I planted a hand against the tile to steady myself. He let go, retreating a few steps, and I closed my eyes as the water washed away the vomit and sweat from my skin. He stood nearby with silent patience, so I took my time, hoping it would be enough to regain some strength. I couldn’t protect Alex like this—fuck, I couldn’t even protect myself. This was bad.

“Where’s Alex?” I tilted my head and sent him a glare through the water dripping down my face. “Is she okay?” The question ended on a shaky note. I was fucking terrified of hearing the answer. I couldn’t stand to think of her as not okay.

Jax clenched his jaw, and his gaze lowered to his soaked sneakers. “How bad was it?”

“Bad. He used a cane on her.”

“Finish up.” He tapped his foot for a few seconds, his brows scrunched together, as if he were mulling over something. “I’ll take you to her.”

I switched off the water before taking a few cautious steps. The room swayed slightly, but at least I could walk on my own.

“You got this?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

With a nod, he gestured at the exit.

“You’re gonna make me walk out of here like this?” I raised my arms, indicating my naked state.

“Don’t have any clothes for you. If Cleft had his way, he’d be fucking you right now, so I’d say beggars can’t be choosers.”

Getting to Alex was the only thing that mattered, so I stepped through the door, water trickling from my body, and let him lead me down the tunnel-like hall that never seemed to end. “Where the hell are we?”

He glanced up and down the tunnel before speaking in a low tone. “Underground.”

“Underground where?”

He pointed behind us. “That end leads to the old man’s office and connects to the basement. Some of the Shanghai tunnels ran to the house, but this portion was built during prohibition.” He shook his head with a scowl. “Now it’s used to traffic girls.”

I raised my eyes toward the ceiling, where the pipes hung low. Some leaked in a few spots, creating small puddles of mud on the ground. “What about the other end? Where’s it go?”

“Somewhere in Forest Park.”

So we were in Portland, close to the bustle of people that could help us if they only knew this place existed. I wasn’t sure why Jax was telling me this, and I didn’t get a chance to question him further. A scream echoed from down the hall.

I staggered forward, every muscle bunching in preparation for a fight, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“It’s not Alex,” Jax said.