Free Rise of Hope by Kaily Hart Page B

like an expensive pet while unimaginable, unfathomable things had been done to her, but she’d never worried about where she would sleep, how she’d eat, how she’d survive day to day. Until she’d hatched her plan of course.
    “Why did you tell me all that?”
    His gaze met hers. Direct, hot and it sent a sharp jolt into her abdomen.
    “You’re not alone, Devon.” His voice was deep and seemed to reverberate inside her, kicking her heartbeat into a galloping staccato that made her breathless. “Not anymore.”
    Oh God. She’d wanted answers, wanted to know where she belonged, but she’d gotten a whole lot more than she could have imagined.
    “What do you think they did to me, Seth?”
    He didn’t move, seemed as if he didn’t react, but his dark eyes flashed, the pulse near his temple throbbed. “Maybe nothing.”
    “You don’t believe that.”
    “No,” he sighed. “But it doesn’t do any good to dwell on it. It’s over. You’re safe now. If anyone can get to the bottom of it, Noah can.”
    But perhaps the knowing would be worse, so much worse. Maybe it was best to always wonder, but never really know for sure? Perhaps knowing wouldn’t serve any purpose.
    Devon looked out over the beautifully manicured grounds, past the magnificent palms out to the open water of the bay. She’d already learned it was deceptive—the openness, the sense of space, of freedom. Perhaps that was the cruelest reality of all.
    They were discreet, low key, but they were everywhere, especially out here. Cameras, motion detectors, and who knew what else? And men. Guards patrolled the grounds, guards with weapons, predatory, dangerous, ever alert. Despite how long she’d watched, their movements weren’t predictable, there was no schedule she’d been able to figure out and their focus was almost tangible—particularly on her whenever she’d ventured out here.
    It was all so…familiar.
    She turned back to Seth. He wasn’t looking at the view. His gaze was trained on her. “I can’t just leave whenever I want. Can I?”
    Seth frowned. “Devon—”
    “I can’t, can I?”
    He sighed, ran his hand around the back of his neck. “Look, I—”
    “That’s what I thought.” She looked away from him, closed her eyes briefly because she’d seen what was in his eyes.
    “No one’s going to hurt you here, Devon. Ever. The Assembly will never get their hands on you again. You’ll be safe. Protected.”
    His voice sounded as if it came from a great distance. How many times had she heard that? Each and every time she’d pleaded, begged, cried to be allowed out, to go somewhere , experience something . It had always been “no.” Always for her protection, for her own good, so that she’d be “safe.”
    How could she even hope to make him understand? How could anyone? She took a deep breath, knowing she’d have to force the words out through a throat clenched tight, but she’d try. At least she could say she tried.
    “You know, when I was younger, I had an ‘I’ve never’ list. It contained all the things I’d never done, never seen, never experienced.”
    “Devon—”
    “While others might have wanted to visit exotic locations, experience fantastic sights, dream of the impossible, I wanted to be able to go out to eat in a restaurant, learn how to drive, have a best friend.” She swallowed. “Kiss a boy.”
    “Christ, Devon…”
    “It got to be so long,” she whispered, knowing her voice was about to give out. “I stopped adding to it.”
    Rather than be a wish list, it had become a cruel reminder of what she’d never attain, a mockery of everything she’d ever dreamed of. Until the mere wishing itself became too painful.
    “I’m sorry,” Seth swallowed. “I am, but…” He shook his head.
    They may or may not have her best interests at heart, but she’d just swapped one decorative cage for another, had become someone else’s property, their responsibility, something to be protected at all