Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 136048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
“Unharmed but scared,” he tells me, deep regret in his eyes. “They’re in here.”
Relief pounds through my veins, and just as I move toward the room, movement at the bottom of the stairs catches my attention. I glance down just in time to see a whole team of paramedics racing in and heading straight for Izzy.
Thank God. She might have a chance.
Heading into the room, I barely get through the door when two little faces glance up, their eyes widening as they recognize me among all the strange faces. They instantly start crying and get to their feet, racing toward me as I quickly hand my gun to Hunter.
I drop to my knees, and as I welcome them straight into my arms, they each bawl for the trauma they’ve experienced here today. “Everything’s going to be alright,” I tell them, hoping like fuck we hear from Emily and Jonah soon. “Your mommy and daddy are going to be here soon. You’re safe. You’re both safe now.”
“Gr . . . Grandma Mae had a gun,” Taliah tells me. “She hurt Izzy with it, and then Izzy bleed all over the floor.”
“I know. Izzy is very hurt right now, but the doctors are here, and they’re going to take her to the hospital in the special ambulance so that she won’t be hurting anymore. Does that sound good?”
They nod in unison, and I try to wipe the tears off their little faces. “Now,” I say, trying not to let them see the fear in my eyes. “Have you seen your Aunty Harper? I think she’s playing hide-and-seek. But she’s too good. I can’t find her.”
Haylee shrugs, and I turn to Taliah to see her shaking her head as well. “Okay,” I say, not wanting to push them on it. After all, from what I could gather, Mae had taken the girls away long before Elias got his hands on Harper. “Okay, well, I need to go find her because I think she’s a little bit sad right now. So could you girls keep being brave and go with Hunter? He’s going to help you find somewhere safe you can go while we wait for your mommy and daddy to come back.”
The girls nod again, but as they start to step around me, Haylee glances back. “You could give Harper a hug,” she suggests. “When I’m sad, my mommy gives me a big hug, and it always makes me happy again.”
“You know what?” I say, offering her a small smile. “I think you’re right.”
Getting up, Hunter hands my gun back, and just as I go to walk past him, he catches my eye, a hollowness lingering in his broken stare. “This is on me,” he tells me. “I failed again, and now Harper is out there with her attacker, the twins are traumatized, and Izzy is on the ground bleeding out. I’m going to be there to help in any way I can. I need to see this through and ensure we get Harper back where she belongs, but once this is done, I’m handing in my resignation. I clearly need to continue my training. I’m not up to scratch to be a member of this team, and I apologize for letting you down.”
I stare at Hunter. I know the guilt he’s feeling. We’ve all been there at one point or another. It’s just part of the territory, but I’m not about to let him throw away everything he’s accomplished because my girl managed to manipulate him and slip away. Twice.
“The fuck you are,” I tell him. “I won’t accept your resignation. Now, take Mae down to the dining room. We need to interrogate her on Elias’s whereabouts. We can deal with a suitable punishment after Harper is back home, but until then, get your head in the game.”
After completely clearing the property and confirming that no one else is here, I make my way back downstairs just in time to watch the paramedics rolling Izzy out of the house on a gurney.
Ace and Diesel follow them out to the ambulance, and I’m right behind them. “How’s she doing?”
Diesel shakes his head. “Not looking good,” he says, his face grim. “She’s mostly stable, but critical. She needs to get into surgery now.”
I nod and watch as they each go to make their way to the back of the ambulance, intending to ride along with her, but I pull them up short. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
“To the hospital,” Ace grunts, looking at me as though I’ve lost my mind.
“The fuck you are,” I tell him, anger swirling in my chest. “Harper is still out there, and I need you at my back. I need a fully functioning team, and I need your fucking heads in the game.”
“I know, but—”
“No fucking buts,” I tell Ace. “Yes, Izzy is about to head into the most terrifying surgery of her life, but she’s in the hands of the best doctors in Blackstone. Having you two taking up space in the waiting room while she sleeps is not helping anyone. It doesn’t speed up the process or put anyone at ease. What’s going to help her is making sure her best friend is by her side when she wakes up, and that’s something that you two can give her.”