Flynn translates as Dec speaks out loud, “His shoulder is dislocated, and at the very least his knee and ankle are sprained, at most they’re broken. He needs scans Roe, a hospital, or an Urgent Care.”
Knowing he’s right, and I’ll be dead before I leave him again, my eyes turn to my other brothers,“Okay, let’s go. Sully, Kieran and Mac you guys follow Clara. I want a location and a rescue plan by the time we leave the ER.” With our plans set, the other three leave while as gently as possible I get Rhett buckled in so we can go get him taken care of.
Three hours later we’re leaving the hospital with a bag of medications and a little boy with two casts on. His ankle was broken, as well as his humerus, and clavicle. The medicine they put him on is strong enough to have him passed out right now. That and the trauma he endured today is probably enough to have him out for the rest of the day and night. He was a soldier, though. Keeping a brave face the entire time, he’s more like me than I realized, which is humorous since my DNA didn’t help make him. Getting him buckled then myself situated while Flynn buckles in on the other side of him, Dec calls the other three.
Kieran answers before the first ring stops, “How is he?”
Declan barks out, “What do you have?” at the exact sametime.
Agitated beyond belief and needing updates I answer before they can, “Kieran first, what do you have for me?”
He awkwardly clears his throat, “You’re not going to like this, She’s in Arizona. She’s being held in some kind of house from what we can tell. Weirdest part is that the house is in a neighborhood. I don’t know what the significance is, if any, but we know where she is. We’re on the jet to Arizona now. A second one is waiting for you guys. Bags are packed on it already, even one for Bear. Speaking of, how is he?”
We give them the run down of Rhett’s injuries and decide they’ll watch the house until we can get there and formulate a plan. Once this is all said and done, I’m taking them away from all this shit. I can keep them safe on a deserted island, where no one can get to us.
* * *
We’re at the hotel five minutes from the house, Rhett’s been in and out for almost a full twelve hours. Currently he’s passed out in my lap with his legs on either side of my waist and his good arm draped over my shoulder. His casted arm is between us, pulled tight to his body by the smallest sling I’ve ever seen. His face buried into my shoulder and he’s snoring softly while one of my arms holds him in place. We’re going over our game plan now. I need to get Clara out of there now, but Mac brought up a good point.
“We have no idea what we’re walking into. She’s definitely in there, but we have no idea what else waits for us. Is it both of the assholes and her? Is she alone? Or is there an entire fucking army waiting for us? We have to be careful.”
My emotions are all over the place, and all I know right now is that the keeper of my heart and soul is in that house with her shitty ex and we have no idea what position she’s in. God help me, let her be alive. Let me get her back from this nightmare.
“Fuck being careful, I will go in guns blazing right now. I don’t think you understand that I do not care what has to be done. We’re getting her now. That’s an order!”
Kieran steps up, “Listen, Roe, I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. But you can’t run in there guns blazing. For one she could easily be caught in the crossfire. For two your kid is sleeping on your chest right now. He needs his parents alive and okay. We’ll get her out while also making sure no one but the traitor and the bastard are killed.”
Using my free hand to tug at my hair, I can’t keep it in any longer, I try but it explodes out of me, “You don’t get it, you don’t know everything! We need her back. We can’t.. Kieran I can’t lose her. I won’t survive it, there is no me without her.”
Suddenly Mac shoots up out of his chair, “Motherfucker, I’m in.” He laughs in disbelief. “I’m in his system.” Scooting my chair as gently as possible over to his laptop we comb through his security system. It takes about fifteen minutes but we find her. She’s in the basement, and Preston is in there too. Turning the sound on we catch the end of their conversation, “It’s time to remind you who you belong to, and what happens when you try to leave.” My stomach drop as his boot connects with her ribs, the only thing keeping me in this seat is a sleeping boy.
Unable to stop myself I growl out, “We’re going in NOW!”
24
Chapter Twenty-four
Clara
Coming back to consciousness after being knocked out is one of the worst feelings, but not the worst. No, the worst is coming to and realizing that the man who you ran from to save yourself and your son is currently on top of you ripping your clothes off.
This cannot be happening, struggling in my restraints Preston leans down and licks my ear, “Oh Clara, don’t be like that. You know your struggling turns me on even more.”
He presses his hips into mine to prove his point. He rips my panties off so I’m completely naked for him. Turning my head to try to disassociate from what I know is coming, my eyes bulge out of my head at what I’m seeing. No, he can’t be a part of this. How? Why? But sure enough there he stands, evil grin in place, phone in hand.
“Hello, Clara.”
Preston laughs maniacally as I’m trying to process what I’m seeing. “Oh yes, I almost forgot my favorite part. Clara, please let me introduce you to my half-brother, Kellum. I didn’t know about his existence until about a year and a half ago. We connected and would meet up to get to know each other when I went out to Jersey for business or when he had to come here. Imagine my surprise when he called me six months ago and told me that he thought he had something I was looking for. You my stupid little slut, he found you. Your fake name came across his desk and when he called you in for an interview he recognized you immediately. All this time you thought you’d gotten away with it, but I knew where you were every step of the way.”
He pulls his fist back and jams it into my side. Holy shit, I think he just cracked my rib. Struggling to breathe through it without vomiting, my eyes shut. Preston throws a few more punches at my face and torso before Kellum cuts in.
“Dear brother, you can’t forget the best part of it all. Clara, how do you think I knew where you were at? How to catch Killian off guard and drug him so seamlessly?”
No, no he’s bluffing. Rowan, I’m sure can fake a lot of things, but what we have? What we did the other night? No, he would never be so cruel. There would be no point, just for Preston to take me? It doesn’t make sense, but of course they don’t know all of the facts. So to buy myself more time I’ll play along.
“No, no you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Kellum lets out a dark and sinister laugh, “Oh, don’t I? He’s been my best friend since Kindergarten. His family has always accepted me as one of their own. When I went to them after you landed in my office we set up this plan. There’s nothingthey wouldn’t do for me.”
