she didn’t wish death on anyone, but she could say unequivocally that she was glad he no longer walked this earth. She hoped he met all his victims in the afterlife and they gave him hell.

“I’ve spoken to the agents on your case,” Sean offered. “As soon as the doctor consents, they’ll be coming around to ask you some questions. Just so you know, the LOSS compound was utterly destroyed.”

She thought of Destiny, her swollen belly, and her little boy. Such a terrible, saddening waste. “A girl helped me escape the compound. The only thing she asked of me was to contact her mother. I put her address in my jeans.”

Sean smiled. “Actually, Destiny has already called her mother. Apparently when some of the women figured out the men meant to blow up the compound with everyone inside so no fed could ‘sully’ their premises, many of them grabbed their children and ran into the mine. Nearly thirty people escaped. They also rescued a few other prisoners. Those people will be able to provide us a lot of information about LOSS’s operations, finances, weaponry, and plans, along with their uses for Viktor Aslanov’s research. In fact, one of the men they freed was a former soldier they’d once made into a research subject.”

“McKeevy told me about him.”

“His name is Dante. He’s been there for nearly a year. The doctors are running tests on him now. I’m sure he’ll be transferred to D.C. at some point for future testing.”

“So my father’s research really worked? This man’s DNA has been altered?”

“We don’t know for sure. Based on Dante’s statement so far, I’d say it’s possible.” Sean shrugged. “Time will tell. But since LOSS didn’t have any electronic e-mail or file storage system, the research Viktor was killed for died with McKeevy and that group of fanatics. As far as we know, there are no more copies. So your past should never come back to haunt you.”

She could close that chapter of her life. It would be impossible to forget that she’d been born into this world Tatiana Aslanov, but she could spend the rest of her days as Bailey Benson in peace.

“Thank God,” she breathed. “I’ll bet Callie is thrilled, too.”

Sean nodded. “Best wedding present she could have, I think. She’s ready to be a ‘normal’ girl—as much as she’s capable of that.”

“There’s a media storm gathering,” Caleb warned. “Once you’re discharged, we’ll have to sneak you out, but we’ll get you out of here and on a plane back to Texas tonight.”

That sounded fabulous. If she could return to any sort of decent shape, she had an audition in Dallas next Tuesday. Beyond that . . . all she wanted was to spend her days and nights with Joaquin forging a future. Who knew? Maybe someday, she’d be Mrs. Muñoz. But right now, she was happy to take things one day at a time, find out what their new normal together was. And she couldn’t wait to get started. All she needed now was Joaquin himself.

Bailey scanned the room again. “Hey, where’s—”

“Joaquin is gone,” Hunter said solemnly. “As soon as he found out you weren’t injured, he found a ride to the airport. We don’t know where he was headed.”

Shock slithered through her. After all the times Joaquin had sworn he’d be by her side? “He just . . . left? Without a word?”

The collective grim expression, liberally laced with pity, worn by everyone in the room, hurt even more. Joaquin had seemingly shared more than his body with her. He’d bared so much of his soul. They shared a bond—or so she’d thought. Had she been wrong?

Sean clasped her hand. “I was with him when he thought you’d perished in the explosion. He lost his mind, Bailey. Completely came apart. He railed at himself for not protecting you and said you’d be better off without him. I think he’s beating himself up in the worst way right now. I tried to stop him from leaving. I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Humiliation stung, but his abandonment carved a crater in her chest and filled it with acid pain. He’d left her, just like Viktor Aslanov, like Bob and Jane Benson. Now she could add Joaquin to the list of people who had come into her life, altered her in ways she could never undo, then left without a backward glance. Bailey couldn’t pretend she didn’t know why. If he’d been so deeply impacted by losing his father that he hadn’t cried in nearly twenty years, he certainly wasn’t going to risk heart, soul, and sanity for a woman he’d met a few days ago. She’d been stupid to hope otherwise.