BROKEN COURAGE (Broken Redemption Book 3)

Chapter 32

Emilia

"Baby, you need to eat something." When she shakes her head again, refusing to take a single bite, it takes a heaping dose of extra effort to tamp down the frustration bubbling inside me.

It's not her I'm mad at. After what she's been through, I don't blame her one bit for not having an appetite. The thing is, it's been hours since she last consumed anything. The last meal I fed them was breakfast, and we were abducted sometime around mid-morning. After spending several hours drifting in and out of consciousness, by my estimation—plus the fact the small light bulb is still on—it must be evening. Likely close to sunset, which means I'm running out of time. We could be plunged back into darkness at any moment, and once that happens, I doubt she'll eat or drink a thing.

Readjusting the wrapper around the cold sandwich, I choke up at the sight of the T&J Sweets logo. As if our circumstances weren't terrifying enough, knowing the men who abducted us paid a visit to Jen's bakery sends a tremor through my body. No doubt it's a calculated move. Kessler's way of making it clear he's in total control while proving he has access to destroy everything and everyone I love.

"Baby, I need you to listen to me, okay?" I attempt to turn her little face so she can look up at me, but she curls in on herself instead. Normally so full of light and laughter, seeing her like this is heartbreaking. "Lyssie baby, I know you're scared. I am too. But your uncles are out there looking for us right now. They're going to save us, baby girl, I promise you. And we need to help them by staying strong. By eating when they give us food and drinking when they give us water. We have to take care of ourselves and stay healthy so we can run away when your uncles come."

As the words register, her eyes go wide. In the next breath, she leans in and, to my relief, takes a bite of the cold breakfast sandwich. There were two in the bag, along with two apples, two servings of hash browns, and four bottles of water. Not knowing when they'll be back to feed us, I take only two bites of the sandwich and a few sips of the water. It's a great plan in theory, rationing what I consume to make certain Alyssa won't have to go without. Sadly, my body isn't on board. The emptiness in my stomach is like a trigger for my morning sickness. It takes everything in me to swallow down the bile. Judging by the look of worry on Lyssie's face, my clammy skin and uneven breaths must give away how bad I feel.

"I'm okay. Just feel a little sick."

I attempt a smile while bringing the sandwich back up to her lips. As the queasiness continues, I think of the drug they injected into me. Whatever it was, it was strong enough to knock me out almost immediately and then keep me that way for several hours.

What if the drug hurt the baby?

Placing a hand over the small bump in my abdomen, my eyes fill with tears. Though not yet big enough for others to tell it's there, beneath my palm I feel the baby growing inside me. I wish so badly I could promise this little one that everything's going to be alright, but I can't. If the only way to save Alyssa is to neglect my body and the growing child within it, then what choice do I have? She has to come first. A fact that doesn't take away the sharp stab of pain in my heart at the realization that I'm dooming my unborn child to suffer whatever fate befalls me. That there is nothing I can do to protect him or her is gutting.

"Is Uncle Lucas coming to save us, too?"

Relieved to hear her speak for the first time since we were taken, I smile down at her. "Yeah, I'm positive he'll be here. He loves us a whole lot. I'm sure he's trying his hardest to find us."

"Does that guy know my dad?" Her little brow furrows.

"I think so." I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "But honey, we can't believe anything that man says. He's not a good guy. He thinks your dad and I did something wrong when we didn't."