Page 105 of Silver Fire
“Beth. She…she nee..needs help. Oh god…” Sophie stuttered. Adrenaline withdrawal. “I think I killed him, Derek.” A huge teardrop fell from one eye.
White-hot fury surged through him. “He fucking deserved it, Sophie. Don’t, for a minute, regret what you did.”
Maia was leaning down, checking the vitals on Beth. “She's burning up, we need to take her to a hospital.”
“I’ll take her.” Manning offered as he approached them. He bent down and carefully lifted Beth off the ground and Sophie reluctantly let go.
“I’ll come,” Sophie said. Derek grasped her around the waist to help her up and was further relieved when she snuggled close to him. He had visions of seeing Sophie all catatonic, but she was surprisingly responsive. Most importantly, he finally had his arms around his woman.
“Sophie, we need to get you cleaned up,” Derek told her gently.
“But—”
“I’ll stay with Beth,” Maia said. “Derek’s right. But …” The female Guardian looked at Derek uncomfortably. He knew exactly what his friend was thinking because the possibility had weighed heavily on his mind for the past 72 hours. “Maybe we should get a doctor to check you out first.”
“I don’t need a doctor,” Sophie frowned.
Maia cleared her throat. “Um, Sophie, did Bishop ever…”
Sophie finally realized what Maia was getting at, her eyes widening in horror. “No! He tried to, that’s why…” She heaved violently. “He…he was going to. I had to—”
“Maia can we not discuss this now?” Derek said sharply. “I’m taking her to the condo and we’ll go straight to the hospital from there. Text me the location.”
Without another word, he ushered Sophie out of the field.
* * *
Sophie pausedin front of the entryway. Derek noticed she had stiffened when they had gotten off the elevator. He sighed. It would have to be quick, like yanking the proverbial Band-Aid off a scab.
“I don’t want to be here,” Sophie said quietly. “I know it’s petty given the circumstances. Maybe you should have taken me to AGS.”
He was not about to argue with her in the hallway. He unlocked the door and pulled her in. Closing the door firmly behind her, Derek backed her against the door gently. Leaning in, he said, “It wasn’t what you thought.”
“I saw you and Layla with my own eyes, Derek,” Sophie said wearily, her head was bowed. “Look, I’m grateful you came after me—”
“It was a set-up, Angel,” Derek said softly.
Her forehead furrowed in confusion as her eyes snapped to his. “I don’t understand.”
“Somehow Bishop had managed to give me Rohypnol and Sildenafil citrate.”
“Viagra?” A twinkle of amusement sparkled in her gray eyes.
“Yeah. Somehow he hacked through Blackstone’s phone to send those pictures of Layla and me. We played right into his trap,” Derek added quickly. He continued filling her in on what had happened, watching the struggle of emotions playing across her face.
“You had her pressed against the wall,” Sophie reminded him.
“I was telling her that I was with you,” Derek said roughly. “That was the only way I could get her attention. For her to leave me alone.”
Sophie shook her head and pushed past him. “I’m sorry Derek, I need time to process this. I can’t get the image of her—”
“I understand,” Derek said quietly. “I couldn’t get the image of your face when you saw us, and I hate I was the one who put that look on your face.”
Sophie nodded, walked to his room and shut the door behind her.
* * *
Sophie letthe steaming hot spray of the shower wash the grit, dirt and blood from her body and hair. She couldn’t seem to get clean enough. Flashes of Justin moving on top of her before she stabbed him with the screwdriver kept replaying in her head. She killed a man, watching his eyes bug out in shock, crimson warm liquid shooting out from his neck and quickly drenching her upper body and dripping down her legs when she scrambled to stand up. Sophie didn’t know why killing Justin bothered her more than when she threw that IED that took out the assailants in the lab.