Page 18 of Sinful Bride

PASHA

The world is muffled. Blurry.

Chaos.

Makari runs out of the room to grab the security guards, our guards, anyone.

Sofiya hits every speed dial she has and yells into her phone.

Mama is searching through the cabinets and closets just in case.

Daphne is screaming. Sobbing. Frantically stabbing the call button on her hospital bed so someone will come help us.

And amidst it all, for one horrifying second, I can’t… I can’t move. I can’t breathe.

Think, Pasha! Pull yourself together!

Pasha!

“Pasha!”

Daphne’s voice breaks through the fog. She’s kneeling on the bed, begging me to look at her.

It only takes three strides to cross the room, sweep her into my arms, and press a firm kiss to her forehead.

“Stay here. I’ll bring her back to you.”

Another three strides and I’m grabbing my coat and yanking the door open. “Mak, you’re on guard. No one goes in or out. Sofi, you’re with me.”

No one questions me. Not right now. Not in this mood.

My sister and I beeline for the nurse’s desk and grab the first authoritative figure we can find. “My baby has been kidnapped,” I tell her. “We need you to lock this place down.”

The nurse sputters. “What? No! I can’t do that!”

“Then find someone who fucking can!”

The head of security rounds the corner at the perfect moment. No doubt he heard the shouting, so I make use of the commotion to get his undivided attention.

“Put the hospital on lockdown,” I order him. “My baby has been kidnapped.”

“Sir, I’m going to need you to calm down?—”

“Did you hear a goddamn word I said? Someone stole my fucking baby!”

Other parents shrink into corners at the thunder of my voice, but I don’t fucking care. If it gets any of them to do what I say, so be it.

The guard holds his hands up in some pathetic maneuver to placate me. “Sir, please. We have protocols for this?—”

“Sofi.” I lower my voice as she steps closer to my side. “Schematics. What’s above this room?”

“Storage room.”

“Good.”

I pull out my gun and fire a single shot into the ceiling.

It has the intended effect. Everyone screams and starts scrambling for cover. The head of security shouts into his radio for a hospital-wide lockdown. Doors slam and locks are thrown. Perfect.

---