Page 43 of Deep Within Me
“So what?” She said to her father, “Even if I deplete myself to the point of death, you can keep reanimating me.”
“No fucking way,” Zeke said. “We don’t know if it will work a hundred times or even once more. We can’t take that chance.”
She seemed surprised and concerned, as if she’d never considered such a complication, though not for long. “Surely there’s a way around this. You need me. If you get hurt or…” She covered her mouth with her hand, clearly unable to finish, horror in her eyes.
Zeke softened his tone. “It’s all right. Nothing’s going to happen to me. Your father’s here. He can—”
“No.” She dropped her hand. “What if he can’t?”
“I’m old,” Munez said, “but I do have a few more years left.”
Liz made a sound filled with heartache. Her eyes got shiny. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever even think it, please. There must be something I—we can do so I can still use my gift.”
Zeke considered what he’d thought of earlier. When he had a chance, he’d present his plan to her and Jacob. Now wasn’t the time. “We’ll work on it.” He went to the door and spoke to Liz. “Stay here until one of my men comes for you.” Zeke glanced at her father.
The older man nodded that he understood and would make certain she obeyed.
“Wait,” she protested.
“I can’t.” Zeke closed the door on her and joined Jacob in the hall.
His brother leaned close and whispered, “What went on in there? Did you tell her she couldn’t heal anymore?”
“Yeah.”
“How’d she take it?”
“Not well.”
“I can imagine. So what does happen when she heals now?”
Zeke felt wearier than he ever had. As succinctly as he could, he explained the problem to Jacob.
His brother looked like a man who’d just been given a death sentence by his doctor. “Is she all right now?”
“She’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t heal again.”
“Ever? What if something happens to her father? Can he heal himself?”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
Jacob muttered an obscenity. “We have to fix this.”
“I’m working on it. Where are the prisoners?”
Jacob stared at the door to Munez’s room, worry, yearning, frustration playing across his features.
Zeke elbowed him. Jacob frowned. “What?”
“Our prisoners. Where are they?”
He regarded the closed door once more. Liz said something, her voice muted. Her father answered, his words also impossible to understand. “One of the safe rooms,” Jacob mumbled.
“I want to see them. Come on.” Zeke took his brother’s arm and led him down the hall. Twice, Jacob glanced over his shoulder at the room.
Zeke suppressed a sigh. Jacob in lust was bad enough. Jacob in love and worried was almost too awful to see. “What’s been going on with the prisoners?”
“Nothing.”