The next morning, Blake awoke with an aching back and a stiff neck. He kissed Nicola, who was still asleep, and he slipped out of the room, down the hallway, to a coffee vending machine. Once the coffee was ready, he took a cautious sip, then started walking slowly toward Nicola’s room.
When Blake reentered, he found a nurse redressing Nicola's burn. Not ready to face the most devastating and painful proof of her torture, Blake quietly returned to the hallway to wait for the nurse to finish. While he stood there, drinking his coffee, his thoughts turned to last night, and anger sprang to life inside of him.
Claire will feel his rage…
“Blake.”
Hearing Daphne's voice, he turned and saw her and Norman approaching.
“Alma told us what happened,” Norman said, giving Blake a manly hug. “We
