Page 47 of Ranch's Resolve

“Everyone was at the clubhouse?” I ask her. “Did you see Athena?”

Caitlin frowns. “I didn’t see her. We could check the log and see if she was here.”

“I’m on it,” Smoke says as he sits at the desk and works the guard’s computer. “Yeah, she was here. I have the SUV coming through almost an hour ago.”

“Where could she be?” I demand. “She was coming here to visit Angelica, but she was supposed to drop Santiago off first.”

“Do you think Carlos brought her here? Why?” Dante asks.

“Angelica isn’t here; she’s at the Demon Dawg clubhouse with Tally. Tally wanted to give her and Americo a full examination, but she didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

“The alarm was triggered in 12A. Who has 12A?” Smoke asks.

“Selena,” Kingsley says. “She and Angelica are sharing 12A.”

“Let’s go,” Dante says.

Everyone rushes out of the building. Dante and I follow Caitlin’s directions to the first-floor apartment at the far end of the complex. We still have our guns out, but we hold them down near our thighs to keep them out of sight. I knock on the door and announce myself just as Athena screams pour through the door.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: ATHENA

Carlos shoves me through the door. I stumble and just manage to keep my grip on a squirming Santiago. He’s crying and reaching for Selena. Selena places her hand on Santiago’s head but doesn’t move to take him from me. Selena’s entire focus is on Carlos as he slams the door shut behind him.

“Get the fuck in the other room. Where’s the bitch?” Carlos snarls.

Santina scrambles away when we enter. In her haste to get away, she kicks the box of crayons and scatters them over the floor. Tears cascade down her face as she stares in horror at her father. He lifts his hand to strike her, but Selena moves between them. He changes his direction and slaps her instead. When she crumples to the ground, he kicks her in the stomach.

“Leave her alone!” I shout, tightening my hold on Santiago even as I fully expect Carlos to turn his anger on me.

“This is between me and my bitch. If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’ll give you what I’m going to give her.”

The children are crying and screaming for their mother. Carlos snarls at them before yanking Santiago from my arms and Santina from the floor. He drags her out of the room as Irush into the kitchen to press the alarm. However, before I can reach it, Carlos grabs me by the hair and yanks me backward. He wraps his hand around my throat and squeezes until dark spots form. I slip out of consciousness with the realization that I’ll never see Ranch again.

Pounding and shouts draw me back into consciousness. Lifting my head, I can’t immediately remember where I am or what happened. However, it all snaps back into place when I spot Selena lying prone on the ground in front of me. Blood coats her hair and trails over her bruised cheek. Her eyes are swollen shut, and I can see bruises that look a lot like finger marks along her neck. I scream with fear, anger, and massive guilt.

I hear two hard bangs against the front door before it splinters open, and several people rush in. I can’t see who they are because tears blind me. Gentle hands caress my face as someone tries to soothe me. I can’t take my eyes off Selena to see who it is, but I know it’s Ranch. I can feel him. After he slices through the bindings on my wrists, Ranch rubs my wrists before pulling me to my feet and into his arms.

“Baby, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Ranch asks as he brushes the hair from my face. He swears when he sees the bruise I feel forming on my face.

“Selena. Is she…?” I choke up.

“She’s alive,” Scar says from his position next to her. “She’s hurt, but she’s alive.”

“Did Carlos do this to her?” Dante asks.

I nod. “I think so. He hit her once before he knocked me out. She was trying to protect her children. The children! He took them somewhere.”

“He took them with him?” Dante asks.

“No. I don’t know. He took them out of the room.”

“Search the apartment,” Dante orders.

A few minutes later, Carver calls out that he has found them. “The bastard locked them in a closet and shoved a chair under the knob.”

“Kingsley, keep the children out of this room until Scar finishes caring for Selena? They don’t need to see their mom like this,” Dante says. “Caitlin, can you stay here in case Selena wakes up?”

Kingsley rushes down the hallway while Caitlin sits near Selena and Scar.

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