Max, regardless of however much she had started to look forward to his company, had brought out a side of her she hadn't realized existed until now. In all the time spent in this room with imaginary friends she adored, she had forgotten how to actually miss people who were real and who cared about her.

This dawning recognition hit her full-force once Max stood in her doorway, coming in for a visit, after her breakfast this morning.

He reaches up and touches her small cheek. The worry she's caused in his eyes makes her sad-not for her, but for him.

The familiar tone he uses resonates through his next plea. "Tell me, sweetheart. Why are you upset?"

Casey inhales a deep breath before starting to speak. She hates hearing the tremble in his voice. "I was looking for you."

Not understanding the reasoning behind her tears, Max studies her closely, then asks with a certain fear she sees in his eyes. "Are you hurt?" he asks first, touching her arms and neck. "Was someone in here?"

Shaking her head quickly to stop the panic in his voice, she explains, "No, I mean I waited for you."

Now his recognition dawns, and Max releases her to sit back in the chair. His thumb touches his bottom lip and she can see he's holding onto it to keep from smiling. She doesn't understand how this is anything to smile about. Least of all not at a time her heart is breaking.

"You missed me, you mean," he states while sitting back up and placing his elbows on his knees.

"Yes," she breathes. Then, with new courage, she finds herself doing something she's never really done before. Except only once, with Cilas, and that was stemmed from fear, not love.

Without contemplating his reaction, or worrying what consequences could follow for it, Casey lurches forward and wraps her small arms around his large shoulders, willing him without words to hold her in the safety of his.

"Monkey," he rasps in a gentle whisper, wrapping one arm around her tiny waist while he cradles the back of her head in his large hand. "That's no reason for tears."

Shaking her head with embarra.s.sment and denial while keeping her face resting on his shoulder, she attempts to regain her composure, but finds it hard to do.

Grabbing her waist, Max pulls her far enough away so he's able to look her in the eye. Reaching out, he clutches both her hands in his and the warm smile she's missed so much comes back to life.

As he turns his head to her desk, she watches as he rummages through several unfinished drawings then grabs the book he gave her before bringing it into his lap. "Did you read it?"

She nods, but says nothing. She watches with fascination as he thumbs through the pictures. When he finally nears the end, she steps back to take a seat on her mattress, leaving her sitting directly across from him.

Turning around to put the book away, Max sighs. She doesn't understand his change of mood or the worry he so obviously wears. As he stands to leave, as he always has to do, she's already dreading how long it'll be before she sees him again.

"I've gotta go, but I'll be back before you can miss me again. How's that?"

She nods in response, hoping his promise is true and that he understands all he's come to mean to her.

Chapter Twenty-Eight.

A few minutes after leaving Casey in her room, I found my way to what I now consider to be my temporary s.p.a.ce here in this room to catch a breath and possibly get in couple hours of sleep.

Once I left Viktor with Anna, my direct intention wasn't to seek out Casey. However, I'm finding quickly that she holds the same power over me as Em does. It's as though I find a separate kind of peace in each of them. Just as my thoughts started to darken due to being shadowed in a life within these walls, coupled by the visions of a nearly lifeless Anna, I ached to be reminded of the reason I'm here in the first place. And hearing Casey explain, in her way, that she's missed me was exactly what I needed to move forward.

As much as Viktor is sure he's taking Casey anywhere away from me, I'm just as certain he isn't.

I'm still unsure as to what Cilas did with Hangar after he removed him from the bas.e.m.e.nt, but I can imagine he can also get as creative as Aimes once he's fed up. I believe he was for certain, even before Hangar did what he did.

I thought Dee Dee may still have been in here when I returned, but she wasn't. I found the light had been turned off and the bed had been made. I wasn't hoping she was still around, but I would've liked to ensure she was okay, in any case.

Finally noticing my phone was dead, I pulled the cord from my bag and left it on the beat-up table to charge while I showered, changed, and slept to get ready for whatever happened next.

It's the incoming call that's woken me.

Before I'm able to say anything at all, I hear Aimes cut through. "You ready?"

Not clearly understanding the certainty in his voice, I do the expected and ask, "What's goin' on?"

"Brayden and his men are set. All are en route and the rendezvous point is Creed."

Standing up and wiping my face with my hand, I pace the small room as I listen to whatever part of the plan Aimes is willing to share. However, plan isn't a word I'd use to describe what he's telling me will happen.

"You can't just storm the gate, waltz your a.s.ses in here, and take Casey out. First, you'll never find her and second, it puts everyone else in here in danger. There are other women here who need help."

"Got it, Max. I'm telling you we've got it. Low's working his s.h.i.+t now. We've paid a f.u.c.k of a lot of money for some important people to look the other way, or at the very least give us a head-start inside."

"Christ," I hiss. I'm not mentally ready.

"We've got this," he urges again.

"How long?"

"The last few of Brayden's men are en route. I'm not sure how much extra time I can give you."

"How f.u.c.king long?" I stress.

"Ballpark?" he asks, then answers on his own, "Twenty-four hours, tops. Honestly, though, probably less."

"That's not a lot of time," I explain, even knowing it doesn't matter.

He confirms this by countering, "Did I not just tell you we're set?"

In the background, I hear Aimes' truck exhaust come to life, so I a.s.sume he's headed out.

"Anna was hurt."

Silence follows, and the background noise becomes mute. "Explain."

I know his tone. I've heard it from Aimes in the past while he was on the hunt and an innocent woman or child had been caught in the crosshairs of whatever he was caught up in. This same tone tells me he's not only involved with Casey now, but he's added Anna to his list of vengeance payback.

"I won't go into it now, but I'll tell you she needs time to heal. She's f.u.c.ked-up and not in position to be taken out of here. Free will or not."

"You find out where she's at exactly in that hole and report it back to Brayden or me. I'll handle Anna. You handle Casey. His men will be the eyes and manpower we need."

Rubbing the back of my neck as I continue to walk the perimeter of the small room, I question, "The other women, Aimes, with straps on their ankles. They're like Casey."

"Safe," he a.s.sures, but he can't know for certain. "The guys have all been briefed."

"f.u.c.k, I don't like this. There's another way."

"Trust me?" he asks, aiming for my vote of confidence.

I'm not able to give that to him, so I reiterate, "I don't like this."

I hear his truck in the background again, then the click of his lighter before he inhales while saying, "It's not like we can walk up to the door, knock, and ask for those girls, Max."

"I know," I reply, still wary.

"This is why I don't tell you jack s.h.i.+t."

Correcting his reasoning, I raise my voice. "You're on the outside of this."

"And working my a.s.s off to get in."

"Right," I concede. I won't win; Aimes is too headstrong and confident for his own good. "You're still on the meet with Viktor later?"

"I am."

"He's on edge after what happened to Anna, so be cautious."

"I'll be me," Aimes spits back.

"That won't work."

He laughs into the line, but I don't find it funny. "You take care of you and let me handle the rest."

"Still not a good plan," I respond, knowing he's not listening.

"See you later, sweetness," he remarks before he gives me another chance to speak.

f.u.c.k me.

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

"How's Anna?" I ask an absolutely defeated-looking, pale-faced Viktor as he sits behind his desk, staring remorsefully at his hands, which rest on the s.p.a.ce in front of him. His body appears to have shrunken in size since the last time I saw him.

"Better, I think," he utters. "She tells me she doesn't remember a lot of what he did to her. It's such a small piece to be thankful for, even if I know she's saying it for only my benefit."

"Hangar?" I question, still unsure where he is. No one's mentioned him, and I haven't given a s.h.i.+t until now.

"Hangar will be dealt with when the time is right," Viktor replies, his eyes becoming increasingly dark and his posture growing stiff.

It's only been a little over twelve hours since I got the call from Aimes. The time has pa.s.sed like days and as the clock ticks, I feel more and more on edge. I've walked around the club trying to remain calm, but it's been hard. Something's brewing and it's weighing heavily. The Casey's safety and the others' hangs in the balance.

"This meeting for Casey, Max," he calls out and gains my attention. "Because it's her, this one will try your patience, but I expect your absolute compliance."

Without giving away my interest in this specific meet, I ask, "Then why am I here?"

"You want to see Casey happy, do you not?" he asks. "You're as vested in that little girl as I am."

"Then don't f.u.c.king sell her," I state with obvious distaste. "Give her to me."

"You still don't understand, do you?"

"Understand what?" I ask, raising my voice only slightly.

"Never mind. This isn't a debate I wish to keep having." He doesn't give me another chance to counter before advising, "Hoss is coming back, most likely soon. I'm going to tell him my intentions of leaving once he returns. However, I don't expect I'll be able to continue doing business here after he..."

Before Viktor can finish his sentence, Cilas opens the door without knocking. The door opens wider as I turn around to find Casey being held by her shoulders in his strong grasp. Cilas' face is still as he sees me sitting across from Viktor. Casey's eyes are focused to the floor and her hands are clasped together in front of her.

"Thank you, Cilas," Viktor greets, then dismisses, "You may go."

The air turns distraught when I s.h.i.+ft my gaze to Viktor, who stares at Casey standing alone once Cilas closes the door behind him.

I don't say anything as I'm unsure she knows I'm sitting not just three feet in front of her.

"Casey, sweetheart," Viktor calls her attention and her eyes go to his. She still doesn't give any consideration to me. I imagine this is what she's been programmed to do.

For him.

"Are you well?" he asks with a sincere nature.

Nodding first, she then voices, "Yes, sir."

"Anna won't be joining us today," he explains to her. I didn't tell her what happened and being that Cilas doesn't talk, I know he didn't, either.

Nodding again, she concurs without questioning the reasons for it. "Yes, sir."

"All right then. Do you know what to expect?"

"Yes, sir."

Finally, her eyes tear away from Viktor for the briefest moment. When they hit mine, they widen quickly then settle back and she looks to Viktor again.

I hear the smile in his voice. "You've met Max."

The smile is in her voice as well, although she's trying hard to hide it. "Sir," she greets to me, and then looks down and bites her lip.