“Who the fuck was it?” I shout, my heart pounding and body vibrating with a rush of adrenaline. I want to slit his throat, but that would be too easy of a death for him. Plus, I need information, and right now he’s my only option.
“I … don’t know.”
“What do you know?”
“She was kicking and screaming. He forced her onto the bed while he had us restrain her. She was screaming for help.”
I punch him again because I can. “Go on.”
“She bit him. Deep enough that he needed stitches. He hit her so hard it knocked her out.” He spits blood out onto the floor. “He demanded the doctor wire her jaw shut and sedate her. She’s been out ever since.”
“So you just did whatever he told you to do?” I punch him again.
He doesn’t answer, instead, he leans forward, blood dripping from his now busted face.
“I’m going to remove her feeding tube and catheter,” Gavin states, and I nod as if he was asking for my permission. A fucking feeding tube? She’s been here what, seven days? My wife has lost a week of her life because they had her sedated and I couldn’t find her.
The door opens and I look up, expecting to see the guy helping us return with a bag, but it’s not him. Silence falls over the room as big brown eyes meet mine. She inhales sharply, looking over at Lake and then back to me. “Tyson.” She holds her hands up.
I want to smile with satisfaction, but I can’t. Not with the state my wife is in. Instead, I lunge at her, and she turns to exit but the door opens, forcing her to stop. I grab her dark hair and yank her back into the room. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I growl in her ear.
She struggles in my grip. “Let me go.”
“Sure.” I shove her into Ryat, and he spins her around, wraps his arm around her throat and holds her in place so I can look her in the eyes. “How did you know she was here?”
Her lips thin, and eyes narrow on me. “Fuck you,” she spits out.
“Let her go,” I order, and Ryat shoves her toward me. I wrap my hand around her throat, and squeeze. Harder than I should, but I can’t stop. No one could pry my hand open right now. I want to see her eyes pop out of her head like a cartoon. “You’ll pay for what you’ve done,” I warn her.
She struggles. Her nails dig into my skin, cutting me. She can claw my eyes out for all I care. I’m not letting her get away with this. For what she’s done to Lake. I will make sure every single person who knew what was happening to my wife pays. Doesn’t matter if they had a hand in it or not.
FIFTY-SIX
TYSON
Ihold my wife in my arms while she’s unconscious. I know Gavin was right in keeping her sedated, but I want to see her eyes. Hear her say my name. Hold her and tell her that she’s safe.
I need to know she’s okay. I need to know what happened to her, no matter how bad it got.
“We’re here,” Ryat calls out.
I look up as we pull through the old wrought iron gates. He drives down the curvy two-lane road before we come to a stop in the circle drive.
Gavin and Ryat jump out of the SUV and open the back hatch for me. I crawl out with her in my arms, and a guy I’ve known since my freshman year at Barrington comes out, of the building with two other men and a gurney.
“A room is already ready for you,” Saint states, looking at Gavin.
“Thank you. Bramsen,” he calls to the kid we brought with us.
“What about her?” Ryat asks, yanking the girl out of the back by her hair. She tries to get free of his hold, but he jerks her head back so hard it makes her knees give out and she falls to the gravel.
I lay Lake on the gurney, and before I can even kiss her forehead, Gavin is already wheeling her inside. I turn to Saint. “I need a room.”
He smiles. “Follow us.”
Ryat yanks her up by her hair, and she screams into the gag. I walk over to her and pick her up, placing her over my shoulder and carrying her inside while she kicks and screams nonsense.
We make our way inside and down a hallway. Saint holds open a door, and we enter the cold concrete room.
