A steady, repetitive tick-tock slowly wormed its way through the haze of Sophie’s slumber. She groaned and slowly peeled her eyes open. They were crusty with sleep and her vision was a little blurry.

Sophie was resting limply in a semi-upright position, with the side of her face flopped against one arm. She flushed a little when she realized she was drooling down it. She sat up and hastily wiped her mouth, and then her arm on the side of her shirt. It was already a mess of sweat and dust and flecks of dried blood anyway. Though she hoped for an opportunity to change soon. It would be nice to feel fresh again, though she had no idea where she was or what was planned. There might not be time to wish for such a simple thing.

Her blindfold was gone, as were the restraints for her wrists, and she looked across the couch to see Lewis slumped against the armrest with one leg dangling off haphazardly. If he rolled at all in his sleep, he would fall to the floor. Thankfully, he seemed to still be in the clutches of deep sleep. He was no longer blindfolded or restrained either, and someone had taken care to prop his cast arm up so that it wouldn’t get jostled.

Sophie frowned as she pushed herself upright. She was ready for some answers. She rubbed her eyes to clear the remnants of slumber from them and then looked around. The room was rather small, with light gray walls and a cream carpet floor. The couch they were on was a creamy brown felt, and there was a small oak coffee table set before them that had a platter of assorted tea biscuits and small snacks on it. They looked like they came from a box, but it was still a strangely professional, welcoming gesture. Sophie didn’t care for that. She didn’t trust whoever seemed to have taken an interest in them and was tired of sugared words and false gestures that failed to conceal the bulging underbelly of twisted intentions. She’d rather they just be upfront about it from the start.

The room also had a very tiny kitchenette with a stove, sink, and small fridge, and a table with four chairs. Directly across from the couch were two matching armchairs. One of them was occupied and Sophie’s eyes narrowed as she scowled at the occupant.

Lukshia was sitting twisted to one side with her legs pulled up onto the seat with her. She had one arm resting on her knee, and she looked casual, almost comfortable, in a light gray tank-top and some thin black leggings. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a ponytail. Her lips pulled into a grin that showed off her pearly teeth when she caught Sophie looking. “Did you sleep alright?” she inquired.

Sophie bit down on her tongue to keep from growling outright. “Cut the crap, Lukshia, I’m not in the mood,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

Lukshia’s smile faltered and her expression grew solemn. “You have every right to be upset,” she acknowledged. “You feel betrayed and manhandled, and a lot has happened against your will. I would be angry too. And I know I’ve played a role in a lot of that, and I don’t expect you to want to tolerate or associate with me again after this, but I do need you to be civil just a little longer.”

Sophie snorted and shook her head. “Civil? You can’t honestly be asking me to play nice, right? Because after everything we’ve been through, after everything you’ve done, what possible reason could you provide to justify a request like that?” She scoffed and shook her head. “I’m done playing nice and I’m more than ready for some answers. Where the hell are we right now?”

Lukshia shook her head. “Sophie, I’m not refusing to give you answers because I’m enjoying being coy or playing some power game with you. This is not my gig. I’m just the delivery person at this point. I’m not the one to give you answers. Just relax, someone will be in soon to talk with you both.”

Sophie sighed and leaned back against the couch. She glanced at Lewis again, but he seemed to still be under the effects of the sedatives they’d been given. She didn’t want to wait any longer, but she already knew Lukshia was stubborn and impassive. She wouldn’t get anything out of the woman that she didn’t already intend to offer up. “Then why are you still here?” she asked finally.

Lukshia shrugged and tilted her head. Her lips pulled into a wide grin. “Moral support?” she offered.

Sophie shook her head. “Yeah, you’re pretty low on my list of choices for that,” she deadpanned.

Lukshia chuckled in response. “Then perhaps ‘babysitter’ is a better term to use,” she relented.

Sophie pursed her lips and hummed in the back of her throat. She was getting exceptionally tired of being treated this way. She felt like she had been convicted and everyone was taking extra precautions around her, and yet, she had committed no crime. It was exhausting and infuriating.

She leaned over and placed a hand on Lewis’ shoulder. “Lewis,” she called softly as she shook him. She wasn’t sure if her efforts would amount to anything, but she would feel better knowing Lewis was both alright and alert.

He grunted in his sleep and his nose scrunched. When he opened his eyes, Lewis’ brows furrowed and he groggily pushed himself up. “Where are we?” he slurred.

Sophie patted his shoulder and shook her head. “I’m not sure,” she replied bitterly. “Lukshia has not been very forthcoming about our location.” She fixed the other woman with another glare. Lukshia had done a lot for them initially and Sophie had quite liked her, despite some of her more brazen, intimidating qualities. But all of that had been squashed underfoot when Lukshia betrayed them. As far as Sophie was concerned, Lukshia was directly responsible for a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering, and she would never forgive her for that.

Lewis scowled too and cleared his throat. “I think – all things considered – you at least owe us some answers,” he growled. He stabbed a finger in Lukshia’s direction as he spoke.

“I suppose I do,” Lukshia agreed with a dip of her head. “But not just yet. You have other matters far more pressing that need to be discussed. After that, we’ll chat.”

Sophie placed a hand on Lewis’ chest as he growled and muttered something under his breath. His dark eyes were glittering dangerously and with poorly concealed fury, and his good hand was clenched into a tight fist. He looked like he wanted to strangle Lukshia.

“Lewis…I think you probably would have had better odds against Mitch,” Sophie admitted. She didn’t like it, but Lukshia was all corded muscle and reflex. She hadn’t seen the woman in hand-to-hand or any other form of physical combat, but she had no doubts that with her line of work, Lukshia could kill easily and was more than capable of defending herself. “You can’t take her in a fight.”

Lukshia shook her head and pursed her lips. “No, neither of you could,” she agreed with a casual shrug. “But I’ll tell you what, Lewis; play nice for now and when all this is over, I’ll let you have a free swing at me.”

Lewis grumbled something else under his breath but didn’t say anything more. Instead, he laced his hand in Sophie’s and they fell into an awkward, tense silence. Lewis continued to glower and Lukshia met his gaze impassively.

Their stalemate was finally broken when there was a knock on the closed door. There was a polite pause and then the handle turned and the door swung inwards. A woman walked through. She was rather young, with reddish-brown hair and caramel brown eyes. Her skin was a dark mocha shade and she was wearing a pressed, gray pantsuit. She smiled brightly as she crossed the room. “Sorry about the wait,” she stated. “And I apologize for the circumstances that you’ve been brought here under. But it is a pleasure to meet you both. My name’s Devin.”

She extended a hand out to Sophie, who blinked in surprise. She had not been expecting something like this. After a moment of hesitation, Sophie took the woman’s hand. She probably had close to ten years on Devin, but the younger woman had been perfectly professional and friendly, and Sophie had no reason yet to be rude, though she still felt uncertain. “Sophie Brooks,” she replied.

Devin nodded and swung her hand out to Lewis. He seemed just as hesitant, but clasped her hand and gave it a shake. “Lewis Patter. Now, forgive my bluntness, but it’s been a long couple of days and I’d really like some answers now.”

Devin nodded. “I understand and I apologize for the cloak and daggers reception you’ve had so far, and for everything you’ve both been through. It sounds like it’s been a rough few weeks. I’ll be happy to answer any questions either of you might have, but I need a little bit more time. There’s a lot to talk about, but we’re waiting on my brother. In the meantime, I want to assure you both that no one here means you any harm and you’re not prisoners. If you don’t like anything you hear when we talk, you’re free to walk out the door at any point, but I would encourage you to hear us out, alright? While we’re waiting on Carson, would you want to freshen up? It might help you both feel a bit better, and the bathroom is just through that door there.” Devin paused to indicate. “There are some fresh clothes too. Hopefully, they’ll fit alright.”

Sophie remained silent as she stared up at Devin from her seated position. The woman seemed kind enough and Sophie was eager to get cleaned up a bit after everything that they’d been through, but she had been burned too frequently the past few months, even by one of the people in the room, that this new, unknown player in the game made her nervous. She wasn’t prepared to jump up and accept the offerings with trust and gratitude. Too much more of that behaviour was liable to get her and her loved ones killed; if it hadn’t already.

She probably sat frozen like that for a full minute or two before Lewis cleared his throat and stood up. “We’d appreciate that, thank you.” He stepped in front of Sophie and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Come on,” he urged.

Her attention snapped to him as he spoke and then she shook her head. He’s startled her out of her deer-in-headlights freeze, but the moment he did, she felt panic begin to set in and her heart began racing in her chest. She shook her head. “No, Lewis. I-I don’t think that’s such a good-”

Lewis cut her off by gently clearing his throat. “Soph, you’ve been saying you want to get cleaned up for three days. If we have to wait for answers either way, now is as good a time as any. Come on,” he urged as he pulled up on her arm. “Stand up.”

Sophie hesitated further. She didn’t want to leave or wind up trapped in the bathroom if Devin turned on them. Lewis tugged her again and she relented. There was something in his gaze that made her think there was more to this than simply getting a shower. She stood up and then immediately slumped against Lewis and brought a hand to her head with a groan.

“Are you okay?” Lewis inquired. His grip on her arm tightened to help hold her up.

Sophie was silent for a few moments as she waited for her vision to clear and the dizziness that had swept over her to fade away. Then she nodded. “I’m okay,” she whispered with a wince. “I just stood up too fast.”

Lewis shifted to drape his arm across her shoulders and hold her closer. His fingers squeezed her opposite shoulder and she sighed softly. For a moment, she didn’t care if the other two saw a moment of weakness as she leaned into him. “Can you walk?” he whispered in her ear.

Sophie nodded and licked her lips. “Yes,” she replied. “I really am alright. I just moved too suddenly, that’s all.”

Lewis nodded. “Alright, let’s go then. I’ll help you get freshened up.”

Sophie tilted her head and quirked a brow at him. “Is this some poor attempt at a slick excuse to watch me shower?”

Lewis coughed and shook his head. “Of course not,” he protested.

Sophie snickered at his sputtering and elbowed him. “It’s okay,” she teased. “I’d forgive you for it.”

Lewis kissed her brow and clucked his tongue. “You are being cruel,” he scolded. “You’ve been hanging around Riley too long. She’d have found that funny too.”

“Oh, probably,” Sophie agreed as they began walking towards the bathroom. She felt a twinge in her chest at the mention of the cheeky blonde. She was beginning to feel overwhelmingly heartsick at being away from them for so long.

“Do you need any help?” Devin inquired as they made their way around the table and to the bathroom doorway.

Lewis shook his head. “We’re fine, thanks.”

“If you do need anything, just holler. And take your time; there’s no rush.”

Lewis thanked her again before pulling the bathroom door closed behind them. Sophie sighed with relief once they were out of sight. It wasn’t that Devin seemed particularly threatening or troublesome, but Sophie was tired of having to look over her shoulder and be wary of everyone that she met. It was nice to just be away from prying eyes for a few seconds, even if that was all she got.

Lewis released his hold on her and walked over to the bathtub in the room. “How do you feel about a bath?” he suggested. “You won’t have to stand that way. I’m worried about these dizzy spells.”

“I just got a little headrush, Lewis,” Sophie assured him. “I’ve been doing better. No headaches yet today.”

“I’m still allowed to fuss over you,” Lewis reminded. “And don’t pretend like you wouldn’t do the same in the reverse.”

“I would,” Sophie relented. “Still, at this point, I feel like I’d be just bathing in mud. I’d rather just shower quickly. We’re going to need something to wrap your cast with so you can do the same. Unless you want a bath?”

Lewis chuckled and shook his head. “No, I’m just going to wash my face and get some clean clothes. I’d rather have some answers as soon as possible.”

Sophie hummed in agreement. There were towels in a basket on the floor by the vanity, so she grabbed one to set on the little ledge just outside the confines of the bathtub, then began to undress. She knew they had more pressing issues, but she desperately wanted a chance to scrub herself clean and hoped a hot shower would help revitalize her and allow her to focus better on the continued trials she expected were still to come.

It only took her a moment to notice how Lewis was purposefully finding a corner of the bathroom to busy himself in and she sighed softly. “Lewis, unless you’ve changed your mind in the last forty-eight hours, I still want to marry you, it’s okay,” she reminded him. “I was only joking before.”

Lewis crossed the room and cupped her face in both hands, despite how it had to hurt his broken arm. He kept his gaze trained on her face and kissed her tenderly, and she eagerly returned the gesture. “I haven’t changed my mind. I know it’s ‘okay’, and Sophie, you’re beautiful. I would be insane not to want a look now and again. But you’re also my best friend, the woman I love and want to spend the rest of my life with, and I have far more respect for you than to ogle at you showering. Especially at a time like this, after everything we’ve been through. Get cleaned up, try to relax, and just take a moment. I’ll be over at the sink washing up if you need any help, okay?”

Sophie felt tears prick in her eyes and she kissed him instead of responding. She was constantly being reminded of how special he was, how lucky she was felt around him, and just how deeply she’d fallen in love with him. “I won’t be long,” she assured him when she broke the kiss.

Lewis shook his head. “Take your time. They can wait.”

Sophie smiled and nodded. She finished getting undressed and stepped into the tub basin. Sophie pulled the shower curtain closed and then turned on the water. It felt wonderful to have the warm spray soak over her body and she tilted her face into the stream. For a few minutes, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything but stand there and let the water run. After everything else, it was heavenly.

When she finally brought herself to move, she took a look at the shampoo bottles. She selected on and set to work. There was immense satisfaction at getting to finally scrub her hair really well and wash her body free of all the sweat and stress of the last few weeks. Ever since Katie had gotten sick, it had been one thing after the other, and she had only been doing the bare minimum to keep herself going. It had taken a toll and she knew she needed to step back just long enough to get herself on her feet before diving back into the fray and doing whatever was necessary to help her kids.

As she was showering, she heard Lewis pull a stool over and then saw his shadow fall against the curtain as he sat down. “What are you thinking?” he asked solemnly.

Sophie sighed and pursed her lips as she ran her fingers through her hair to lather in the soap. “I don’t know yet,” she admitted. “I don’t trust Lukshia – I won’t make that mistake again – and it makes me uneasy that she’s here. I don’t know about Devin, but she loses points for having hired Lukshia in the first place. If she’s just following orders, that means it was these people who wanted us drugged and dragged here after being held hostage for a few days. But at the same time, it’s possible that Lukshia was acting on her own agenda with simply the instruction to get us here. Devin might not know she’s not trustworthy. I want to see the best in people, but I don’t know what to believe anymore.” She leaned her head back under the water spray to begin rinsing her hair.

“I know what you mean,” Lewis lamented. He sounded tired. “Devin did mention we were free to leave at any time.”

Sophie shrugged, then realized he couldn’t see her. “Unless that was just something she said to placate us. We’ve been dealing with people lately whose moral compasses are rather broken. I wouldn’t put it past them not to just lie to us.”

“Only one way to find out,” Lewis mused. “Do you want to hear them out first?”

“I’m not feeling very tolerant,” Sophie admitted.

“We might regret later if we don’t try to get some answers now, though,” Lewis pointed out.

Sophie shut the water off and began wringing some of the water out of her hair. “I suppose,” she relented. “You’re right, we should; I’m just being bitter. But I’m tired of playing games. I want some solid answers and right away or we should walk out. We’ve allowed everyone else to dictate the rules for far too long now. I refuse to do it any longer.”

She grabbed the towel she’d left on the ledge and rubbed her hair down with it before wrapping it around her torso and stepping from the bathtub.

Lewis stood up as she did. He was wearing a pair of dark, ripped jeans and a red and black plaid, collared t-shirt that looked so out of place on him that Sophie had to bite back a chuckle. She walked past him to the vanity where a second set of clean clothes was lying folded up and waiting. She tugged on a pair of jeans and then shook out the pearl-hued blouse that was folded with them. The jeans were a little snug, but Sophie appreciated that the clothes picked out were a pleasant cross between comfortable and nice. She didn’t feel in the mood for anything fancy or professional, but it did feel good not to be tugging on oversized hoodies or stained tees.

She found a brush and ran it through her still drying locks before they curled into a knotted mess. After a moment of debate, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and adjusted the hem of the shirt.

She felt crisp and clean, and a whole lot better than she had twenty minutes ago. Turning to face Lewis, she set her jaw and reached out to take his hand as she made her way towards the door. “Let’s get some answers.”

He nodded and took her hand, and they exited the bathroom together.

In the time they’d been gone, Lukshia had plucked up a magazine and Devin had taken a seat on the other available armchair. They both looked up when Sophie and Lewis re-entered. There was also a new person in the room. A tall younger man with gelled back sprigs of black hair. He shared his sister’s skin tone and dark eyes and was wearing a dark gray suit with a maroon tie. A pair of rectangular glasses sat on the bridge of his nose and he adjusted them before taking a step forward.

“Hello,” he greeted in a warm, deep tone. “My name’s Carson Hughes. I’m sorry to have held our meeting up, I had some business that needed attending first. I hope you’re both feeling a bit more refreshed now?”

Sophie took a breath and nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

“We have a lot to talk about,” Carson acknowledged. “But first, can I offer either of you some refreshments? I imagine it’s been quite the day, but I assure you there’s no need for tension or concerns. Feel free to relax.”

Lewis shook his head. “No. Thank you, but no,” he replied stonily. “Sophie and I aren’t looking to kick back and have a drink, and forgive my hostility, but we’re more than a little weary, both of all the unwanted travel and of people trying to control what we do.”

Carson pursed his lips and nodded. “I’m sorry you’ve been made to feel that way. I understand what you’ve been through and why you’re feeling this way, but-”

“No,” Sophie interrupted with a toss of her head. “Sorry, but you don’t have a damned clue what we’ve been through or what it’s been like. Now I appreciate that for the first time in the last few months, you’re people involved that actually have some decency and manners, but that doesn’t negate the fact that you still dragged us here against our wills. What makes it worse is that you had her do it.” Sophie paused to jab a finger at Lukshia. “Who I certainly hope you aren’t depending on too much beyond this because the only reliable track record I’ve experienced with her is for treachery and getting innocent people captured and injured. For weeks I’ve been trying to play peacekeeper and mediator, and have walked on eggshells to prevent my life from falling into chaos, and I’m tired. My patience has run dry, so unless you can tell me who the hell you are, where we are, and what you want with us, right now, I think we’re going to take our leave, okay?” she growled.

Devin rose from her seat as Sophie finished speaking. “We hear you, Sophie,” she stated. “I promised you answers and I intend to keep that promise. My brother and I don’t mean you any harm. You’re in a secure location and I know you’re not going to like this answer, but I can’t give you the details on where exactly just yet. But we don’t want anything with you or from you. Bringing you here was always part of the plan, but the way things went was not intended. You complicated things by running away and put us in more of a jam when you got into that accident. We had to improvise and I’m sorry that you and Lewis have suffered in the process, but I implore a little more patience from you. You’ll understand everything soon, I promise. For now, just know that you’re in no danger. I’d like you both to take a walk with us. There are a few things you need to see and we’ll explain everything on the way.”