Page 78 of Four Fiances & I

“Daddy!” His name spills from my lips as I cry, throwing my arms around his neck.

“It’s okay, I’m here, Angel. I’ve got you.” He holds the back of my head as his other arm holds me around my waist.

“Where are the others?” I demand, pulling back.

“We are all fine. There’s no danger. Christian’s in his office-” I don’t wait to hear anything else. I pull out of Jason's arms and rush out of the room. “Jazzy, wait!” I don’t have time to wait. I need to see him. I need to know he’s unharmed and that the others are all okay, too.

My throat and eyes are burning as I run down the stairs, nearly losing my balance more than once. I try to push back the images I had of the four of them hurt, but once again, they come to the forefront of my mind, which only forces me to push myself harder to get to him. I need to get there before the panic attack takes hold.

I can hear Jason shouting at me, but I know he's okay; I need to see Christian and the others now.

“Daddy!” Throwing open the door, I run into the room to stop in my tracks.

He’s not here.

I scream his name whilst spinning around in a circle, hoping I missed him. But he’s nowhere to be seen.

He’s meant to be here. Why isn’t he here?

Panic hits me like a tidal wave, and I instantly find myself drowning in it. The room spins as I look around for him again. Everything starts to become blurry, and the walls feel like they are closing in as my legs go from underneath me. I need to see that they’re okay, but the confinements of the fear prevent me from moving. Panic takes what little breath I have, and a hysterical cry forces its way out of my throat. I can't move; I can't get anything past my constricted throat.

“Jazzy …”

I don’t hear what else Jason says as I feel him running a hand over my head. I try to speak, but I don’t know if I manage to say the word out loud or if they remain in my head.

“Where?”

Jason pulls me onto his lap and holds me, but as much as I love him, it’s not him I want or need.

“Jazzy, he’s fine. We are all fine.”

All I can do is shake my head because until I see them for myself, I don’t trust that someone hasn’t taken them from me. Jason must realise as he stands with me still in his arms and carries me from the room. I don’t look where he is taking me. The tears stop me from seeing clearly, and I can't stop myself from clinging to his shirt. He holds me tight in his arms as he rushes through the house until I hear him kicking a door with his foot.

“Christian!”

I hear a door open, and Jason charges into a room.

“What’s happened?” The sound of his voice causes something to snap inside me, and I turn away from Jason’s chest, desperate to see him with my own eyes. I don’t have to wait as he pulls me from Jason’s arms and holds me. He walks across the room and sits with me on his lap, and I bury my head into his shirt and breathe in his cologne.

“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” He tries to pull away from me, but I grab at his shirt, needing to stay as close as possible to him. I am terrified that if I move just slightly, he will be taken from me. I try to ask where the twins are, but I’ve lost all ability to speak. Nothing is getting past my constricted throat, not even air.

“Do you really need to ask?” I hear Jason snap. “She was alone when they activated the security system. They triggered it five minutes early, so I was still in my office when we went into lockdown.

“She spent the whole of yesterday listening to us discussing how someone wants you dead and then gets woken up by the house going into lockdown.”

Christian curses under his breath as he buries his face into my hair.

“I’m so sorry, Sweetheart. I didn’t know you were alone. We are all fine, I promise. They were testing the improved system.” I take a deep breath and listen to his heartbeat as he whispers sweet words into my hair. I curl up smaller in his lap, needing the comfort of his arms as they tighten around me.

Even when the tears have slowed and I’m no longer hysterical, I can’t face him. I can't bring myself to move, terrified that I will never hear his heart beating again.

“Where are the others?” I whisper. Each word’s hurting my throat. Jason appears with an open bottle of water for me. After a couple of sips, I clear my throat and try again. “Where are the others?”

“The twins had gone out to meet with Ryan Donavon. The three of them are training together. They will be back soon,” Christian whispers, running a hand up and down my back.

“I promise we are all fine, Jazzy,” Jason says as he tries to take my hand but stops when he realises it’s in a fist. “What’s in your hand, Angel?” he asks, frowning. I look at it for a moment before remembering. Jason holds out his hand, and I slowly drop three bullets into his palm.

“Shit,” the two of them curse together as Christian’s arms tighten around me again.

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