Chapter 121

Lake POV

“Ollie,” I said again, squeezing his hand gently. “Baby, if you can hear me, I need you to fight. I need you to be strong. I know you’re tired and hurt and scared, but you have to fight. For Mama. For Papa Ramon. For everyone who loves you. Please, baby. Please fight.”

My voice broke on the last word, and I felt tears streaming down my face again. I’d been crying on and off since we’d gotten in the helicopter, but I didn’t care anymore about holding it together. Didn’t care about being strong or brave or any of the things I usually tried to be. I just needed Ollie to survive.

I tried not to think about what had happened in the cabin. Tried not to let my mind replay Samuel’s hands on me, his voice in my ear, the things he’d said and done while Ollie was locked in the van alone and terrified. That could wait. The trauma and shame and violation could all wait until after I knew Ollie was okay.

But it was hard to push it away completely. My body h