WE TOOK DOWN all but three of the senator’s men while the senator himself and his son got away. Mian’s friend had taken a fatal bullet meant for Aaron when he used her as a human shield. He and his father wouldn’t make it off the property since my men were already blocking every exit, so I concentrated on chasing the men who had disappeared in the direction Augustine had fled with Mian and Caylen.

Augustine should have made it to the tunnel by now, but it didn’t keep the fear out of my head that something could happen to them. Lucas and Z kept pace with me as we tore through the cemetery for the mausoleum. When the sound of gunshots reached us, I pumped my legs and arms faster. We reached the mausoleum and found Augustine fighting off two of the senator’s men. The third was slumped against the tree with a bullet in his jugular.

Lucas and Z quickly took down the two men while I searched the area for signs of Mian and Caylen.

“Thank fuck,” Augustine griped as he walked toward us. “I was running out of bullets.”

“That’s because you’re a shitty shot,” Lucas joked.

Augustine flipped him off and said, “What took you guys so long? Staten’s dead, right?”

I ignored his question and growled, “Where is Mian?”

He tensed and then expelled a harsh breath. “She took off that way.” He pointed toward the path that led to the north wall surrounding the cemetery. “She freaked out thinking I stole the book and was going to kill her, so she ran off.”

“Fuck!” I didn’t wait around. I took off in the direction Augustine indicated. If the senator realized he couldn’t escape before my men got to him, he could be anywhere on the property by now. If Mian kept running this way, she’d reach the wall eventually, and if the senator found her first, she’d be cornered. It could already be too late.

Desperation grew each minute that passed without finding them. I considered changing directions worried she might be lost or hurt when I heard a gut-wrenching scream followed by an infant’s loud cry.

I ran in that direction, and for the first time, I prayed.

The forest was too silent after what I’d heard, and I was afraid of what it could mean. I quelled the need to roar her name. If the senator had her, I didn’t want him to know I was coming. Taking him down would be safer for Mian and the baby if I caught him by surprise.

My worry that I’d never find them had turned into full-fledged fear when I finally heard them. It was faint—the break of a twig, but it was enough. I kept my own footsteps careful as I closed in on their location. I saw them through the gap between two trees rooted closely together. They faced me, but their attention was on Mian laying at their feet. Caylen sat in the curve of her body whimpering with his fist in his mouth as he stared up nervously at his piece of shit father and grandfather.

“Knight’s got to be hot on our heels by now, Father. We need to get out of here.”

“No. We take care of them now and leave their bodies for him to find.”

“Fine,” Aaron grumbled. He bent down to grab Caylen when I stepped from the shadows with my gun aimed at his head.

“Touch him, and I’ll kill you slowly.” The calculated gleam in his eye was my warning, but I was still too late to react. He jerked Caylen from the ground and used him as a shield. I wanted to lower my gun, but I couldn’t risk a second of reaction time if I got a clear shot. When Caylen saw me, he cried out with arms reaching for me. He might as well have taken my heart in his hands and squeezed until it stopped beating. Since my focus had been stolen by him, I hadn’t noticed the Senator aiming his gun at my head.

“Mr. Knight, this all could have gone very differently if you had kept your head.”

Aaron smirked and said to his father, “I told you he was in love with her.”

“Then dying together shouldn’t be a problem.”

The next moment happened in slow motion. I saw my death in the senator’s eyes as he squeezed the trigger. He wasn’t quick enough, however, because the bullet that penetrated his shoulder before he could fire caused him to drop the gun. Mian stirred, grumbling as she regained consciousness.

Aaron took off with Caylen, quickly disappearing into the forest. I was torn between pursuing Aaron and seeing to Mian when Augustine, Lucas, and Z appeared at my side. “Go,” Z urged. “We’ll take care of her.” His gaze hardened when he leered down at the senator clutching his shoulder. “And him.”

“Take him to the new warehouse.” Our gazes met—his pleading, mine promising. “I want to take my time with him.”

I didn’t wait around to listen as he begged for his life, but his pleas followed me into the forest as I chased after his son. I could hear Caylen crying and followed the sound until it suddenly stopped. The silence felt like death. With a curse, I pushed on not caring if Aaron could hear me coming or not.

I found them in a clearing. Aaron’s back was to me, but I could see he was still holding the baby. Raising my gun, I kept my footsteps silent so I wouldn’t alert him. I was only two steps away when he said, “I know you’re there.”

He turned then and rage boiled in my gut when I saw his hand covering Caylen’s nose and mouth. He was suffocating him. “Don’t take another step, Knight. This is none of your business. He’s my son.”

“No, motherfucker.” I needed to hit him hard. “He’s mine.” My declaration did what I intended. Shock and confusion caused him to drop his hand from Caylen’s face.

“That lying b—”

I didn’t hesitate.

I put a bullet in his head, cutting off his words, and dived to catch the baby before he could fall on top of him.

Caylen was limp when I took him in my arms. I never felt this kind of terror. Not even in the moments after Mian tried to kill me. Terror had me dropping to my knees and laying him on the forest bed. Terror had me once again praying to a god who had long ago forsaken me.

I did mouth to mouth, my control slipping with each breath I gave him.

“Come on, Caylen.” I didn’t recognize my own voice. It shook until it broke, but I never stopped. I’d give him my last breath if that’s what it took. “Please. Breathe. Please. Please.” I couldn’t stop my tears—tears I never shed for my father, my mother, or grandfather—from dropping onto his ashen cheeks.

I could hear the running footsteps of someone in the forest as I gave him mouth to mouth. It was only when they broke through the clearing that his chest finally began to rise and fall. My next breath shuddered out of me as I lifted him.

“Caylen?” Mian’s terrified gasp as I stood nearly sent me to my knees again. She collided into me and screamed his name again. “Is he okay?” The baby’s eyes were still closed as she took him from me. “Oh, God. What did he do to you? What did he do?” She cuddled him into her body and whispered apologies over and over.

There was a large bruise covering most of the right side of her face where they must have hit her. I was tempted to put another bullet in Aaron just because, but Mian and Caylen had been through enough trauma.

“Angel,” Lucas called. I forced my gaze away from Mian and the baby and faced my brother. “What happened?”

My gaze cut to Mian. She was now staring with hatred at Aaron’s dead body.

Shaking my head at Lucas, I replied, “Later.”

 

* * *

I was still pumped up on adrenaline and keeping my rage at bay as I forced myself to stand and watch while the doctor I kept in my pocket checked over Mian and Caylen. Augustine had hung back with the cleaners to clear the dead bodies from the cemetery while Lucas and Z took the senator somewhere no one would ever find him.

“Good news,” Doc announced. “Your wife and son will be just fine, Angel.” 

I glared at Chapman for his assumption while he put away his stethoscope. When he cured Caylen in Chicago a couple of months ago, I never told him he was my son. In fact, I told him very little. I was wondering how he’d even known Mian and I were married until my gaze caught my ring on her finger. In the aftermath of all the drama, I’d forgotten that I made her wear it.

“She’s going to need to apply a cold press on her face to help with the swelling and lots of rest. Your son’s lungs seem fine, but I’d really feel better if you brought him in at some point so I can be sure there aren’t lasting effects. With his young age and the trauma he experienced, you don’t want to leave his health up to chance.”

I nodded while watching as Mian curved her body around Caylen’s sleeping body and stroked the baby hairs on his head. I wanted to join them on the bed and hold them both, but it didn’t seem like the right time to stake my claim. I was partly responsible for what could have been tonight. It was going to be hard to live with that.

I forced my gaze away from them when Mian closed her eyes and shook the doctor’s hand. “I’ll show you out.”