Page 45 of Back In the Shadows

A gurney caught my attention, and I hurried over and placed Ella on it.

“Sir, that wasn’t for her. There’s another patient …” Some guy said behind Nurse Jones.

Before I could wrap my fingers around his throat, Ryan stepped up.

“You’ll treat her now. She’s a witness to a murder, and we need her to stay alive. Do you understand?” Ryan flashed his badge at the nurse, but not long enough for her to realize he was an out-of-state cop.

She placed her hands on her hips. “I treat all my patients equally. You’ll have to wait just a minute.”

I left Ella on the gurney and stomped toward the nurse. “Now. Take fucking care of her now,” I growled as I jabbed a finger into her face.

The woman took a step back and nodded. “Okay.” She glanced around, then called for help. “You can have a seat in the waiting room.”

“Not happening.” My patience was wearing thin.

“Then let us examine her and see how much blood she’s lost. You can’t be there, it’s a sterile environment. She’s already at risk for infection. If you love your wife, sit your ass down. You have my word that I’ll call you back as soon as she’s in a room.”

Ryan placed his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, man. They have to be able to do their job.”

My gaze narrowed on Nurse Jones. “If anything happens to her …” I didn’t need to say anything else. She got my meaning.

I stood rooted in place as the guy and Nurse Jones wheeled Ella through the doors. There were only a few times in my life when I experienced true, deep terror. One was when I had a memory of my parents lying on the kitchen floor covered in massive amounts of blood. It was as if I’d faded in and out of reality when I realized I was holding a butcher knife. I had been responsible for their deaths, but I hadn’t ever told anyone that. It was only a fleeting recollection, but there was a knowing in my gut that I’d had something to do with it. The second time was now as I watched Ella get wheeled away. I had no idea if I would ever see her alive again, or if I would ever hold her, or hear her voice. Sucking in a slow breath, I slammed my eyes closed against the dark fears that plagued me. She had to come back.

My palms burned and itched, and I rubbed them on my jeans. I had to keep busy one way or another while they tended to Ella. Otherwise, I would lose my fucking mind. Strolling over to Ryan, who was on his phone, I paced in front of him. If I didn’t keep moving, I would rush down the hall after Ella. Every cell in my body craved her. Needed to see with my own eyes that she would be okay, because nothing that I’d seen told me otherwise.

A minute later, Ryan hung up. “I called Dope and Kip to let them know we found Ella and where we were. They’ll let Cami know.”

“Thanks.” In all the excitement, it hadn’t dawned on me to call them. At least Ryan was a voice of reason to me for now.

My arms folded tightly against my chest, I replayed the memories on repeat. A quiet and seething rage ignited inside me, pulsing with a deadly intensity. Every fiber of my being was consumed with a burning desire for revenge. I swore, if it was the last thing I did, I would hunt down those motherfuckers who laid a hand on my little lamb and make them pay with rivers of their blood. With each clench and unclench of my jaw, the familiar cold drive to kill surged through my veins, pushing me towards vengeance with relentless force.

Ryan stood and closed the gap between us, speaking in a hushed voice since we were in a public area. “You’ve got that look, man. Can you keep your shit together or do we need to find you someone?—.”

I glanced around, making sure no one could overhear our conversation. I would have preferred to talk elsewhere, but we had to stay here in case the doctor came out with an update. “I already have someone, but I have to find the son of a bitch, first.”

Ryan nodded. “I can have the guys fly out, and we can go hunting. The woods are perfect for it. Cami can stay with the kids. I can call in a few favors and have Ella’s room guarded to keep her safe until she’s well enough to travel home.”

I mulled over his words. “I won’t leave Ella until I know that she’s going to recover. But call the guys and have them get here as fast as they can. Can you call in a favor and have someone watch the house and Cami? I don’t trust her to not take off with my twins, but I also need to keep them safe. Those fuckers might come back, and I can’t leave Cami and the kids vulnerable.”

Ryan tipped his chin. “Of course. I have a buddy that knows how to be discreet and is well connected. He’ll be great for the job and keep his mouth shut with any shit he sees.”

“What’s his name?” I wasn’t too keen on the idea of a stranger learning my secrets, but at this point I had to trust Ryan’s call.

“Zayne Wilson. Good guy, ex-military, and has gotten his hands dirty several times. He’s on the East Coast, so it won’t take him long to get to your place if he’s available. If not, he has very qualified men on his team.”

“If you trust him, then I will too.” I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, restless as hell.

“I know you don’t want to hear it, but Sebastian knows Zayne too. He trusts him, and you can too.”

He’s right, I didn’t want to hear that shit. Changing the subject, I asked, “How fast can Kip and Dope get here?”

Ryan’s forehead creased before he spoke, as if he were weighing his words. “I’m not sure. I’ll check in and see where they’re at.”

Terror and anxiety consumed every fiber of my being, leaving no room for rational thought as I frantically worried about my little lamb. The words he had spoken barely registered in my brain, drowned out by the pounding of my heart and the overwhelming sense of dread that gripped me.

“For the record, Sebastian sounds like a spoiled, rich motherfucker that depends on his plane too much,” I snapped. “I prefer to drive or travel by foot. It depends on how heavy the load is. I have more important shit to worry about right now than him anyway.” I sneered and imagined throwing the body of a victim over my shoulder.

Ryan smirked. “You two are definitely different, but one thing remains the same. You love Ella and will destroy anything and anyone that is a threat to her. Same for your kids. At some point, I hope you and Bass can coexist together. You could teach the other a few things.”

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