He strode into the living room and dropped into a crouch in front of the armchair where Ramie was now sitting. "Thank you for this," he whispered, his voice rough. "I know I shouldn't ask this of you, that it's too much, but-"
"Stop," Ramie said softly. "You didn't ask. I volunteered. And it's not too much if we can make sure she's safe. I've been where she is, terrified and believing I had no one to turn to. I was proven wrong." She shot a loving look at her brooding husband. "Let's show Jenna she's wrong too."
Isaac swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping like hell Ramie understood the depth of his gratitude. He nodded, stood, then stepped away to give her space.
Ramie tentatively reached for the shirt, dread mirrored in her eyes despite her attempts to mask her expression. Then she sucked in a deep breath and closed her hands around the shirt, gripping it tightly as she closed her eyes. Long moments passed, Isaac's fear and sense of dread building with every second that ticked past. Then he saw her eyes start to move behind her closed lids as her fingers clenched the fabric tighter.
The color drained from Ramie's face, and it took everything Isaac had not to lunge across the room and start demanding answers. Only his previous experiences with Ramie's process kept him restrained, because he knew it could take time before she was able to provide any useful information.
Adrenaline coursed through his body, his hands trembling, muscles coiling into tight knots as he forced himself to stand still and quiet. He couldn't interrupt. It might break her connection to Jenna. Their only connection to Jenna.
Ramie's eyes suddenly flew open, and fear unlike any he'd ever seen was reflected there. Caleb moved even closer as she gasped. Then she spoke, the speech pattern familiar but not Ramie's. "Please, don't hurt me. Please. I'll do what you ask. Please." The last was a whimper, and Isaac fought not to drop to his knees as he realized he was hearing Jenna's words.
"Where are you, baby?" Isaac begged, no longer able to hold it in. "Just tell me where you are."
But Ramie's face remained strangely blank and he knew that his words were useless. Jenna wasn't here. She was someplace where she had to beg people not to hurt her and he couldn't stop it. He could only stand helplessly in the house where she should have been safe and pray that it wasn't too late.
Then Ramie fell back, slamming against the back of the sofa with astonishing force. A cry of pain split the air and to the equal horror of both Isaac and Caleb, a large handprint appeared, bright red against the alarming pallor of Ramie's face. She staggered to the side, tilting precariously as Caleb lunged forward to catch her, hauling her into his arms to cradle her against his chest. He began softly running his hands through her hair, telling her he was there and begging her to come back to him.
Isaac stood paralyzed in fear and rage. What the fuck had just happened? He stared in shock at the vivid mark on Ramie's cheek. Was this what Jenna-his angel-was enduring while he stood here helpless to do anything but watch through the eyes of another? Tears burned like acid and for a moment, he had to look away from Ramie as she huddled, looking so fragile, in her husband's arms, or he feared losing the tenuous grip on his sanity.
He forced his gaze back to her, so choked up he wasn't sure he could even speak. He attempted to open his mouth to ask where the fuck Jenna was, but Caleb's sharp glare cut him off.
"Not now," he hissed, clearly incensed at the abuse his wife had suffered, even secondhand. His hands ran over her body as if checking for any hidden injury or evidence of pain and then he buried his face in her hair, tears glistening in his own eyes as he rocked her gently back and forth in his arms. "Just give her a goddamn minute!"
"No, we need to hurry," Ramie said urgently, the fear in her voice sending shards of panic down Isaac's spine. "She's so scared. And she should be. I know exactly where she is." She lifted eyes swimming with tears to implore Isaac. "It's not far, but they plan to move her soon. We have to go now!"
SIXTEEN
JENNA lay limply on the cold, hard floor in the room where she'd been carelessly tossed an hour ago, her hands and feet bound so tightly that she'd long lost feeling in them. She drew her knees up, her movements stiff and awkward as she tried to infuse any warmth possible into her numb body.
Her head ached from the harsh blow she'd received, but thankfully they'd been more concerned with ensuring her captivity so they could plan to move to a more remote location. One not very far from where she'd been with Isaac and the other DSS members.