He spotted the SUV as soon as they exited the woods. The door flew open, and Frankie jumped out, running toward them.
“Mom!” Frankie yelled as he slipped and slid through the mud.
Becky struggled to get down, and Sloan let her, but he stepped in front of Frankie before he reached her. “Careful,” he warned, his voice still rough. “Until Slade checks her out, I don’t know where she’s hurt.”
Frankie stopped instantly, his face pale as his eyes moved over his mother. Then he nodded, and Sloan stepped back, watching as mother and son reached for each other. Becky wrapped her arms around Frankie, and Frankie held on to her like he was never letting go. The reunion hit Sloan hard enough that he had to look away.
Steve stood a few feet away, staring at them with a sad look on his face, which somehow made it worse. Sloan cleared his throat and forced himself back into leader mode.
“Steve, find Slade and tell him to get back to the compound. We’ve got wounded. Then find Duncan and tell him he’s lead. I’m sure he already knows, but make sure.”
Steve didn’t move. He just kept staring at Becky and Frankie.
“Now,” Sloan snapped.
Steve blinked, then pointed at himself. “Right. Sorry.” He looked once more at Becky and Frankie, his expression softer than Sloan was used to seeing. “Gets ya in the feels, don’t it?”
Sloan shot him a look.
Steve held up both hands. “Going.”
Sloan watched him go, giving mother and son a moment even as every protective instinct in him stayed locked on Becky. When Frankie finally stepped back, his eyes went to Sloan.
For a second, neither of them said anything.
Then Frankie walked over, mud covering his shoes, rain dripping from his hair, and held out his hand. “Thank you,” he said, his voice thick.
Sloan looked down at Frankie’s hand, then took it. The lump that formed in his throat pissed him off almost as much as it humbled him. He could only nod as he shook Frankie’s hand, because there wasn’t a damn thing he could say that would come close to what this moment meant.
Becky reached for him, and Sloan didn’t hesitate. He picked her up again, holding her close as they walked toward the SUV. Frankie stayed beside them, one hand on his mother’s arm like he needed to keep touching her to believe she was really there.
Sloan understood that better than anyone.
As he reached the SUV, Steve’s words came back to him, and despite the blood, rain, and death behind them, Sloan almost shook his head.
Fucking Steve was right.
This shit did get you in the feels.
CHAPTER 30
Becky walked the halls of the compound; her steps slower than they used to be. It had been a week since she had been taken. Physically, she was fine. Slade had checked her over more times than she could count, and the baby was okay. She was okay. At least that was what everyone kept telling her. Mentally, though, that was a whole different story. Taking a man's life, even a piece of shit who would have killed her if he'd been ordered to, was still too much to process. But Sloan saw it. Saw the struggle she tried to hide and was there for her, talking her through it. He even offered to find someone professional for her to talk to, but after everything that had happened, her trust in the medical field was pretty much shot.
The nightmares still came.
Every night.
Sloan lay with her while she slept, always there, always ready to wake her and pull her out of whatever horror her mind decided to drag her back into. He had taken such good care of her since that night, barely letting her out of his sight. And yet,she still hadn’t approached him about the conversation she had overheard.
And yes, it still bothered her.
A lot.
The one true blessing she had gotten was when Sloan told her that the doctor had lied to Mercer about the procedure who obviously told Darius. Phillips had known she was pregnant and found some morals and didn’t do the procedure. She cried her relief, because for anyone to be violated in such a way was hard to deal with.
She had asked what had happened to Dr. Phillips, Sloan had been honest with her. While they had come for her, Steve and one of his friend’s men along with Frankie had stayed behind to keep an eye on the doctor. Phillips had said he needed to relieve himself, they uncuffed him and without warning he had managed to grab the Warriors gun and unlived himself. Honestly, Becky had no feelings about that at all. She felt bad for any family he had left behind, but other than that...no feelings.
Pushing those depressing thoughts away she tried to focus on the present. Today was her first visit with Dawn. Her office had been set up in the compound, and she had already seen some of the mates. So far, everyone loved her. They had thanked Slade and Sloan more than once for bringing her on, and honestly, Becky liked her too. Dawn was smart, kind, and didn’t make Becky feel like she was crazy for still being scared.
