Page 30 of Come Back for Me
Before I go there, I need her to tell me what happened so I can prepare. I use my years of training to slow down my rapid heart rate and the urge to rush over.
I squat down to her level, gripping both her small hands in mine. “I need you to tell me what’s wrong?”
Her head moves to where her house would be and then back to me. “She told me to run.”
“Your mother?”
She nods. “He . . . he was . . . we tried.”
I scoop her up quickly, gathering her in my arms and rushing into the house. Once I know she’s safely in the house, I sit her down and try to get more from her. “Is it your dad?” Hadley cries harder, and there’s a painful tightness in my throat. I want to hold her, comfort this kid who is falling apart, but I urge her gaze back to mine. “I need you to tell me so I can help her.”
“He had her, but she made me run and told me not to stop.”
Fuck.
For just a second, I’m Hadley. I’m running, remembering how Declan screamed until I couldn’t hear him as I fled. I can feel the fear inside my body as I wouldn’t stop, finding that tree, praying he wouldn’t follow me.
Declan protected me and I will do anything to do the same for Ellie now.
“Okay, I want you to stay here, lock the door behind me, and call 9-1-1 right away. Tell them what happened.”
“I’m scared.”
I shake my head, pulling on my bravest face. “I know you are, but you got to me and now I need you to call the police so that we can make sure everyone is safe. I will come back here as soon as I can.”
“With Mommy?”
I really fucking hope so. I know better than to make promises I can’t keep.
“I’m going to try. Just don’t answer the door unless it’s me or Sheriff Mendoza . . . is he still the sheriff?” She nods. “Good, only us, okay?”
I hate that I’m leaving her alone in this broken house, but Ellie needs help. If she had Hadley run . . . it was to protect her, like my brothers did for me.
“Please help her, Connor,” Hadley pleads, and I want nothing more than to give her what she asks.
This kid has somehow felt safe enough to come to me for help. I can’t let her down, no matter what.
“I’m going now. Remember to call and don’t letanyonebut me, your mom, or Sheriff Mendoza in.” I remind her again. I want to specifically tell her not to let her father in, but she’s terrified enough.
“I promise.”
With that, I pull her in for a quick hug, grab my gun out of the entry table, and run.
My legs don’t stop. I don’t think about anything other than getting to her . . . fast. I can’t stop, slow, or falter. I know that taking the road might be the easiest, but cutting across the field is faster, so that’s what I do.
I leap over the fence, moving at a pace I haven’t set in a long time. During my last deployment, I was restricted from running, but right now, nothing hurts. I’m running on pure adrenaline and the need to get to Ellie.
In my gut, I knew something wasn’t right. If that son of a bitch hurt Hadley that day, I’ll kill him. I have to stop myself from going down that line of thinking because I’m already trying to rein my anger in that he’s hurt Ellie.
As I move across the wet grass, I think about that night. I remember how she felt so secure in my arms. I’ve held that memory for so long that the idea of that being all we’d ever have is killing me. Ellie means something to me, whether it’s reciprocated or not, she’s been my talisman.
I’ve dreamed of her so many times and then replayed the memory of that night just to have her close again.
I’ve created hundreds of different scenarios for what would have happened if I’d only woken up earlier, of how the last eight years of my life would have played out.
My heart is racing as the light from the house in front of me cuts through the night. I move even quicker, knowing that each second that passes could mean anything.
I pull my gun out, keeping it down by my side as I move. The ranch-style house should make it easier for me to gain access through a window if I have to. There is a small porch on the front, and the bay window is bright with light from inside. That’s most likely where they are. I do a fast assessment of the house, trying to determine the best way in. It’s eerily quiet, the moon overhead is bright, giving me enough light to see but not be seen.
