easier if you would talk.”
She polished off her juice and held the glass out to him.
“Are you hungry?”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded with more enthusiasm.
“I’ll get you something.” He hesitated, looking at Rein.
“As long as she stays in the bed, I won’t touch her.”
Doc raised an eyebrow.
“I promise. Okay?”
The doctor walked toward the opening. Before he stepped out, he glanced back.
Frustrated, Rein waved his hands. “Just go.”
“I’m trusting you,” he said, and disappeared into the corridor.
Ellyssa listened to the fading steps, her gaze turning toward Rein. He watched her with the same amount of intensity and distrust. His eyes raked over her, scrutinizing her, and his jaw clenched so tightly the tendons in his neck jerked. Tensing, Ellyssa scooted against her pillow.
She grasped for his mind and saw herself through his confusion, wondering who she was and why she was there. Although still frail-looking, and her hair comparable to a bird’s nest, her complexion was creamy again. Her strength was returning, and if needed, she could defend herself. His mind kept flashing to the night in the old store.
Never taking his eyes off her, Rein grabbed a chair and rolled it to the end of her cot, then took a seat. His arms, once again, crossed over his chest showing his tenseness, his distrust. He was much younger than she’d originally thought. Twenty, maybe twenty-one. Tanned, angular cheekbones, a straight nose, strong jawline, and hair that was a mess. Completely different than the males at The Center, Ellyssa found his dark features fascinating, attractive in a barbaric sort of way.
Her heart pattered.
“Who are you?” he asked.
She didn’t answer.
He blew out air and rubbed his temple. “Why are you here?” he tried again.
When she didn’t respond, he ran his fingers through his brown hair. “You’re rather irritating.”
Ellyssa’s brow rose slightly.
“You’ve been here for almost a week. We’ve fed you, Doc healed you.”
She stared at him.
“Look, are others coming?” Rein asked. “None of us want to hurt you, but we will if it comes to that.” When she didn’t answer, he rose to his feet and hovered threateningly over the end of the bed.
In less than a heartbeat, Ellyssa’s training came to the forefront. No emotion, only self-preservation. Her muscles tightened, waiting to respond at a moment’s notice. If Rein attacked, she would kill him.
Unmoving, they glared at each other. Then Rein threw his arms in the air and plopped back down in the chair. The wheels squeaked under his weight.
The threat removed, Ellyssa eased back. Warily watching him, she reached into his mind. Although Rein’s face read anger, his insides felt worry, fear, and uncertainty for his friends and family. He couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to them. He cared for them.
She’d never cared for anybody, nor had the emotion been reciprocated. Not by her siblings. Especially not by her father. To him, she was nothing more than a disposable weapon.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He wheeled his chair over to the side of her bed. “Did you say something?”
“Yes, they will send others to find me,” she answered, a bit more loudly.
He frowned. “Are you from Germany?”
Ellyssa thought that to be a strange question. “No. Why?”
“Your accent.”
She shrugged.
“Hmm,” he said, leaning forward. “Are you part of a search team?”
“No. I escaped.”
He leaned closer. “You escaped?”
Rein’s closeness was unexpected. She could feel heat radiating off him. Strangely, her heartbeat quickened. She nodded.
“From where?”
“From The Center.”
Disbelief slackened his jaw, and he scratched the side of his head as if perplexed by an unanswerable question. “The Center? In Chicago? Are you kidding me?”
Ellyssa shook her head.
The next instant, fury contorted Rein’s features as he rose to his feet. He reached for her, but she was already
She polished off her juice and held the glass out to him.
“Are you hungry?”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded with more enthusiasm.
“I’ll get you something.” He hesitated, looking at Rein.
“As long as she stays in the bed, I won’t touch her.”
Doc raised an eyebrow.
“I promise. Okay?”
The doctor walked toward the opening. Before he stepped out, he glanced back.
Frustrated, Rein waved his hands. “Just go.”
“I’m trusting you,” he said, and disappeared into the corridor.
Ellyssa listened to the fading steps, her gaze turning toward Rein. He watched her with the same amount of intensity and distrust. His eyes raked over her, scrutinizing her, and his jaw clenched so tightly the tendons in his neck jerked. Tensing, Ellyssa scooted against her pillow.
She grasped for his mind and saw herself through his confusion, wondering who she was and why she was there. Although still frail-looking, and her hair comparable to a bird’s nest, her complexion was creamy again. Her strength was returning, and if needed, she could defend herself. His mind kept flashing to the night in the old store.
Never taking his eyes off her, Rein grabbed a chair and rolled it to the end of her cot, then took a seat. His arms, once again, crossed over his chest showing his tenseness, his distrust. He was much younger than she’d originally thought. Twenty, maybe twenty-one. Tanned, angular cheekbones, a straight nose, strong jawline, and hair that was a mess. Completely different than the males at The Center, Ellyssa found his dark features fascinating, attractive in a barbaric sort of way.
Her heart pattered.
“Who are you?” he asked.
She didn’t answer.
He blew out air and rubbed his temple. “Why are you here?” he tried again.
When she didn’t respond, he ran his fingers through his brown hair. “You’re rather irritating.”
Ellyssa’s brow rose slightly.
“You’ve been here for almost a week. We’ve fed you, Doc healed you.”
She stared at him.
“Look, are others coming?” Rein asked. “None of us want to hurt you, but we will if it comes to that.” When she didn’t answer, he rose to his feet and hovered threateningly over the end of the bed.
In less than a heartbeat, Ellyssa’s training came to the forefront. No emotion, only self-preservation. Her muscles tightened, waiting to respond at a moment’s notice. If Rein attacked, she would kill him.
Unmoving, they glared at each other. Then Rein threw his arms in the air and plopped back down in the chair. The wheels squeaked under his weight.
The threat removed, Ellyssa eased back. Warily watching him, she reached into his mind. Although Rein’s face read anger, his insides felt worry, fear, and uncertainty for his friends and family. He couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to them. He cared for them.
She’d never cared for anybody, nor had the emotion been reciprocated. Not by her siblings. Especially not by her father. To him, she was nothing more than a disposable weapon.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He wheeled his chair over to the side of her bed. “Did you say something?”
“Yes, they will send others to find me,” she answered, a bit more loudly.
He frowned. “Are you from Germany?”
Ellyssa thought that to be a strange question. “No. Why?”
“Your accent.”
She shrugged.
“Hmm,” he said, leaning forward. “Are you part of a search team?”
“No. I escaped.”
He leaned closer. “You escaped?”
Rein’s closeness was unexpected. She could feel heat radiating off him. Strangely, her heartbeat quickened. She nodded.
“From where?”
“From The Center.”
Disbelief slackened his jaw, and he scratched the side of his head as if perplexed by an unanswerable question. “The Center? In Chicago? Are you kidding me?”
Ellyssa shook her head.
The next instant, fury contorted Rein’s features as he rose to his feet. He reached for her, but she was already
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