Page 129 of His to Keep
He steps forward, inspecting the door, before bursting into silent laughter.
I signal for us to fall back. “What?”I growl, seething at the thought of him laughing as she suffers.
“This guy’s a fucking idiot.” He points to the lock.“The door’s not evensecured.”
Suddenly, his outburst makes more sense.
“His dumbassery is our gain,” Silas says, rubbing his hands together. “We’llget the door leaving you free to make entry.”
“Ten-four.” I slide my gun from my holsterin a fluid motion thanks to years ofpractice, flicking off the safetybeforesignaling forSmoke and Silver toman either side of the door while Silas covers me.
“On three,” I tell them. “One… two… three.”
We spring into action, moving like a well-oiled machineas we breach and make entry.Thegruesome scene in front of me will haunt my nightmares for as long as I live, but I don’t have time to truly take anything in because Clintsprings up from atop of Scarlet’s prone body and charges me like a rabid animal,practically frothing at the mouth.
My training takes a backseat as pure instinct takes over.Idon'tthink,I just act,firing a single shot hitting himright between his eyes—no second thoughts, no regrets.
My ears ring in the suddensilence,the smell of gun powdercoupledwiththe stench of mildew andthe coppery tang of blood hang heavy in the air.But I only have eyes for my girl.
“Make sure he’s down,” Icommand, rushing to her side.“I’mhere, Princess. I’m here.” My voice cracks as I take her in—bloodied, broken, and bruised with her hands tied behind her back.“You’re safe now,” I vow,ripping my shirt over my headand laying it over her to give hera shred of dignity.
Ipress my fingers to her neck in search of a pulse, praying toany and every higher power I can think of thatI’m not too late. “Got it,” I shout, and Silas signals to a guy I’ve never met before. “She’s alive.”
Oh my god.She’salive.I press a hand to my chest,glancing up at the ceiling, before focusing all of my attention on her.I might not ever let her out ofmy sightagain.
Silas calls my name, but I don’t look awayfrom her. Not even for a second.
“Yeah?” I ask, tears burning the backs of my eyes.
“This isPatch,” he says nodding toone of the unfamiliar men. “He’sour medic. Why don’t you let him look her overso y’all can get on the road?”
I stick out my hand for him to shake. “Heard a lot about you,” he says, his deep voice a perfect match for his gruff exterior, shaking my hand with a firm grip.
“I look forward to getting to know all y’all better,”I barely choke out the words asIlet my handfallback to my lap.“But right now, I really want to get her home.”
“Loud and clear, man.” He kneels down on the other side of her. “Give me a minute to check her over and we’ll get you out of here.”
I’m transfixed, watching Patch’s every movement as he checks her over. He’s far gentler than I expect from a man hissize as he runs his hands along her neck, checking for obvious breaks.
He grabs a small flashlight from his pocket, peeling her lids back one by one and shining the light into her eyes.“Pupilreactivity’sgood.Won’tknow more untilshe’sconscious.”
“Gonna move your shirt and check her chest,” Patch says.
I grit my teeth and give him the green light.
He moves my shirt with great care,making quick work of inspecting the cut between her breasts. “A lot of blood, butit’snot too deep.Shouldn’tneed stitches.”
“You think we’re safe to unbind her arms?” I flick my eyes down to the small puddle of blood seeping out from beneath her.
“Put one hand here.” He shows me exactly where he wants my hand on her upper arm, triple checking my placement before having me carefully roll her forward. “Glue,”he hollers. Silver grabs a bottle from the bag at his side, passing it over in a matter of seconds.
“She’s got a nasty cut on her arm,” he warns me,guiding her back to a supine position after unbinding her arms. “Gonnaclean it and glue it. We canassessfor stitches once were out of here.”
“Got it.” I try to brace myself forit, but nothingcould’veprepared me for the gnarly cut spanning the length of her forearm. The fuckingpsychobasically filletedher. “Mother fucker.I’dkill him again if hewasn’talready dead.”
“I’d get in line behind you,” comes Silas’s growled reply.
Scarlet stirs as Patch cleans the gash on her arm, whimpering as she tries to curl in on herself.
