Page 16 of Three to Fall

“No idea.” Chaos followed me out, turning to help Hayley Jade climb out behind him.

The door to the clubhouse flew open so hard it slammed back against the brick wall.

Kara stumbled out the door, running at us. “Do you have her? Where is she?”

I caught her as she stumbled again, tears streaming down her face, my heart cracking open with both pain for the fear in her face and relief for the fact she was here and unhurt.

I wanted to wrap her in my arms. Hold her all night. Remind myself over and over again that she was okay.

But she needed her daughter more.

Chaos stepped aside. “Hey. It’s okay. She’s here. She’s safe.”

Kara stared down at her daughter, like she was a mirage she couldn’t quite believe. Then she dropped to her knees in the gravel lot, kneeling at Hayley Jade’s feet and wrapping her arms around the little girl’s middle.

Kara sobbed against Hayley Jade’s tummy, pressing her ear to her chest, listening as if she needed to hear the beat of her heart to assure herself her daughter was still alive.

It broke my fucking heart. Smashed it into pieces.

Chaos seemed equally destroyed, turning away with a shuddering breath he tried to hide.

“You’re okay?” Kara asked, pulling away to run her gaze all over her daughter. She checked her head to toe and then looked to me and Hayden. “She’s okay?”

“Not a scratch on her,” Chaos murmured.

Kara squeezed Hayley Jade again, relief slowly replacing the trembling fear racking her body.

Hayley Jade stroked Kara’s hair, the same way she and Chaos had done to me in the car.

I crouched at Kara’s side, rubbing a slow hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her. “Let’s go inside.”

It took a few more minutes of convincing before Kara would let Hayley Jade go, but eventually she got back up on her feet and guided her inside.

Chaos and I followed.

Grayson sat on the couch, his head tipped back, his eyes closed. A gigantic red mark marred his neck, and I stopped, staring at it.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

He hadn’t even been at the hospital when the mob had formed. He’d left earlier to take care of something personal.

Apparently, that personal thing was getting himself half choked to death. There was no other way I knew of to get that sort of damage to your throat. What the fuck?

Gray opened one eye but just shook his head, waving his hand toward his throat, indicating he wasn’t speaking.

I winced at the fresh mark. Within hours it would probably be purple with bruises. The side of my brain that couldn’t get enough of medicine was intrigued. I leaned over him, peering at the injury. “I’m not fucking surprised you don’t want to talk. That’s nasty.”

Kara glanced over at him worriedly, but then down at Hayley Jade and gave a small shake of her head. “Long story. But he’s okay.” She stopped at the doorway to Hayley Jade’s bedroom and glanced back at us. “Thank you. All of you.”

All three of us shook our heads in unison. That was probably about all Gray could do with his throat all messed up the way it was.

But Chaos took the words out of my mouth. “No need.” He brushed the back of his fingers down the side of her face. “You look exhausted.”

She covered her mouth politely to hide a yawn. Her face was lined with worry and weariness. “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Multiple times.”

I studied her carefully for signs of injury. I had no idea what had happened with her and Grayson, but it seemed like he was the one who was worse for wear. “Shock will do that to you.”

Hayley Jade wandered into her room and made a beeline for her bed, tucking herself into it, despite the fact it was the middle of the day, and she was really too old for naps.

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