“Huh?” With some effort, I turn my head to stare at the man behind the wheel. “Why do I need electricians?”
“Because Cam’s people need your shitty wiring upgraded before they can install your new security system.”
“I don’t—”
“Bullshit.” Ryker hits the brakes hard enough, my ribs protest the snap of the seatbelt. “You need a fucking transfusion, Raelynn. If West and Inara had been five minutes later…”
The raw edge to his voice shocks me, but it’s the fear in his eyes that has the comeback dying in my throat. He’s always been granite. An unfeeling, unmoving, uncaring mountain who barks orders and makes things happen. Except with Wren.
But now, the man who isn’t scared of a damn thing looks stricken. He runs a hand over his scarred head, then turns to stare at the warehouse. I didn’t even realize we were in Hidden Agenda’s parking lot.
“I had to listen over comms. I was still two miles away when Inara took her shot. And if West’s throw had been half an inch off center, Ruiz would have shot you.”
“He did,” I whisper. At Ry’s swear, I add, “Only a graze.”
“Only. For fuck’s sake.” He slams the driver’s door and rounds the vehicle, giving me a frosty glare when I scoot to the edge of the seat. “If you think I’m going to let you walk, you’re worse off than I thought.”
I stifle my whimper when he lifts me in his arms. The world starts to spin. “Gonna be sick…”
Ryker tightens his hold and breaks into a run. “Doc!” he shouts, throwing open the door to the warehouse with a bang. “She’s in trouble!”
“Put her on the table.” Doc Reynolds wraps a cuff around my arm. The beep rouses me, and I blink hard to clear the cobwebs from my vision. “You’re the only one here with O-Neg, McCabe. Pull up a chair.”
Nash
Benny and Rocco muscle me down a set of stairs. I haven’t set foot in Chicago for more than twenty years, and I have no idea where we are. It’s dark, and I couldn’t see shit lying on the floor of the SUV. Rocco shoves me through a door, and I stumble.
“Careful, Nathan,” Lincoln says from behind the two enforcers. “My father would prefer you not be…too damaged before tomorrow.”
“Your father can go to hell.”
Benny advances on me, and I back up until I hit the wall. The basement is mostly empty. The only distinctive feature is a large, reddish stain in the middle of the floor.
The enforcer pulls a multi-tool from his pocket and snaps the zip tie around my wrists.
“The windows are barred,” Lincoln says. “And security patrols the grounds at night. So don’t get any ideas about escaping.”
“Whatever you’re going to do, just get it over with.” I shove Benny, but he only takes a single step before punching me in the face.
My ass hits the floor. How many more blows until I lose my faculties completely?
“What was that about being damaged?” I ask, spitting blood onto the floor.
“Benny, stick to soft tissue for now. My father needs his rest,” Lincoln says. “Have a good night, Nathan. In the morning, you’ll pay for your family’s mistakes.”
The door slams, leaving me alone. I spend five minutes—I think, as there’s no way for me to tell time down here—exploring the room. Concrete walls. Two barred windows close to the ceiling. A toilet and sink in a tiny bathroom. No furniture. No bed or blankets. Guess I’m sleeping on the floor.
My body aches. It’s impossible to find a position that doesn’t aggravate one or more bruises. Dried blood mats my hair.
God, I’d give anything to see Raelynn. To know she’s still alive. Still safe. Ryker and his team will protect her. If they know she’s in danger. Why didn’t I ask Lincoln for proof they had her?
What good would that have done? You can’t do a damn thing about it. You’re going to die in the morning.
I think…I might have loved her. If we’d had the chance, she could have been my forever.
Raelynn
With a full pint of Ry’s blood flowing through my veins, the dizziness has subsided, but now that the adrenaline has worn off, even the smallest movement makes me want to cry.
