Page 57 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
Tears sprang from my eyes and a laugh escaped me. I grabbed the girls’ knees with both my hands and looked at them, still shaking and scared.
“Who sent you?” I needed confirmation that this was happening and it wasn’t a sick joke.
“West McGarry,” was the direct reply. A few more minutes passed, but it felt like hours. I wanted to get out of the car and be free to find Kara and get to West, but the doors were locked.
“Where’s Kara?” I ask. The guy in the front who was being nice just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He obviously wasn’t one for conversation. But for now, I was safe, and he wasn’t threatening to do unspeakable things. I would find Kara as soon as I could.
Red and blue lights flashed in the distance, and I could see them heading in the direction we had just come. Jesus Christ, I’ve never seen that many lights in my life. It was like Christmas lights on one of those fancy American houses. The sirens became clearer, but the driver never moved, and neither did we. We sat in silence, all three of us in the back holding hands.
Suddenly, there were flashing headlights in the distance, and then another set. The engine started and the car moved backwards. The other two cars joined us and, in single file, we were heading back to the building.
At first, I wanted to protest at being taken back, but then I realised they were taking us to the police. We really were safe. Was Kara in one of those cars? Was she safe? She was all I could think of. I just needed her to be safe. I couldn’t live with myself if she was hurt or, worse, gone.
The cars pulled up to the building and, immediately, the cars were surrounded by armed police all pointing their weapons directly at us. The driver wound down his window and said, “West McGarry will clear all this up, officers.”
That was it. Nothing more. They dropped their weapons and approached the car. The doors were opened, and we were ushered out and led to waiting ambulances. Blankets and silver sheets were wrapped around us as we walked.
“I need to find my friend, officer. She was with me tonight! I need to know she is safe.” I started to pull away from the officer, looking around to see if I could get just a glimpse of her, but there were too many people. “Kara! Kara!Kara!” I screamed as loud as I could.
“Sutton, I’m here! I’m over here!” she replied. My legs gave way, and I fell to the ground sobbing and holding myself into a tight ball.
Two big arms wrapped around me and picked me up, still in the tight ball I’d created. The scent I could smell—I would never forget. I looked up, and my eyes came into direct contact with West. His clean-shaven face was gone; there was scruff all over. Fuck, this man was sexy. His eyes were different. Angry, wild, but still beautiful, deep, dark-chocolate. I couldn’t help looking at his lips, all full and plump like he’d been chewing on them for hours.
Our mouths collided as I ran my hands all over his beautiful face.
Once I was perched in the ambulance and settled, he pulled out his phone.
“What are you doing? Who are you calling?” I asked. I just wanted him to myself for a few minutes.
“I’m just sending a text. I need to find those phones. The tech in them is worth billions, and it’s not released yet. I need to get them back to Mark if possible and before the police find them.” He fires off a text before I have a chance to say anything.
“Ah, ah, fuck. Make it stop,” I whisper, grabbing between my legs. “Shut the fucking door, West. I need to get this phone out of my pussy. You could have given me more warning.”
In the distance I hear, “Sutton, make him stop!”
West looks at me, then at the ambulance door, confused.
“For fuck’s sake, West, where the hell did you think we could hide them while we were naked? I need to get it out of me.”
He turned and shut the door, but, before he did, he whispered to the paramedic to go and help Kara.
“My fucking brilliant rule follower. We would have lost you both if you hadn’t done exactly what I said. I didn’t think you would have taken it literally this far but, I am so glad you did.” He pulls me into a tight embrace, holding me tighter than ever. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again. Do you hear? Never. We are stuck together with superglue.”
I pull back and look into those perfect dark eyes. “West? Did North….” I struggle to finish the sentence. I just can’t ask if his brother lost his life for me.
He nods. “Yes, Sutton. I think he’s dead. I’ve not had confirmation, but Mum saw him lifeless in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs before she escaped.”
Fuck, I’d not put much effort into thinking about Liz. Guilt swam through me, and then nausea started to fill up my entire body. “I’m going to be sick.” I held my hand over my mouth as West passed me one of those paper bowls that look like stupid hats.
The journey to the hospital didn’t take long, and as we were all wheeled in on stretchers, I caught sight of Kara. She was with the guy who had bought me. She didn’t look as scared anymore.
“West, that guy with Kara, he was the one who bought me. Who is he? He looks familiar,” I ask discreetly.
“He’s one of the best men in the world, beautiful. You do not need to worry. His name is Zed, and he will look after Kara and stay with her until we can get you both together in a room. I’m working on that, and it shouldn’t be too long.”
How was he working on that? He’d never left me and only spoke with the paramedics in front of me. But as soon as I had put that thought to bed, two nurses approached and took both me and Kara to a private room. Once we were inside, it was like a lovefest between the two of us. Hugging, kissing, hugging more, kissing more. I was so relieved. Then guilt flooded me.
My friend has survived this, and it was all my fault, but West’s brother didn’t. Shame came over me as I retreated back to the gurney. I pulled the sheets up and buried my head. I needed to block everything out. I needed to give my head a break, but that was never going to happen. The shakes started and became completely uncontrollable. Someone called for a doctor. He messed around with the machine and then, finally, I got some peace. All was quiet and calm. I could feel normal breaths, in and out, and my body felt like it was floating. Then, nothing.
