Wounded Angel (The Earth Angels) - By Stacy Gail Page 0,27
up the loose ends of Claudine Pierpont-Rainier’s life.”
“Is that what I am? A loose end?”
“You’re the woman who stopped the vile creature that was masquerading as this woman’s grandson—her words, not mine, according to Archibald. It was her final wish to show you that at least one member of her family felt grief over your suffering, rather than the social embarrassment you dared to cause by surviving. Honestly, I don’t think the rest of the Rainier clan ever forgave you for outing their psycho for all the world to see.”
That wasn’t exactly a newsflash. “I’m surprised by this Claudine woman. I’d pretty much assumed the Rainier family was too insulated by their privilege and wealth to feel such common emotions like guilt.”
“I suspect most of them are.”
“None of this matters anyway,” Ella decided after a moment, waving a hand. “I don’t want a dime of Rainier money. Give it to the other survivor, Jasmine Sims. I’m sure she can put it to good use.”
Nate stilled. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Ella.” He reached over to the hand she’d dropped to the table and held onto it as if he feared she’d slip away. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Jasmine Sims passed away in the nursing home her family had placed her in after her ordeal.”
“She’s dead?” It was amazing, how the light could leak out of the world without anyone else noticing. For an instant it was as though she was back in Charles Rainier’s mountain cabin of horrors with the hand of despair closing a fist around her soul. “That’s... I don’t understand. Jasmine’s my age. I know she was catatonic, but that was from a severe psychological break, not physiological damage. She should have lived for decades.”
“Apparently there was a medication mix-up and she was overdosed with insulin. I know Jasmine’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, but it’s expected to be settled out of court.”
“So that’s it? She’s just...dead.” Ella looked at his large hand gripping hers and wondered why she couldn’t find the strength to pull away from the engulfing warmth and reassuring solidity of it. “Well. I guess there was no point in my carrying her out of there.”
“Shut up.”
Her gaze bounced up to his, surprised at the fire burning through his tone.
“That was a dumbass thing to say. You saved her. You saved yourself. You fought for life at every turn and on every level, and you never once gave in or gave up hope. Don’t you dare give up now.”
Ella sat frozen, for once at a loss for words. But she couldn’t help it. It was as though Nate somehow knew that an almost maddened determination to not be another one of Charles Rainier’s victims was the only thing that had kept her going through those two nightmarish days. She’d never shared her belief that she’d managed to survive through willpower alone, so it unsettled her that this man seemed to instinctively know that about her. Unsettling, because most of what she knew about him had been built on the foundation of a lie. If that wasn’t being at a disadvantage, she didn’t know what was.
“I’m not giving up. I never give up.” Her chin came up, her gaze going to war with his. “And you’re right, that was a dumbass thing to say. Forget I said anything.”
“Said what?”
She snorted and slipped her hand from his on the excuse of making room for the waitress, who deposited their matching orders of espresso in front of them. “At least I can take comfort that it wasn’t Charles Rainier who took Jasmine’s life,” she said when they were alone once more. “I couldn’t save Lana Dever or Brooke Swenson. They were too far gone by the time I was abducted and chained to a wall. But his evil didn’t take Jasmine. Not completely. I made sure I got her out.”
“And yourself.” One of his massive hands closed over the espresso cup that appeared doll-like by comparison. His other hand rested on the edge of the table, bunched into a fist that looked like it yearned to find something to smash into a bloody pulp. “Damn. If only I could reach into hell to get to that son of a bitch.”
“Why? It’s over. He’s gone.”
“I want to make him more gone.” Then he shook his head and seemed to force himself to calmly sip his drink. “You’re going to have to think about how you want to do this, Ella. If you