Page 152 of Safe and Sound

More than anything, I prayed for her to still be alive.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Dare

Niall squealed into Ava’s driveway on two wheels. The SUV had barely come to a stop when I threw open the door and jumped out onto the pavement. “For fucking sake, Dare, let me do a sweep!” Niall shouted behind me.

Ignoring him, I pounded up the porch steps. I grimaced at the sight of Brody lying in a pool of blood. Whoever had attacked had taken out the security team before entering the house.

After cocking my gun, I kicked in the door, sending it flying back on its hinges. With Niall and Ava on my heels, I started inside. My chest constricted at the metallic smell of blood assaulted my nose.

At the sight of Nick lying crumpled in the foyer, Ava raced forward. Before I could stop her, she dropped to her knees. When she rolled him over, his lifeless eyes stared back up at her.

A scream erupted from her lips. “NICK! Oh God, no!”

The world shuddered to a stop around me.

Where the fuck was Piper?

“Stay with her,” I ordered James.

“PIPER!” I screamed as I started tearing through the house. Niall followed close behind me.

Whirling around, I ordered, “Check the basement!”

“Yes, sir,” Niall replied as he flung open the basement door.

After climbing the stairs, I popped into her bedroom. The covers on her bed were rumpled, but she wasn’t under them. Bending over, I peered under the bed. “Piper, are you under here?”

The only response came in the form of Cheeto hissing at me. As I squinted my eyes, I saw the two kittens cowering behind a stuffed animal.

Rising up off the floor, I threw open the closet door. I called her name again while flicking through the clothes and toys. The ache in my chest began to grow when I raced into her bathroom, which I also found empty.

My breath came in ragged pants as I checked Ava’s bedroom and then the guest bedroom. When I got out into the hallway, I screamed at the top of my lungs. “PIPER!”

Only Ava’s sobs echoed back to me. Racing back downstairs, I threw open the garage door. “Piper, come out. It’s Dad–I mean, Dare.”

Dear lord, don’t let my sins take my daughter from me.

A sob choked off in my throat as I spun haplessly around the empty garage. Just as I was about to go back into the house, a giggle came from the back of Ava’s SUV. My heart shuddered and restarted. “Piper?” I choked out.

Her head popped up from the third row seating as she stared at me through the windshield.

My knees buckled at the sight of her, and I fell to the ground. As I bent over, I began thanking all the saints for keeping my daughter safe.

Piper poked her head out of the window. “Whatcha doin’ on the ground?”

Since I could put weight on my legs again, I rose to my feet. Racing over to the car, I jerked open the door. Piper grinned at me. “Did I win?”

My arms ached to pull her against me, but I was afraid I would squeeze her too tight. “Win what?”

“Nicky said we was playin’ a hidin’ game. He say to stay here and not come out til you or Mommy came to get me.”

Tears stung my eyes at Nick’s final act of protecting Piper. “Yeah, Pipes, you won.”

Her tiny brows furrowed. “Why are you crying?”

I forced a smile to my face. “Because I wanted to win, and you beat me.”

She giggled. “You’re silly.”

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