Dakota's Pride

Chapter 3. A Time To Heal

For the next five days all Hannah could do was eat and sleep. Once she'd gotten over the initial shock of everything that had happened to her, her body seemed determined to keep her into a near coma until it healed. Dakota was always there, bringing her food, feeding her, cleaning and changing her bandages. He kept putting some green icky looking stuff on her face which she tried to protest at first until she realized whatever it was took away the pain and the itching and made it all better for her. Afterwards, she could care less what it was, hell it could have been marijuana for all she knew and she would have gladly accepted the relief it gave from her suffering.

He barely talked. He was quiet when he took care of her. He didn't do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. He seemed to know she needed the quietness to gather her thoughts, to adjust to this new environment. He wasn't her only visitor though. The few times when she was awake for at least an hour Ebony came to check on her and keep her company.

She was beginning to like Ebony. She was funny and confident and strong, everything she'd forgotten how to be. It was Ebony who helped her into the bathtub so she could clean herself. It was Ebony who asked her size and returned with new clothes for her to wear. They'd thrown the bloodied and torn white slave dress she'd worn during her escape into the fireplace in the room and watched with gleeful satisfaction as it burned.

"The end of your old life," Ebony had told her. "And the beginning of your new one."

Hannah had stared at her. Had she really obtained her freedom or was this just another form of slavery in disguise? "I can leave anytime right?" she'd asked Ebony to see if she really meant what she said about freedom.

"Once you've healed," Ebony told her. "Although I don't know why you would want to leave. This is the safest place in the world and I have a feeling you wouldn't do too well in the world as you are now..."

"How hard can it be to pick up where I left off?" Hannah asked even though she knew she was right.

Ebony hadn't answer her. She knew she didn't need to.

Once one of the men who wasn't Dakota came in to visit her and she'd nearly thrown a fit. If Dakota hadn't taken his knife back, she'd probably thrown it at him. The French guy had apologized and quickly left. Since then Ebony had kept all the men away from her even Nikolas who brought her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The only person allowed in her presence was Dakota.

Hannah stood up, two more days had passed making it a full week she'd been cooped up in Dakota's room. She felt better, she wasn't exhausted anymore and could actually stand on her own without help. She stared down at the bandages on her arms and began to take them off. The cuts weren't that deep, not like they were on her face. Her arms had healed quickly thanks to Dakota. She supposed she had a lot to thank him for, but she still barely knew him and even though he'd done so much for her and had treated her kindly, she still couldn't trust him, not completely....

Now that her body had fully healed, she was sure the truth of what they wanted from her would finally be exposed. The world was not a nice place. It was filled with manipulative people all wanting to take advantage of her in some way and these people were a group of assassins who wanted her to think she was safe. The idea was quite laughable.

She stepped out of her room for the first time noticing the building was definitely high tech with glass walls that showed her the different items behind them. One room was all guns, another held every knife she could think of and then some, another room was filled with chains, leathers straps, and metal balls the size of man's hand. She stopped and stared wondering what on earth was it for and hopefully it wouldn't be used on her.

Someone's footsteps echoed through the hallway. She took off running around the corner and discovered an elevator. Jumping in it, she pushed the button to the first floor and thought maybe she'd just escape this place that is if they didn't catch her first. If they didn't, perhaps she'd leave a thank you note, thanking them for taking care of her, she didn't want to be rude even if she didn't trust them.