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Chapter Thirty Six
The night had been a rough one, even with the light on and Johnny back on the floor. The screams that woke him had Johnny trying to calm a spooked Lizzy. The terror reflected in her unseeing gaze broke his heart, but not half as much as the pitiful begging that followed.
Gripped by the nightmares, she pleaded, “Don’t hurt him, master. I’ll wear it. He’s just a kid. It’s me you want. No! Let go!” She grabbed at her splinted finger.
“Lizzy, baby. Wake up.”
Instead, she went stiff. “Don’t let him eat me. Please. No. No!”
Johnny grasped her shoulders and gently shook her. Gulping sobs had him pulling her onto his lap. She screamed and fought, but he held her to him, humming an old country ballad as he rocked her.
She finally settled, whispered thanks and asked him to let her go. She turned her back and curled into a ball. The second attack occurred an hour later and then again in the ear
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Five days later and her new routine held her cemented in that same spot. Three nights of bloodcurdling night terrors and agonizing pain around her injury. Mornings spent at this fence post. Afternoons with Dr. Greene, who was an okay therapist, Lizzy supposed. She battled to open up to the old biddy. What did that old bird know about being held hostage by extremists?What did anyone know? It was tempting to reach out to Mason Clark. He was the only other one who lived through the Scythian terror. Was he as broken as she felt? Did he have a stable support system?John was her rock. Lizzy wasn’t sure what a self-entitled, ungrateful and now damaged girl did to deserve such devotion. He’d slept on the freaking floor beside her bed—a fussing warrior watching her every move.Well, that wasn’t fair. Not every move. He kept his distance when there were chores to be done, only pausing to shake her out of the reverie and force her to eat.C
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Upon waking, the first thing he registered was the smell of bacon and eggs. The night had been a peaceful one. No night terrors or gut-churning screaming. His phone buzzed. MIT. Johnny reached over to take the quick call.After pulling on a T-shirt, he wandered downstairs. The happy scene made him pause. Lizzy munched on a piece of toast as she laid out some plates. Freshly picked flowers sat in a vase; the bright blooms matched the cheeriness of her teal blue dress. Minimal makeup enhanced her ethereal beauty. He loved her whether she chose to go barefaced or chose to wear makeup, he knew the makeup made her feel girly, and it was nice to see that small sparkle twinkling in her wide blue eyes.She plated a massive portion and plonked it down in front of him.“Shit, girl, I’m going to have to double my PT on the course today, to get rid of this mountain of calories.”“What course?”“I built an out-course. It&rsqu
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Therapy started the next day with massages to the injury site to reduce scar sensitivity. Lack of mobility and stiffness were challenges to be overcome. The occupational therapist limited her activities, and Lizzy could see why. The hand was far from functional and would remain that way for three months. No gripping, twisting tightened objects or using the palm to push out of a chair. The surgery had removed and rerouted tendons and nerves, to aid with functionality, and to overuse the hand would cause damage.When her first session finally ended, and the therapist left, she shook with pain. John stepped through the back door as she gulped down a couple of pain pills.“You need to eat something.”“Yes, sir!”“Don’t get snarky,” he said, pulling out a loaf of sliced bread. “By the way, I need to run down to Salt Lake tomorrow. I’m meeting the team at Camp Williams. We’re looking at a
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When Lizzy woke, she dressed and snuck out of the house, not ready to face John. He was right, her behavior towards him was unfair. Why did she always mess things up? It was as if he fought for their survival and she pulled them to their demise.She assumed he’d have stayed overnight in Salt Lake. She’d guessed wrong and should’ve known him better. John would never have left her overnight and her misjudgment had got her in trouble.Lizzy sidled through the fence and wandered through the outbuildings on Charlie’s property. She greeted a couple of cowhands before walking past the barn.She paused, staring at the open doors. It’s just a barn. The smell of hay and farmyard animals drifted on the breeze, and her stomach roiled. Would she ever see stables and not think of the Scythian? Charlie’s actual stables sat two buildings down from where she stood, and from what Lizzy could see, the barn itself only held machinery and
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The mattress creaked, waking Lizzy. She didn’t move, preferring to savor the safe moment. Cocooned in John’s bed and his love, she’d slept through the night and woken feeling at peace. It wasn’t quite morning, the hint of dawn scrubbed over by the sound of a storm sweeping in. Lizzy reached behind and felt the empty warmth as she heard John slam the window shut.Ray shifted next to her chest, and Lizzy snuggled deeper. “What time is it?”“Four thirty. I might as well get up; I need to check on the animals. This storm looks nasty,” he said before brushing his teeth at the sink.Lizzy dozed until the bed dipped, and he pulled his boots on.“Do you need help?”“I’m all good, Lizbug. If you feel like getting up though, I hear Abby banging around in the kitchen. I think Gabe woke her.”The wind howled as rain pelted against the window. “Five more minutes,” s
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