Toy Soldier {ManxManxMan}

CHAPTER 29

Diego wouldn't shut up. The drive took us around two days, like I'd been expecting, and half that time Diego was leaning with his arms folded against the back of the seat, talking in Spanish, his words directed to Beckett and meant specifically for him. If the expression on Beckett's face was any indicator, I didn't think what he was saying was filled with happy thoughts and compliments.

Although knowing Diego, he could've been complimenting Beckett's rolling muscles and broad shoulders and Beckett was just too disgusted to look flattered. I could see that. Though, to be completely honest, if that were the case, then I figure Beckett would look irritated. Instead, he looked... sick, horrified, his face was paler than it should have been, and it was scaring me.

Whatever Diego was saying, it was freaking Beckett out, but of course the man wasn't going to confide in either me or Orion, especially when the enemy was literally within earshot, and even if they weren't I doubted Beckett would say anything. He would likely keep it all in, hide it from us, just so we wouldn't be as scared as he obviously was. I didn't like it, but I wasn't going to push him. He and Orion both had given me all the time in the world to open up to them, so I was going to show the same patience.

I couldn't just sit there and watch silently as Beckett became paler and paler simply because Diego was verbally harassing him, though. Somewhere during the night, I remember reaching out to take his hand in mine, internally grateful for the darkness in the car so he couldn't see the heated blush on my face as I brushed my fingers across his palm and slipped them together with his, squeezing to somehow reassure him.

He tensed up at the initial contact, but eventually relaxed and squeezed back, and we stayed like that the entire drive, my hand in his, my head against Orion's shoulder, Orion brushing his fingers through my hair, and somehow that made me feel safe.

They blindfolded us and tied our wrists before we reached their base, a precaution I understood but hated at the same time, and when they were walking us to whatever room or cell they decided to use, I could just feel all the eyes on us, and clung to the back of Orion's shirt with my bound hands, feeling relieved that I could feel him, but also panicked because I couldn't feel Beckett, even though I knew he was just behind me.

When we were finally where they wanted us, someone shoved me onto my ass, then slapped a cloth over my mouth and nose. It was doused in sweet smelling chloroform and knocked me out almost instantly, and when I started to really come around, the blindfold was gone and my wrists were free, my arms lying at my sides.

I wasn't surprised that my vision was a little blurry, cringing as I lifted a hand to rub at them and groaning a little, tensing when I felt a hand in my hair but slowly relaxing when I looked up to see Orion. He looked about as great as I felt, but he still offered me a smile when his eyes met mine.

"Hey," he greeted lamely, "How are you feeling?"

"Well," I breathed, folding my arms and staring at the gray concrete ceiling, "Let me thing. I just got kidnapped for the third time, spent two days in a cramped trunk with two morons, and a freaking annoying psychopath who wouldn't shut up, and I just got chloroformed. I feel great!"

Orion seemed to smile a little more, like my sarcasm made him happy, "I'm glad to see you're still as argumentative as usual," he hummed, petting back my hair before frowning heavily and looking up.

I turned my head, which I was mildly stunned to find was lying on his lap, and looked over to where Orion was staring, my heart clenching in my chest when I saw Beckett standing leaning against the wall, arms folded and head bowed, dark hair hiding his eyes. He looked tortured in a way, and it made me nervous as I sat up and looked around the cell we were in.