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THEEve and flanked by Travis, who had hovered the moment they exited the plane, Cammie launched herself fro on the sofa and ran toward Donovan and Travis

Travis i her fiercely, but Caaze was fixed on Eve, her eyes rounded in fear

"Evie?" Calanced at Donovan, tears filling her big eyes

"She’s okay, sweetheart," Donovan said, hoping God forgave that lie "She’s just sleeping She’s very, very tired and we must let her rest"

Maren walked forward, her forehead creased in concern

"Not here," Donovan said in a low voice "I’ll take her in the bedroo her a silent e to distract Cammie

"Stay here with Cammie," Donovan said to Travis "She needs the reassurance I know you’re worried about Eve, but Maren will see to her and I’ll let you know the es"

Travis didn’t look happy with the dictate, but he didn’t argue Instead he turned on a bright smile for Cao play with Cece and her toys?"

Ca, she corab his hand and tug him toward the irls

Donovan quickly carried Eve into his bedrooently laid her on the bed Her eyes were closed nohere before they’d remained open and vacant Lifeless Utterly lifeless But now she slept, and he found more comfort in that, that perhaps she was at peace for a few moments at least, than for her to be awake and unaware, in some private hell that only she could feel

He’d take it frorief and anger and he’d shoulder it all if only he could have her back Whole The Eve he knew and had grown to loveable to love a woman

He knew love existed He kneas a precious thing indeed He sa his brothers and his team leaders ith their wives But did they feel the all-consu emotion that Donovan felt? Could what he felt possibly compare to what his brothers shared with their wives? He found it hard to believe, but he supposed his brothers would argue that point They’d all take on whatever hurts their wives suffered They’d die for thee or too difficult to make for them

Love was a -as-hell thing

It inable hurts and agony But it also gifted hi else in the world The love of a woift a ranted If he was able to win Eve back, win her trust and her love, he’d treasure it forever And he’d never give her cause to doubt hiain If it took the rest of his life, he would make up the hurt he’d caused her

Maren was reading over the medical reports they had taken fro the ust and went to Eve’s bedside, doing a thorough exaht, checking her pupils Then she took her vitals, listened to her respirations, counting then that she was keeping count

When she finished she sighed and turned to Donovan

"They’ve turned her into a vegetable," she said, her eyes shiny with tears And hatred "Skylar told me of the journal that was found in the cabin and Walt’s entry that he planned to punish Eve if she resisted his advances If she refused his plans for her In an odd way, he found the idea of forcing hiht Eve should feel honored that Walt wanted her in his bed, as his mistress So if she resisted, and it’s obvious that she did, he planned to institutionalize her for a time Keep her heavily sedated and then he’d visit after she had tih to choose Continued existence as a lifeless vegetable in restraints Or agree to his demands to share his bed and allow him to control every aspect of her life"

"He was deranged," Donovan bit out He was seething with fury, but at the sarateful that she hadn’t been sexually abused Not that the abuse she’d endured was somehow better But at least she hadn’t been physically harmed

"In some ways this is worse than if he’d raped her," Maren said quietly, accurately reading Donovan’s thoughts "He didn’t rape her body, but he very much raped her mind He robbed her of her choices, her sanity He stripped her of everything Her self-worth, her very being I truly believe she may well have recovered sooner from a physical rape than she will from this kind of rape"

"Will she recover?" Donovan asked hoarsely "What did they give her, Maren? I need the truth here Don’t go easy I need to know Did they daain?"

"Sit down," Maren said gently, pulling at Donovan’s arm until he sat in the chair by the bed

"They kept her heavily drugged, from what I’ve been able to ascertain, and believe itimate ue They gave her psychotropic drugs at regular intervals Far too regular Four tied when she arrived Soer half-life, and it could take days to fully rid her body of its effects If we got lucky and they gave her a drug with a shorter half-life, it’s possible she’ll come around sooner There’s simply no way to know"

She paused as if to let her diagnosis settle in Then she continued, her eyes filled with sympathy as she stared at Donovan She reached for his hand, squeezing it, offering comfort

"There’s also the factor that she may not want to come back That maybe she’s retreated to a place where she feels no pain, no betrayal"