Page 78 of Daddy's Heart

Chapter 28

Ryder leaned against the elevator wall as he rode up to his apartment. Every muscle in his body screamed for relief. Work had been grueling, but they’d be finished ahead of schedule and under budget. Completely worth the late day. By his calculations, they should be wrapped up by the end of the week.

The elevator stopped, and two women stepped inside. He smiled briefly at them, then moved to the back to check his phone. The damn thing had drained while he had been on site, and he’d left his charger in the truck. It had enough time during the commute home to charge, but it was taking forever for the damn thing to load up.

He needed a faster phone.

A newer phone.

Maybe he could get a plan with Sam. It’d be cheaper, and she needed a new cell too. She had an old version that didn’t have as much memory or speed. He’d watched her have to wait for the calling feature to kick in. If she needed to make a call in an emergency, those wasted seconds would be precious.

The elevator stopped two floors down from his apartment, letting the women off. He blew out a long breath. Dinner and a beer—that’s all he wanted. And his bed, with Sammy wrapped around him. It wasn’t too much to ask.

His phone rang. Finally, done booting up.

“Hey, Kendrick.” Ryder glanced up at the numbers.

“Where the hell are you?” Kendrick’s voice boomed through the speaker.

“I just got home,” he said, stepping off the elevator as soon as the doors slid open. “My phone died. It’s been a shit day. What’s up?”

“It’s Samantha.”

A chill coursed straight to his heart.

“What about her?” He poised his key at the lock.

“She’s in the hospital. I’m here with her. George is too. We couldn’t get a hold of you.”

“What happened? What hospital?” he asked, running to the stairwell. The elevator would take too long. As he ran down the stairs, Kendrick told him where to go, but wouldn’t answer about what had happened to her. She was hurt.

That’s all Ryder knew.

She was hurt.

He jumped into his truck. Driving like his own ass was on fire, he peeled out of the garage into the evening traffic.

Someone had hurt his little girl. How hurt was she? Who would want to hurt her?

Randall.

Fucking Randall.

He pressed the gas harder and made the last turn into the hospital parking lot. She had to be okay. He couldn’t lose her.

How could he survive losing her?

He wouldn’t.

His heart punched his lungs as he pushed his legs to move faster through the hospital hallways until he finally came to her room. Kendrick stood outside the curtain, shielding her from the rest of the emergency department.

“Wait a second.” Kendrick pressed his hands against Ryder to keep him from barging in. “Take a few breaths. You don’t want to scare her.”

“What’s wrong? How did she get hurt?” He turned a glare on Kendrick. “Who fucking touched her?”

George stepped outside the curtain with a frown.

“Where the fuck were you?”

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