Page 31 of Saving Their Forever

“If you want to save yourself from dying with your balls shoved down your throat, you’ll let us go. Because when Ryker McCabe gets his hands on you, he’ll carve a new pretty picture into your flesh every hour on the hour until there isn’t a single square inch of skin left. Starting with your dick.”

The pipe lands across my shoulders this time. I can live with that. I’ve had worse. Hell, anything they do to me, I’ve had worse.

“You are not that smart, are you Sergeant Richards?”

“Actually, I’m a goddamn genius.”

The next hit is aimed directly at my collarbone. One of the most painful bones to break. Hardest to heal too. But I twist my body at the right time, and he clips my upper arm instead.

“I can do this all day. Look. I’m not even breaking a sweat. You took Wren. If you think he’s going to let you live, you’re fucking idiots.”

I shouldn’t keep baiting these assholes. It won’t end well for me. But if they’re busy with us, they’re not hurting Wren. Or going after Ry before he’s ready. He needs time for West to figure out a plan.

Electricity shoots through me again, so much worse than the last time. Fuck. The leads are only a couple of inches from my dick. I flop helplessly until my vision goes white and there’s only a dull roar in my ears. Will I come back from this? Or is it finally the end?

* * *

Wren

I pound on the heavy metal doors, hoping someone will hear me. “Eight thousand thirty-one, Eight thousand thirty-two, Eight thousand—shimmyshakes!”

I should be in the hospital. With meds. My birth plan. My husband.

Instead, I double over in this big concrete room and focus on one of the leaves on the floor as I force myself to breathe in short pants.

Jalal never came back with water or food. Or bothered to escort me to any sort of bathroom. Squatting to pee in a corner while in labor isn’t an experience I ever want to have again.

There’s nothing in this bunker but leaves and twigs. And two cameras mounted too high for me to reach. Their red lights have been mocking me for over an hour. I know, because all I’ve been doing is pacing and counting.

Twelve minutes apart. Eleven. Ten. Now just over eight. If they keep progressing like this, I’ll need to push in…two or three hours, tops.

The pain starts to fade, and I stagger over to the wall so I can sink down. My legs don’t want to hold me any longer. I swipe my cheeks with the backs of my hands. The baby squirms inside me. Does she know how close she is to being born? Can she feel how scared I am? I rub slow circles on my belly, unable to stop another round of tears from spilling over. “I love you, Harlow. With everything I am. Your daddy does too. You know that, right? Whatever happens, you are loved.”

Whatever happens.

If I have to give birth here—alone—will we even survive? Will I have the chance to hold her? To hear her cry? It’s so cold in here. I won’t be able to keep her warm.

I stare up at the camera and let all my rage and terror spill over. “Can you hear me, assholes? Are you watching this? You know I’m in labor. If you were telling the truth—that you don’t want to hurt me—take me to the hospital.”

The red light blinks. Twice. Then turns off completely. I’m alone. Truly and utterly alone. The idea that my kidnappers knew I was in labor and ignored me was heartbreaking, but now, I could die in this bunker—along with my daughter—and no one will ever know.

I curl onto my side and wrap my arms around my belly. “I’m so sorry, baby girl. Mama couldn’t protect you.”

* * *

Dax

“Wake up, man.” A hand slaps my face lightly, and I force my eyes open. A diffuse light shines from somewhere overhead, casting shadows over me. “Thank fuck,” Rip says. “Can you move?”

He helps me sit up, and the world spins around me so fast I topple against him with a groan.

“You’re in bad shape. What the hell were you thinking, baiting them like that?”

“Dunno.”

That’s a lie. I knew exactly what I was doing, and though we were trained to never lie to our team, there’s no way I can tell Rip the truth.

He’s quiet for a moment, then sighs. “Bullshit. You didn’t think I could handle it, so you decided to pull a Ryker.”

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