But no amount of healing or food would ever fix what was truly broken. Even as his wounds turned to scars and his bed sores faded, there was no erasing the memories. He willingly took the elixir Perry handed him each night to fall asleep, but even that didn’t always keep the nightmares at bay.

Jensen ambled his way, his long-ass strides bringing him to his cot so fast, Trey barely caught sight of something in his hand before Jensen was shoving it into his face.

He reared back, trying not to fall over as he blinked at the small object. “You risked your life to come here and bring me alcohol?”

Jensen scoffed, pressing the mouth of the flask onto his lips. “It’s water. Next time, I’ll find you a fancy, leather waterskin with your initials engraved on it.”

He glared daggers at him, but Jensen just whacked his cheek with it. “Drink the damn water, Gibson.”

Cursing, he snatched it from his grasp and lifted it back up to his mouth, his lips cracking as they opened to fit around it. He’d just planned to take a sip to get Jensen to shut up, but the second the cold water poured over his dry tongue, he almost groaned.

He guzzled it, trails of water leaking out of the sides of his mouth and disappearing into his unkempt beard as he choked, his body unable to keep up with his desperate pulls.

Jensen yanked it back, grunting. “I’m surprised to see you up. You look better.”

Trey wiped at his face, a wave of loneliness shooting through him when he saw the almost tender look on Jensen’s face. One he hadn’t seen since they were kids. But then he cleared his throat, tucking the flask into his pocket and stepped back.

For the first time since Eithan had taken him, Trey realized he missed his life. And he wasn’t sure what to do about that. But it was that exact reason that he needed to protect his friend from his own stupidity.

“Brex, I don’t know what game you and Lesta think you’re playing at, but you’ll lose. That bastard is always one step ahead, and Lesta is living on borrowed time already. Don’t put your life on the line, as well. Whatever it is you’re doing isn’t worth it.”

Jensen crossed his arms and glanced back at the cracked door; head tilted like he was listening for something. “Getting you out of this shithole is worth it, tenfold.”

Trey shook his head. “That’s not all there is to this, and you know it.”

Jensen’s smile dropped a hair, his gruff demeanor wavering. “You know I’d put my life on the line for you, regardless of the reason or risk. But you’re right, there’s more to it. I don’t have the reach to sneak you out of this place alone, but Lesta does.”

“How’d you convince him to bother? He’s in enough shit all on his own without adding me into the mix.”