His arms squeeze tighter as a shudder runs through him.
“Avery, oh, sweetheart. Please don’t say that! The thought of you and Chloe out there somewhere all alone makes me feel physically sick. I’m begging you, please don’t run! Wewillkeep you safe.”
Ryker’s growl of agreement comes from behind me. I rest my head back on Zack’s chest as hot tears burn at my eyes. I’m so selfish because I don’t want to leave them even though I know I should to protect them. The curtain is pulled back again stopping me from replying.
“Miss Adams? Mr. Easton called me in. He said you were in a car accident? Let’s take a look at you and get you treated.”
It’s the same doctor that we took Chloe to for her broken arm and I feel a little better seeing someone familiar who knows some of my history. Ryker helps me move to the end of the bed so the doctor and a nurse can examine and bandage me but he never lets go of my hand. They’re just finishing up when Easton comes in with Chloe in his arms.
“Mommy! Oh no, you gots more owies!” Her lower lip starts to tremble as she looks around with big shining eyes. “Did daddy gets you again?” She asks in a tiny scared voice.
My heart just breaks at the fear I see on her face and the way she tenses up in Easton’s arms so I flat out lie to her.
“No, baby, no! It was just a car accident. Some silly person wasn’t watching properly where they were driving and bumped into us. I’m okay. See? Just a little bandage on my head and one on my hand.”
She sniffs her little nose but that bottom lip is still poked out even as she tucks her head into Easton’s neck. I watch his lips brush at the top of her hair as his hand strokes her thin back.
“Just a couple bumps and scrapes, pumpkin. Mommy’s okay.”
East’s gaze goes to the doctor.
“Anything we should be worried about, Dr. Morgan?”
The doctor peels off his gloves and tosses them in the waste bin.
“She’s fine. Mainly just shaken up. You’ll want to keep an eye out for any signs of concussion or shock though. I used some surgical glue on the small head wound and the cuts on her palm. Try to keep them dry for a few days and they will be fine.” His expression softens as he reaches out and taps Chloe’s nose. “We have an appointment in a few days to remove this one’s cast but if you feel up to it, we could do it now if you’d like. Save you bringing her in later.”
I force a brightness I don’t feel into my tone. “What do you think, duck? Are you ready to get that stinky cast off your arm? There’s a brand new swimsuit waiting for you at home to use in the pool.”
Chloe perks up in Easton’s arms hearing that and starts to jerk her head in big nods. Ryker squeezes my hand again and then reaches for Chloe.
“I’ll go with you, little bear. Mommy needs to stay here to do some paperwork.”
She doesn’t even hesitate to go to him as Easton transfers her to his arms. She chirps, “Bye, Mommy!” to me, already forgetting her fear from a few minutes ago. As soon as they leave the curtained area, my whole-body droops.
Easton drags me against his chest and his voice is rough when he speaks. “Fuck, Avery, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t believe he was a threat after meeting him. I screwed up but he’s not going to get a second chance at you. You have my word. I have a security team on the way. They will cover the house and travel with us every time we leave the house until we catch him. He will never, never get to you again.”
Easton
It takes everything I have to keep the fury out of my tone and off of my face as I try to reassure her. I’ve fucked this up badly. I really thought he was too much of a coward to come after them and now Zack’s hurt and we almost lost her. When I got to the hospital after receiving Zack’s frantic call, I almost threw up my breakfast at the state Avery was in. The blood on her head and hand was bad enough but the way she sat there unmoving on the bed with those blank empty eyes just destroyed me.
I was a split second away from dropping to my knees from the pain of it when I spotted the handcuffs on her delicate wrists. The instant rage that consumed me battled aside those broken thoughts and gave me a focus so I didn’t break down in front of her. I was so close to beating the hell out of the police for putting those cuffs on her, Ryker made me leave to go get Chloe.
“Mr. Easton? The detective is here and wishes to speak to you all.” My attorney calls through the curtain and I gently let go of Avery, calling back that they could come in.
A tall, well-built Hispanic man in a leather jacket meets my gaze with a concerned look when they pull the curtain back. He thrusts a hand my way.
“East, good to see you, man. Sorry it’s under these circumstances, though.”
“Calvin, thank you for coming out. When the officers said they were going to arrest Avery, I lost my mind a little bit.”
He smirks and looks past me to nod at Avery and then Zack who’s pulled her back up to the head of the bed and anchored an arm around her waist.
“Ma’am, I’m Calvin Alverez and I’ll be overseeing your case. You can rest easy. You will not be arrested or charged with anything.” He turns back to me. “The truck that hit them was stolen sometime early this morning. Witnesses report that the driver deliberately drove into them and then went straight to the passenger side door, broke the window, and hauled her out by her hair. He was dragging her away when she started to fight back.” He leans past me again with a grin. “You did good! We’ve had time to take some witness statements and the onlookers said you were slashing that knife at him like a demon possessed. There was blood on the scene so you clipped him at least once. I’m not supposed to say this, but off the record, well done.”
Avery flushes red at his praise and tucks her head down to her chest. I can’t help the pride that rushes through me. She fought back. She fought back and won.
“We haven’t found the guy yet but we have a description of the car he fled in so it’s only a matter of time. Your attorney has shared the history there as well as the photo documentation so you don’t have to worry about any fallout on your girl. It’s going down as pure self-defense. If you guys are up to it, I’ll take your statements myself and then if the docs have cleared you, you can get out of here.”
