“Colton something’s wrong, Catalina didn’t get off the bus.”

“What the fuck are you saying? Where are the others?”

“Everyone else is here except her.”

“And they didn’t notice that she wasn’t on the bus?”

“They did but the driver refused to stop the bus.”

I’d already pulled my little gadget. “I’m on it Kat no worrying.” I hung up and called for my guys as I headed for my bike.

My heart started beating right again when I saw the little red dot that showed me where she was.

“Someone grabbed my kid let’s go.” They mounted up and we headed out.

There were no other thoughts in my head, only getting to her and dealing with whomever the fuck had taken her. I knew it wasn’t anyone we knew, because no one would take one of my kids without me, or their mother knowing.

Just who it could be was making me sick in the gut. I clenched my hands around the handlebars and willed myself to breathe. The warmth of my blood turned ice cold. This fuck is dead!

I heard my guys talking to me in my headset, could feel the rumble of their bikes blended with mine. I refuse to let panic set in, did not let myself think or imagine what my little girl was feeling.

We were five minutes away from wherever the fucker was and I couldn’t get there fast enough. I saw the old beat up truck up ahead and pushed my bike even harder.

I went around and turned, heading back for him while my boys closed in from behind. He didn’t have any choice but to stop when I pointed my glock at him through the windshield.

He swerved and ran into the ditch. I dropped my bike still running and ran for the truck. Pulling the door open I slugged the fuck in the face and threw him to the ground.

She was laying in the backseat covered with an old blanket. I pulled her out and held her close while my heart beat me to death.

“Daddy?” she was groggy, half asleep. Motherfucker drugged my kid. “Daddy’s right her baby. You’re fine now, you’re safe.” I cleared the tears from my throat and squeezed her.

When my brave little warrior hiccoughed and whimpered in my arms, I fought back the tears. I turned to the asshole that looked like my boys had already started in on him.

“Take him to our place I gotta get her to the hospital. I called her mother as I headed back to my bike. “Kat, baby, I’ve got her, I’m taking her to the hospital. Stop crying baby fuck! I can’t do this if you’re gonna go soft on me.”

“She kept crying and I knew she was barely hanging on by a thread. My pregnant wife! “Listen to me, the only time you’re allowed to be soft is in my bed. Under me, over me, in front of me. You get it? Now pull your shit together and think of my kids you’re carrying.”

She sniffled one last time and took a deep breath. I held my own hoping that she could hang in there until I got to her. “What do you need me to do?” Thank fuck! Thank you!

“Call Daniel, call the hospital let them know we’re coming.” I hung up because right now she was freaking the fuck out, my kid was in danger, and I couldn’t be there to comfort her. Not a good place for me to be.

I didn’t tell her to call Drake because I’m gonna handle this shit myself. His ass was dead the second he put hands on my kid. I don’t need the nosy ass law in my shit.

Fuck I was on my ride and she was out of it. How the fuck was I gong do this? In the end I took my leather off and put her behind me, wrapping her in it and tying the sleeves around my middle to tie her onto me.

“Hold onto daddy tight baby, just lean into me.” I was super aware of her weight pressed into my back, but I still asked my boys who were following behind.

Someone had thrown their bike in the back of the truck and was leading the asshole to await his fate. Every once in a while Jared or Tommy or one of the others would assure me that she was still hanging on.

Jared rode my left which is the side she was leaning so that if anything happened he’d be there. I hope I never have to put one of my kids through this shit again. I’ma have to come up with a way to rectify that shit.

We burnt asphalt heading back to town and made it to the hospital in ten minutes. Half the guys had stayed back there to deal with the would be kidnapper and the other half had followed me here.

Jared came over to help her off and I took her from his arms as soon as I was off my ride. We hit the hospital doors at a run. People were staring and nurses stopped what they were doing like we were there to put the place under siege.

“My daughter’s been drugged I need help now.” Someone took her from me and ran down the hallway to a room with me hot on their heels.

They were able to keep the others out but one look was enough to let them know I wasn’t going anywhere. The doctor came in and started barking out orders.

“What did she take?”

“I don’t know, some asshole took her and drugged her to keep her quiet.” No one said anything else as they worked on her.

Ten minutes later Jared popped his head in the door. “The cops are here, they need to see you.” I looked back at the table where they were working on her. “I’m not leaving her they can wait.”

“Already told them.” He closed the door and left. Ten minutes later her eyes fluttered and she gave me a sleepy smile. “Daddy? Don’t worry I didn’t take all of it. He only thought I did.”

“That’s my big girl.”

“And daddy you know what?”

“What baby?” I brushed the hair back from her face.

“I know where he lives. I think Jessica was there.” A single tear rolled down from the corner of her eye to her little chin.

I covered my mouth to hold back the rage and nodded my head. I can’t protect her from this. I can’t make this disappear from her memory. I’m going to kill him slowly.

A female doctor came in after the first one checked Mengele’s eyes and her reactions before reassuring me that she was okay.

“I need to ask your daughter some questions sir.”

“Go ahead.” I took Catalina’s little hand in mine and gave it a squeeze.

I listened as the doctor asked her the questions I wanted answers to. Even though I knew he hadn’t had her long enough to do much damage, it was still good to hear my little girl say it in her clear precise voice.

She explained how the man approached her. And how even though she shied away from him when he said he knew where her friend was, he’d blown something in her face.

The only thing she remembers after that is me taking her out of the truck. “If that’s all you remember what did you mean you didn’t take it all?”

“I didn’t breathe.” I love this fucking kid. I leaned over to her ear. “That’s my brave girl.” The doctor got up to leave and Catalina’s eyes started to droop.

The other doctor came back in and told me it was okay for her to sleep. I took a deep breath and with one last look walked out the door.

It felt like stepping into another world. My family was there, just arriving. I grabbed my wife when she flew into my arms. “She’s good, we’re good. Let me talk to these cops.” I gave her back to my parents and went to talk to the waiting deputies.

“We got a complaint about a drugged kid?”

“Yeah, someone took my kid from school. I guess he drugged her to keep her quiet.”

“And where is this person now?” Have this asshole been living under a rock?

“I don’t know. When I found her she was alone. I figure he heard us coming and ditched her to get away.” I didn’t even blink.

“And where is it that you found her?”

“Fuck if I know, somewhere near Sumter.”

“And where were you when this happened?” This asshole is getting on my nerves.

“What are you asking me?” Say the wrong thing to me asshole. Give me a reason.

“I’m trying to ascertain the truth of what you’re saying sir. You don’t expect me to just take your word for it do you?”

“You expect me to plant my foot in your ass you fuck? Get the fuck out my face.” This is why I don’t deal with the law, fuckers always get shit wrong. “Who the fuck called you anyway?”

“Whenever there’s a kid involved incident we’re called in sir. Now where were you?”

“If you don’t get the fuck…”

“Sellers, he was at work.” Drake, my father in law stepped in between us and saved the asshole from getting his head bashed in.

“Sir. I didn’t know you were here.”

“That’s my granddaughter, this is my son in law.”

“Oh sorry sir. I didn’t know.”

I walked away and went back to my kid.

Kat was sitting in there crying her eyes out. She turned red swollen eyes to me. “I was so scared Colt.”

“I know baby! Come ‘ere.”

I pulled her up from the chair and into my arms, holding her until the shakes passed. Dad came into the room to talk to me. “They’re gonna keep her overnight son.”

“Dad…” He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

“It was my call. We’re breaking down whatever it was he used on her. So far we know that she didn’t inhale too much of the stuff because her lungs look relatively clear. Still there are some nasty things out there that I’m not willing to take a chance on.”

“Okay dad! Kat I’m sending you home with…”

“No Colton, don’t make me go.” She grabbed the front of my shirt. I gritted my teeth and fought down the urge to order her to go home.

Before I could say anything either way she clutched her stomach and cried out. I thought she was faking at first. “Kat cut it out, don’t play.” The water splashing onto my shoes told me this was no joke.

I looked down at my feet dumbfounded while dad ran to the nurse’s station. Her mother and mine came rushing in. Drake was still working the case.

An orderly came with a chair just about the time I was coming back to my senses. Dad came back with the news that he’d called the doctor.

They had a room for her and the nurses were already in place. I was in another dark place. My kid was down the hall in danger while my wife had gone into labor with a high risk pregnancy.