He scans the drive wildly. “Where is he? Where’s Scout?”
My chest tightens. “Cormac’s looking for him. He’s got everyone searching the property. We’ll find him.”
“They grabbed him, and I tried to get to him, I swear I did, but—” He breaks off, his jaw clenching. “Next thing I knew, I was on the ground.”
Brennan grunts as he reaches up to touch the nasty wound on his head. “They came out of nowhere. I tried?—”
“I know. You did everything you could,” I say quickly, but Brennan shakes his head, though the movement causes him to curse.
With Addison back in her arms, Ciara leans to get closer to Brennan. “Did you recognize who it was?”
“There were too many of them.”
Riley swallows a sob as she hugs Nico tighter.
I swallow. “How many?”
“Four or five? Honestly, it could have been more.” Brennan grunts as he rubs his temples. “They took out all the guards like they were nothing more than bowling pins. Whoever they were, they weren’t amateurs, that's for sure.”
Ciara looks down the drive to the open gates. “Where the hell is Ronan?”
The night feels too big, and I can’t shake the prickly feeling on the back of my neck that makes me think someone is watching us.
I press my hands flat against my thighs, trying to ground myself.
“It’s okay,” I tell Brennan, even though we all know it’s not. “Cormac will get him back.”
Brennan looks at me then, really looks at me, and whatever he sees on my face must mirror his own fear because his expression hardens.
He attempts to push himself to his feet. “I need to help.”
I grab his arm, panic flaring in my chest. “Brennan… You were knocked out. You need to sit down, at least for a few more minutes.”
He shrugs me off and climbs to his feet. He’s unsteady, but I know nothing we do or say will stop him from going to join his brother.
“Scout needs me.”
So does Cormac, I think, but I don’t say it.
I go to step aside, but then Riley is there, pressing a firm hand to Brennan’s shoulder.
“You just got knocked unconscious.”
Brennan pushes her hand away. “I don’t care. I’m not sitting on my ass while Scout’s out there.”
Riley looks to Ciara for help.
She opens her mouth to argue, then stops as her eyes flick to each of her children.
“Be careful,” she says instead, her voice strained. “All of you.”
“You should all get inside,” he orders before staggering away to join the search party.
None of us moves until Brennan fades into the chaos that surrounds us.
I hug my arms around myself, suddenly aware of how cold I am.
Riley shifts closer, her shoulder brushing against mine.
