Page 44 of Back In the Shadows

DEATH

“Night after night, darkness polished the lamb's bones with velvet promises until its wool grew black as dreams.” ~ Anonymous

“That guy must have been fucking with us,” I grumbled, pissed the hell off that we hadn’t located the replica of my house.

“Maybe it was another riddle, or that old man was paid to feed us that information,” Ryan replied.

“But why? I even saw a structure on Google Maps, so I know it’s around here.”

“It’s dark, and we’re in unfamiliar territory. Let’s turn around and find somewhere to stay for the night. We can begin the search again in the morning.” Ryan pulled to the side of the dirt road and hooked a U-turn. From his grim expression, he was as worried and upset as I was.

“We will find her. Alive,” I snarled. “I refuse to accept anything else. And I swear to fucking god, or Lucifer, or whoever claims my fractured, black soul, I will hunt down every last person involved in this, and I’ll flay the skin from their goddamncorpses and display them at The Met as a warning to anyone who dares to cross me or those I care for.”

“He won’t kill her, man. He’s enjoying the game way too much to end it. He’s a fucking twisted motherfucker, but don’t forget, this isn’t about Ella either. It’s about you. He wants you.”

Ryan drove in silence, taking the bumpy road slowly. My mind raced with thoughts of Ella. I couldn’t let her down. She couldn’t … die. Anxiety coursed through me with every beat of my frantic heart. There had to be something I could do. There was always an answer if you wanted it bad enough.

“What the hell?” Ryan slowed and then he came to a complete stop.

“Stay here.” I jumped out of the car before he had a chance to argue with me. Grabbing my knife from the sheath on my calf, I approached the person in the middle of the road. It could be a trick. Hell, I’d played it myself, then snatched the unsuspecting victim.

The torn and dirty dress was barely recognizable, but the black hair hiding the person’s face made my pulse skip a beat. I stilled and scanned the body. Blood pooled beneath the person’s leg and a knife protruded from the thigh. The rise and fall of the chest told me they were still alive. From the looks of the curves and petite form, the person was female. Slowly, I knelt, then moved the hair from the face.

My eyes widened in shock, but there was no mistaking her—my Ella.

“Ella,” I whispered. “I’m going to pick you up.” If she could hear what I was saying, I needed her to understand she was with me. “You’re safe, little lamb. Your wolf is here to bring you home.” With care, I scooped her into my arms and carried her to the Camry. Ryan hopped out of the car and opened the backdoor for me.

“Jesus, is it her?” He popped the trunk and then placed a jacket on the seat for her. “I have a blanket. Lay her down, and I’ll cover her up. She might be in shock.”

My arms trembled with the realization that she could be badly hurt. We weren’t out of the woods by any means.

“I’ll stay back here with her.” I gently placed her on the back seat. Sliding in, I placed her head on my lap and stroked her hair. “Little lamb, come back to me,” I whispered.

Once Ryan was settled in, he drove like a bat out of hell down the road. I wanted to argue with him bouncing her around like a rag doll, but we were both probably thinking the same thing. Would Ella live long enough for us to get her help?

I leaned down and pressed my lips to her dirty forehead. “The kids have missed their mother, and I have missed my queen. Hang in there, we’re on the way to the hospital.”

Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror, studying me. “Have you considered not going into the hospital in case the cops are around? If any police have even a hint of who you are, you could be arrested. If you’re worried about it, I can take her in.”

Four days of searching, of not knowing if she was alive or dead, had driven me to the edge of sanity. Now that we’d found her, I couldn’t let her go. “I’ll do it. She’s mine to take care of.” There was no way I was letting her go again. I would take my chances. I stroked her cheek and continued to talk to her quietly, hoping that she would wake up and know she was safe.

It seemed like an eternity later that Ryan pulled up to the emergency room. After getting out and picking up Ella, I walked through the sliding glass doors. The hustle and bustle of the ER with sick and crying people didn’t faze me. I was used to it when I tortured a victim. Besides, everyone else would have to wait. Ella needed immediate care.

A nurse approached me as she took Ella’s wrist and began checking her vitals.

“What happened?” She glanced at me briefly.

“I’m not sure. My buddy and I found her in the middle of a dirt road about forty minutes ago. She’s not been conscious, either.”

“Do you know her?”

A far away voice answered the nurse’s question in my head.

“I’m her husband. We were out hiking when she got lost.” I wasn’t her spouse, but she didn’t need to know that.

“And how did she end up with a knife in her leg?” The nurse glared at me, and I suspected she thought I’d abused Ella.

“She has a nasty habit of running with sharp objects,” I snarled. “Get her admitted and do whatever you have to do to make sure she’s okay.” Glancing at her name tag, I arched an intimidating brow at her. “I’m holding you responsible, Nurse Jones.”

---