Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Of course he knew who the fuck it was. He glanced over his shoulder at the bed and to the woman not bothering to hide that she was listening to his one-sided conversation. He saw no concern for Sloane in Sadie’s blank expression. “No. I have no idea. It could’ve been random.”
“It’s possible. Okay, the units should be on scene at your home soon. I’ll give you an update as soon as I get one.”
“Thanks, brother.”
“Sorry for the bad news. Hopefully, your girlfriend will heal quickly.”
Your girlfriend. “Appreciate it. I’ll head down and wait for her arrival. If I can get any helpful info out of her, I’ll forward it to you for the investigation.”
He would not be doing that. Because if it was who he thought it was, he’d be handling the justice himself.
“We’ll be sending someone out to question her once she’s been treated and stable.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and murmured, “To be expected.” That meant he needed to talk to Sloane before they did to prevent her from “remembering” specifics, if it was a Demon. “Get a hold of me about my daughter as soon as you know anything.”
“Will do.”
Once the call disconnected, he kept it in his hand since he had a bunch of calls to make, starting with Crew. But first, he needed to let Sadie know the deal.
He spun back toward the bed and jabbed a finger in her direction. “Don’t you dare leave this fucking room or I will hunt you down. And if I have to do that, I’ll make sure you’re locked up next time I find you. You hear me?”
She was the whole reason Sloane had been kidnapped and injured. The whole reason he had no idea where his Valee Girl was at that very fucking moment.
The whole reason T-Bone had targeted his family.
With her mouth set, she turned her face away from him and lifted her middle finger straight up in the air.
Clenching his teeth until his jaw popped, he returned the gesture and strode out of the room before he did or said something a hell of a lot worse.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
As soon as the automatic doors slid open, Decker said, “Gotta go. She’s here. Keep me updated,” to Crew and hung up the phone.
He rushed over to meet the EMTs as they rolled Sloane into the hospital’s emergency room.
“Sir, you have to get out of the way.”
“Sloane,” he called out as they whisked her by him.
Her eyes seemed to be open but her face was a mess. Swollen beyond recognition on one side along with dried blood stuck to her skin and in her hair. She also had a fat lip and a black eye. Bruises already bloomed over any skin he could see.
“Sir! You need to get out of the way!”
He shook himself mentally and stepped aside. “I’m going with her.”
“Are you her husband? Relative?”
“I’m…” Fuck. “I’m Corporal Owen Decker with PSP. I need to ask her questions.”
“Not now you aren’t.” They continued to push her away from him.
Fuck. He jogged after them and threw a Hail Mary. “I’m also her boyfriend.”
“Should’ve led with that,” one of the EMTs muttered. The woman glanced down at Sloane. “This one’s your boyfriend?”
Decker heard a hesitation, then a weak, “Yes.”
The EMT tipped her head. “Let’s go, but stay out of our way.”
“Is she going to be all right?” he asked, staying close behind them.
“She’s mostly banged up and bruised, as you can see. She might need a few stitches. Other than that, the doctors will run diagnostics to see if anything is broken or there’s any internal damage.”
He stood back as they wheeled her into an empty exam room, transferred her to a bed, then pulled the curtains closed as they left, creating a cocoon.
But before he could approach the bed, a nurse came bustling through, gently guiding him out of the way. He shoved a clipboard at Decker, “They need her info,” then proceeded to take Sloane’s vitals and evaluate her as Decker stared at the paperwork in his hand but didn’t actually see.
“I’m not sure how soon the doctor will be in, but it’ll be as soon as she’s available. She’s in the middle of dealing with two gunshot victims as well as a stabbing. It’s a bit hectic tonight due to the full moon.”
He glanced up and nodded. Being a cop, he knew exactly what a full moon meant. “She’ll be okay until then?”
“She’ll be in some discomfort and pain until we figure out what’s going on. Once we do, we can treat accordingly. Push the call button if anything changes in the meantime. I’ll check back in when I can.”
“Thank you.”
The nurse pressed a hand to his bicep for a second, then slipped out of the curtained area.
He moved up the bed to her head. Her one eye was almost swollen completely shut but the other tracked him. He pressed his lips together when he saw a blood-tinged tear slide out of the corner and disappear into her hair.