Chapter 38

It was afternoon before they were allowed to leave. Colette's kidnappers had been taken into custody, including Damien and two other men who were under guard at the local small hospital. Damien would be moved to London to see a neurosurgeon to get the knife removed from his eye and brain.

Landon stayed with Colette while she gave her statements to the constable who looked desperate for someone else to step in and take over this fucking mess of a case.

The man nearly cried with relief when Anu walked into the room midmorning and announced Interpol would be taking over. She'd given Landon a look, which he'd returned. She was no longer his boss, and as far as he was concerned, she and everyone else had fucked up.

Their last stop was the small local hospital, where Colette's injuries were catalogued and photographed.

That was the only time he hadn't been with her, instead waiting in the hall, his head in his hands knowing they were doing a rape assessment. Anu as well as several nurses were in there, and he knew they'd be taking photographs of her body. Cataloguing the damage. Forcing Colette to expose herself.

He'd considered going to find Damien and smothering him with a fucking pillow. Or seeing if he could drive the knife far enough into his brain to kill him.

When his former boss exited the exam room, Landon caught sight of her unguarded expression. Anu's normally inscrutable expression shifted to first horror, then pity. When he stood, she looked over, expression flat.

She'd told him to take Colette home, and that they'd deal with everything else, including additional statements, in a few days.

Technically, he probably didn't need anyone's permission. Landon, Rolf, and Andrei had categorically denied knowing anything about how the car blew up, sticking to their story that they'd merely gone to look at the hotel after receiving a tip, and planned to turn over any useful information to Interpol. They'd seen Colette being abused through the window. No time to call for help, as her life was in imminent danger.

According to what they told the police, in the ensuing fight a few people had gotten injured, and when Damien got away and tried to go after Colette once more, she'd defended herself with the knife Landon had given her "just in case."

The exam room door opened, and a nurse wheeled Colette out. She was wearing a pair of pale blue surgical scrubs and slippers. There was tape on her lip, and bulky bandages around both wrists.

The look of relief on her face when he said they were leaving almost broke him. They insisted she stay in the wheelchair until they were outside the tiny medical center. She swayed on her feet, leaning into him the moment he touched her.

He could no longer remember the last time either of them had eaten or slept.

Rolf and Andrei were waiting outside the hospital, Andrei lounging against the wall, Rolf standing with arms folded by the door of his car.

Andrei straightened up as they shuffled out, Colette sagging against Landon's side.

Rolf opened the back door, and Landon loaded Colette in, circling to get in on the other side. A second later Rolf was behind the wheel, Andrei in the front passenger seat, and they were pulling out of the small parking lot, headed south towards London.

Within minutes Colette had loosened her seatbelt so she could lie down, her head on his thigh, legs curled up. She kept one arm tight against her breasts.

He swallowed hard against the memory of what she'd gone though. At least they would have taken out those fucking things during the exam.

Five kilometers down the motorway, Colette's breathing evened out.

Andrei looked back. "She's asleep?"

"I think so." He smoothed her hair back from her temple.

Andrei frowned. "What's making that noise? I think it's coming from…coming from her."

Landon closed his eyes, listening. He'd heard it, but hadn't noticed it—a faint rhythmic clinking. His eyes snapped open.

Fuck.

Careful not to jostle her, Landon leaned to the side and tugged the leg of the scrub pants, lifting the hem just enough to see her ankle. And the collection of heavy gold chains still wrapped around it. The rocking of the car made them jangle against one another, creating the faint clinking noise.

Landon put his hand on her waist, feeling for the chains he'd seen. Still there. Finally he peeked under the bandage around her waist, spotting the gold cuff.

"Why the fuck didn't they take them off her?" he said softly. "They're evidence."

"What are you talking about? I can't look," Rolf said, eyes on the road.

"He gave her this fucking ugly jewelry," Landon said in a low voice so he wouldn't wake her. "Anklets and a waist chain. And the cuffs he was using looked like jewelry too. She's still wearing all of it."

He stroked her hair again, not mentioning the nipple rings, which would have been removed so they could treat her.

"They should have taken it off her in the hospital," Rolf agreed.

"Maybe leaving was all she cared about," Landon said, looking down at the woman he loved.

* * *

Colette stared at herself in the mirror. The short nap in the car, followed by a noxious amount of greasy fish and chips, had her feeling better. She'd taken a long hot shower, washing everything twice.

But she still didn't feel clean. Not when her body didn't look like her own.

This body was still Damien's property.

She willed the disgusting thought away, but like a weed it took root. The hospital had tried to break through the chains, but the pliers and surgical scissors they had on hand hadn't worked. They offered to get some cutting pliers once they were done with the invasive exam, but at that point all she wanted to do was leave. Knowing Damien was somewhere in the same building with a knife sticking out of his eye was more than she could take.

Napping with her head on Landon's lap, his hand stroking her hair as the car gently rocked her, had been some of the best sleep she'd ever had.

By the time they made it back to Harringay, everyone was starving, and when Rolf asked if they wanted to stop for fish and chips on the way, she'd sat up with an enthusiastic yes.

She'd laughed and joked with all three men as they sat picnic style on a blanket in the middle of the public club dance floor. It was as if the four of them willed themselves to ignore everything that had just happened, the conversation going from who from the private club had performed on the stages down here and weird things the most recent DJ had said and done.

They'd eaten flaky, buttery white fish pillowed in fluffy batter and chips soaked in vinegar and dusted with salt. Colette had leaned against Landon, totally relaxed even if she knew it was temporary. Everyone ignored her hospital scrubs and slipper shoes.

Even if she hadn't already been desperate for a shower, a meal like that required a full-body scrub to get rid of the fine layer of cooking oil she was sure coated her.

When she announced she needed to shower, Landon had risen with her, but when they reached the top of the spiral staircase and he opened the private club door with the complex key, she'd put a hand on his chest, asking him to give her a few minutes alone.

He'd retreated one step, his hands braced on the railings, his eyes searching her face. She'd seen how hard it was for him to agree to let her go, but he'd done as she asked.

Colette couldn't stand seeing herself any longer, and gingerly wrapped a towel around herself, jumping as the soft Turkish cotton brushed her abused the nipples. Piercings kept the nipples erected. It was one of the selling points for people who wanted them. The nurse had helped her wrap her chest with non-stretchy gauze, creating a sort of bandeau bra that wouldn't compress, but would protect her nipples.

She felt better with her nipples covered, but when one of the charms caught on the fabric of the towel as she brushed her teeth, tears sprang to her eyes.

Colette unwrapped the towel, tucking it around her waist and hiding the heavy waist chains. She wrapped gauze around her wrists, covering not only the deep red marks left from hanging by her hands, but the cuffs.

The nipple rings swayed, the horrible charms clinking together as she bent over to grab her toiletries bag. She was half-way through applying moisturizer when the constant clink of chains on her limbs and the painful pull on her nipples became too much. Colette tossed the moisturizer into the sink and braced her hands on the porcelain, breathing hard.

Her vague plan had been to wait until she could get her hands on a set of heavy-duty wire cutting pliers and take everything off herself. She poked through the kitchenette and storeroom looking for some after she'd come upstairs to take a shower, but hadn't found anything.

It was time to face reality. Even if she did have the tool she needed, removing them herself would be tricky. Especially the nipple piercings.

Moving the towel up once more, she pressed one arm over her breasts so nothing rubbed or caught, and left the bathroom.

Landon answered his bedroom door after her second knock, stepping back to let her in.

Colette stepped through, walking to the window. She felt his gaze on her as she moved, felt his worry and tension.

It was night again. She'd missed most of the daylight, stuck inside first a police station, then the hospital.

There were a thousand things she wanted to say and ask—Did you really quit your job? Are you disgusted with me for what I did to Damien? I'm sorry for dragging you into this. Without me your life would be better.

But she couldn't say them, not yet. Not until she was physically free.

Landon stepped up behind her. Not touching her, but close enough that she could feel him there. The temptation to lean into him and ignore everything was so strong she ached with it.

Colette turned to face him. "I need your help."

"Anything." His answer was immediate and honest.

He would have killed Damien for her, and doing so would have killed some part of him.

She hesitated. She'd spent much of life alone, and relied only on herself. To not only need, but want another's help, made her feel slightly stupid. She could deal with this on her own. Could find the right tool and be very careful. It would save her the shame and embarrassment of seeing the look in his eyes when he realized she was stuck like this, trapped in these chains and tagged like an animal.

Her breath hitched.

"Colette," his voice was calm and gentle. "I'm right here. What do you need?" He held out a hand, offering his touch.

She squeezed his fingers once, her oncoming panic receding like a wave.

"I should handle it myself."

"No. You should let me help you." Landon raised her hand to his lips, kissing it almost reverently, his eyes closed. "I want to take care of you."

"I'm…ashamed."

He looked at her, even as he turned her hand, kissing her palm softly. "You have no reason to be ashamed. And there's nothing you could tell me that will change the way I feel about you."

She stopped breathing for a moment.

Their gazes met, and she knew what Landon would do next. He'd tell her he loved her. She could see it in his eyes, feel it in the way he touched her.

"Wait," she pleaded. "Not when I'm…like this."

His gaze sharpened, skating down her towel covered body. Still holding her hand, he peeled back the tape holding the gauze on her wrist, slowly unwinding it.

He touched the gold chain around her wrist, a question furrowing his brow when he looked at her face.

Colette couldn't find the words to explain, and if she could, she wasn't sure she could get them past the tightness in her throat.

But she could show him.

Colette dropped the towel.

Landon's gaze skittered down her body, eyes widening. He looked at her breasts again and she nearly started crying in embarrassment and shame.

"I can't get them off," she whispered, voice breaking.

Landon turned his attention back to her wrist, running his fingers along the chain. "It's okay, love, I'll get them off. I knew they didn't take them off you at the hospital. I should have helped you with this before your shoulder."

He was looking and feeling for a clasp. Colette pulled her hand back, crossing her forearm over her breasts.

"Colette."

"He welded them closed," she said softly.

Landon's gaze flew to hers. "What?"

"One of them was a jeweler." She dropped her arm from her chest, turning one cuff until the large double ring was on top. "See the little bumps? Those are weld points."

"He welded this fucking stuff on?" Landon bent, examining the seam in the large rings.

"He wanted them to be permanent."

Landon jerked up, gaze catching hers. She tried to smile, but couldn't. Landon gently cupped the back of her head, pressing a kiss to her forehead and each cheek. "I'm so sorry I wasn't faster," he breathed against her.

"You came," she breathed.

"I'll always find you," he promised. "No matter where he took you, I'd have come for you." He swallowed, throat working. "But not in time to stop this."

"You came," she repeated. "Last time, I knew no one would."

Landon kissed the corner of her mouth, away from the split in her lip. With her next breath, something inside Colette relaxed, and she exhaled, feeling more herself.

"I don't think I can do this by myself," she said ruefully. "Though I did look for cutting pliers."

Landon pulled back, and seeing her smile his expression relaxed. "Pliers?" Landon hooked two fingers under the wrist cuff and gave it an experimental tug.

"Well, that's not going to do it," she said with a laugh. "The hospital tried a few things, but didn't have anything heavy enough." She held up her wrist. "I think the big rings are gold-plated stainless steel. Gold is malleable, so if they were pure gold the hospital would have been able to do it with pliers."

"Bolt cutters," Landon declared, squeezing her hand. He knelt, turning the chain on her waist until he found the small jump rings. "Fucker really liked waist things, didn't he?"

"His cock was hard once these were done." She pointed to her waist and then down at her ankles.

Landon gripped her thighs gently, silent for a moment, his head bent so all she could see was his hair. "Did he rape you?" His question was so soft, she could easily ignore it if she wanted to.

"Not with his cock." She touched his cheek, and he looked up. "Just his finger. Apparently, I was still a virgin."

Landon snorted, and she was glad to see the dire expression melt away. "I wonder what exactly he thinks a virgin is."

"I truly have no idea. I was a little worried he'd be able to tell that you'd recently fucked me senseless."

"Fuck." Landon pressed his face to her thigh, and his mouth's proximity to her pussy had her body sitting up and taking notice.

The stirrings of arousal were a relief. She knew she'd have to deal with, and process, what had happened, but it was good to know it hadn't killed her sex drive.

He breathed against her for a moment, then sat back, looking up. From this angle the crude, heavy gold hoops in her nipples were impossible to ignore.

"Are the nipple rings welded closed?"

She nodded.

"I'm so sorry they did that to you, love." Landon rose to his feet. "I thought they'd removed the nipple ones, at the hospital."

"They tried. And they offered to get other tools. But I didn't want to stay there."

He reached for her breast, but stopped. "Can I look?"

She nodded, and he bent, one hand gently cradling the bottom of the breast he was examining. "Fuck," he muttered, taking in the swollen, red flesh and the fresh trickle of blood, no doubt courtesy of catching the ring on the towel.

"It…hurt," she admitted.

"I know it did. I know." He gathered her into his arms, turning her so her side was pressed to his chest, and not her abused breasts.

"Will you be okay here for a minute?" he asked.

She wrapped an arm around his waist. "Do you have to go?"

"Actually no, that fucker Andrei can go buy me bolt cutters." Landon shoved a hand into his pocket, pulling out his phone.