Ivan stopped at the door, checking around the entrance as I darted into the center of the space.
“Sadie.”
I didn’t slow until I was feet from her. Dropping to my knees as I slid to reach her small body, I tamped down the emotions. I enjoyed the elation. I dismissed the joy. Holding on to the fear and anger would do me better. I had to stay on task. I couldfeellater.
She lifted her head weakly. From under a hood, she tried to crane her neck toward the sounds.
“Sadie.” It came out as a strangled plea from my lips. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”
She sniffed, breathing so hard as she tried to lift her body from the dirt floor. Croaking sounds were all she replied with, trying to speak.
“I’m here.” I hunched over, blocking her with my body as I pulled the hood from her head. She was so slight, so small, but the first look at her face enraged me all over. The plumpness of her cheeks was gone. Dark lines showed under her eyes. Filthy and weak, she seemed barely alive.
But she was. Reaching to me with relief in her blue eyes. Crying softly as she clutched my vest of body armor. Trembling from the effort to sit up.
She was alive.
Malnourished, wounded, and weak, butalive.
“Sadie.” I couldn’t stop saying her name, as if I had to hear my own voice and know that this was real. Not a fantasy, not a dream, but reality. She was really back in my arms.
I scooped her up, holding her upright with her belly between us. That baby bump had grown so much in the weeks she had been missing.
“Emil,” she whispered in a cracked voice. “You came for us.”
“I will always,” I vowed, nearly breaking my rule to shove aside the emotions until we were out of the danger zone. “Always, Sadie.” I lowered my hand to her stomach, helping her get to her knees and offering her balance. Beneath my fingers, our child kicked and moved, as strong as my little agent.
“Hurry,” Ivan called out from behind us. “They’re coming back early.”
Sadie stiffened, turning her fearful eyes to me, but I didn’t let her see the depth of my worry. I had to get her out of here, away from where a bullet could strike her.
“Here,” I said as I yanked my vest off. Before she could protest, I tugged it over her. As soon as it was over her, covering her, I picked her up and held her tightly, nervous that she had lost too much weight.
“After me,” Ivan ordered, in full militant mode as he rushed out the door. He fired at the incoming thugs, but as I carried Sadie out, I didn’t lower my gun once. Running with her in my arms, I didn’t hesitate to kill everyone in sight.
We left no one alive.
It was a massacre.
Blood stained the hot dirt.
No mercy, no fucks were given for the last assholes who tried to hold this woman against her will, away from me and my family.
As we sped away, riding to the airport, I closed my eyes and hugged her to me. She cried as she clutched my shirt, sobbing and gasping for air as she let it all out.
I didn’t let go once, promising with every bit of my soul that she would never have to suffer like this again.
“Let’s go home,” I whispered into her ear, soothing her with my hand on her back.
She lifted her tear-stained face to gaze at me with wonder and doubt.
“We’re going home,” I emphasized before picking her up and carrying her to the plane.
26
SADIE
Crying never solved anything.
