“You need to slow down or you’ll kill yourself before you get there,” Nion says calmly while I zigzag in my red Ferrari through traffic.
“Any news?” I look over at him, wondering if he got another update. The last information we received before I ran out of the house was that the car was found in the parking lot of a motel. There was no one in the car, but there was blood, lots of blood, and a blood trail to the forest next to it. “Get back on the phone with the detective on the scene. I need answers.” I jerk my hand through my hair while praying that everything is okay.
He nods, knowing he can’t argue with me right now. It’s like I’m a bull and the man who took Emma is holding the red cape. Baiting me. Fucking Christ, if he hurts one hair on her head, I’ll kill him.
By the time he gets through to the detective, I’m already arriving on the scene. The parking lot of the motel is full of cop cars, and two stop me from going closer. Opening my door, I leave my car there.
“Sir,” one of the police officers says to me, “you can’t go in there. It’s a crime scene.”
I don’t even acknowledge him while I run toward the door of one of the rooms that has bloody prints on it. My hands run through my hair, pulling it in my fists, tears starting to burn my eyes. “Emma,” I whisper out. My hands fly to my knees while I attempt to stay calm, trying to catch my breath. Standing upright, I look around. “Where is she?”
All eyes come to me.
“There is a trail all through the forest. We have the dogs picking up their scents.” They stop talking when someone’s phone rings and he picks it up. “They found her.” His eyes zero in on me. “EMT is on their way to her.” He closes the phone and I feel Nion at my back.
“Take me to her.”
“We will, but prepare yourself because, as of right now, she’s not responding.”
My chest heaves, my breaths so hard my chest aches each time I exhale.
“You need to relax, brother, or they won’t let you see her. Think of Emma, yeah?” Nion’s voice finally penetrates through the fog of anger.
“I need to see her,” I reply softly, the words barely a whisper.
Nion and the detective nod at each other before they lead me to a car. We turn down a road that you wouldn’t ever think twice about. It’s not a paved road, the gravel under the tires pinging the undercarriage. It’s so bumpy there is no way to avoid any of the holes. We finally pull up behind a cop cruiser that has its lights flashing, an EMT vehicle right beside it. A tiny cabin that’s almost hidden suddenly stands out.
I grab the handle of the car, opening it. I’m about to charge into the house when I see a man who is about six-foot-seven standing on the front porch with his arms crossed over his chest, guarding the front door. He looks like an ox with a thick beard and long hair.
“Who are you?” His gravelly voice comes out.
“Emma?” I shout past him into the house. He must hear the worry in my voice, because he moves aside so I can see her. She’s lying on the floor just inside the door, and the EMTs are lifting her onto a long board. I rush in to be next to her. “Emma, baby, I’m here.” I pick up her cold hand in mine.
“Sir, you need to stand back and let us take care of her,” one of the paramedics says to me, and I feel a lone tear roll down my cheek, falling on our hands that are intertwined.
I nod my head, kissing her hand before releasing her and moving away just a bit. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and looking back, I see it’s the ox.
“She’s going to be okay. She woke up before you got here and asked for Liam,” he assures, looking at Emma while they take a handcuff off her wrist. “Then she passed out again. Her body is going into protection mode.”
“How do you know? Who are you?”
“I’m Dalton. This is my place. I was a doctor.” His voice goes silent after that, and I look around and see blood, so much blood, and feel the color drain from my face. “Is any of this blood hers?” I look at the EMTs. “She’s pregnant.”
“It’s all his blood,” the paramedic answers, nodding toward a group of cops in the corner, and that’s when I see they have a guy pinned to the floor. I don’t even think. I start toward him, not caring at all he’s surrounded by officers. My vision goes red, and I know if I get my hands on him, he won’t be leaving here alive.
“Don’t.” Nion stops me with a hand on my shoulder. “You need to keep focused on Emma.” Closing my eyes, I fight back the urge to ignore him and attack. “I promise you will get your chance at revenge,” he growls in my ear, and I nod.
Turning back toward Emma, I follow her and the EMTs out of the cabin and down the steps. Taking her hand once more, I see the dark bruise around her wrist. My teeth clench and my hand balls into a fist. I didn’t protect her. I should have been able to protect her, but I failed. When they load her into the ambulance, I climb in with her. No one says anything to stop me, and even if they tried, there is no way I’m letting her out of my sight. For the rest of my life.
Feeling fingers slide through my hair, I lift my head and come face-to-face with Emma, who looks tired but as beautiful as ever. The doctors told me that she would wake up on her own when she was ready to. I did try to talk her around to opening her eyes earlier, but of course she didn’t listen to me.
“You’re awake.” My voice is gravelly with emotions, and my chest gets tight when her eyes fill with tears.
“I’m awake. Is… is the baby okay?” Her tears spill over and I get into bed with her, holding her against my chest.
“The baby is perfect. They did a few tests while you were sleeping, and he’s okay.”
“He?” She peeks up at me and I smile. “Are we having a boy?”
“Yes,” I reply, having no idea if that’s true or not but praying that it is. I already have my hands full with one female. All I need is a miniature one of her running around, making me crazier than her mom already has.
“A boy,” she whispers, and I watch in awe as she covers her flat stomach with her hand. “Where is Ryan? Did they catch him?”
Hearing the worry in her voice, I hold her closer. “You don’t have to worry about him. He will never touch you again,” I vow, kissing the top of her head.