“A woman claiming to be her is at Lenox Hill Memorial. She is in critical condition with a gunshot wound and septic shock. Landon Drake has been arrested. We believe he abducted her.”
My knees give out, so I sit down on the edge of the bed. I’ve been running on empty—no food, no sleep, just the Quattro and I using every resource to locate her.
“Is she alive?” I demand. “How is the baby?”
“So far, both she and the baby are alive.”
I don’t need to know any more. “I’m on my way.”
It’s a twelve-hour drive to Indiana, so I call Cayden and ask to use his plane.
“They found her,” I say when he answers. “I need to get to Indiana. The fucker shot her.”
“I’ve got you. Head to the airport; the plane will be fired up. Do you need one of us to go?” Cayden is the youngest of us, but he has more maturity than Beckett or me.
“No, thanks. I just want to get to her.” I can't do small talk. I only want to break things.
I doze a little on the plane and arrive at the hospital three hours later, fully exhausted. The automatic doors whoosh open, and I storm in, dressed in an immaculate suit, wild-eyed with worry. I feel every inch of my control is gone.
“I’m Griffin Calloway,” I tell the nurse. “Where’s my wife?”
“Mr. Calloway,” a doctor in scrubs approaches. “I’m Dr. Patel. Your wife is recovering from septic shock. Some of the shot grazed her carotid artery, and since it was untreated for forty-eight hours, it caused an infection. She’s in the ICU.”
I’m speechless, overwrought with anxiety. “The baby? She’s pregnant.”
Dr. Patel nods grimly. “We’re aware. She’s early, barely four weeks. But yes, she’s still pregnant. Right now, both of their lives are at risk.”
I feel like I’m going to throw up. “What are the odds?”
“I won’t lie. Her condition is critical. We’re doing everything we can.”
“Do whatever it takes,” I tell him, my voice cold and resolute. “Just save her. Save them both. Please...” I swallow back tears I’ve never shed for anyone.
“I’ll take you to the ICU, Mr. Calloway,” a nurse says. “Selena is in good spirits, despite the severity.”
She calls her by her first name. “Tell me. Is she okay?”
“She’ll be okay now that you’re here,” she says softly.
I follow her down a corridor that smells of antiseptic. Machines beep in a steady rhythm, but nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing Selena. Her beautiful face is covered with a breathing mask, and she’s attached to tubes. She lies motionless, so unlike the vibrant woman I’d fallen in love with. Her arm is wrapped in a thick white bandage and elevated. A line of bruises blooms along her collarbone.
“She’s stable,” the nurse whispers. “The infection was aggressive. She’s weak, scared. Memory’s patchy. She’s been asking for you.”
Me.
I nod with my jaw clenched. “Thank you.”
The nurse leaves, closing the door behind her. For a moment, I just stand there, then move next to the bed and take Selena’s cold hand in mine.
“I’m here,” I say, and my voice feels small. “I’m here, baby.”
Her eyes open slowly, and when they meet mine, she bursts into quiet tears.
“I don’t blame you for any of this,” I say, leaning in close. “None of it is your fault.”
“He’s a sick man, Selena. Now he will pay for his actions. The world doesn’t need him.” I pull a chair to her bedside. “I’m going to end him. I don’t care if he’s in a cell. I’ll pay whatever it takes; he’ll never hurt you again.”
“No!” Selena grips my hand weakly, pleading. “Don’t. You’re better...” Her voice trails off as she struggles to breathe.
