Page 92 of Out of the Shadow

“Leo.”

My brother smiles at me. “You’re back.”

I nod and attempt to sit up, but he prevents me from moving. “Don’t get up. I don’t know what Trevor gave you, but I don’t want you to move around.” He continues to rub my arms. Myunrestrainedarms. “How are your hands?”

I move my fingers. “They’re okay. My wrists are sore.” I look at him. “What happened?”

Leo takes a step back, revealing King lying on the floor in the middle of the doorway. A couple of people are crouched around him, including Francesco. Ignoring my younger brother’s request to lay still, I push away from him and sit up and yell, “King!”

Leo places his hands on my shoulders. “Shhh. Let the paramedics do their job.”

The two guys with Francesco keep poking and prodding King. “He’s not moving.” My chest heaves as I suck in air. I try to push Leo’s hands off of me, but they don’t budge. “Let me go! King!”

Francesco’s voice booms. “Angela.”

I freeze.

Leo rubs my arms. “Stay here. They’re examining him and you’d only be in the way. Besides, you have to get checked out, too.”

I look from one brother to the other. “Is King okay?” He can’t die on me. This can’t be happening again. My breathing hitches in my chest.

Francesco says, “Trevor hit him over the head with a baseball bat.”

“Trevor? Where is he?”

“On his way to being booked for kidnapping, attempted murder, extortion, and any other crime we can think of,” Francesco answers.

“He was in debt. Bookies were after him.”

“We know,” Leo replies.

A stretcher is wheeled in and the paramedics lift King onto it. He doesn’t move or make a sound. I push against Leo. Taken by surprise, my brother releases me and I rush off the bed, to King’s side.

“King!” I place my hand on his cheek. It’s warm. Thank God. “Can you hear me? I want you to fight. Fight harder than you’ve ever fought before.”

“Ma’am, someone will be in here to examine you shortly,” one of the paramedics says, but her tone is not without sympathy. “We need to take him to the hospital now.”

With tears streaming down my cheek, I kiss King. The paramedics roll him out of the room.

Unable to restrain myself, I shout to no one, or maybe to the world, “No! This can’t be happening again!”

Leo wraps me in his arms and I crumple into him, sobbing. Other paramedics bring in a second stretcher and Francesco helps me onto it. After I’m assured they’re taking me to the same hospital as King, I agree. Leo touches his forehead to mine.

“You’re going to be alright, sis. And so will King. I’ll ride with you to the hospital.” His voice lowers. “I know you hate them.”

“Thank you, Leo. For everything.” I glance at my other brother. “You too, Francesco.” They both nod.

The paramedics wheel me out of the house and into the ambulance. Leo never lets go of my hand, which is bruised and cut from where Trevor used the zip-ties on me. Sirens blazing, they start the journey to the hospital. And to King.

“Leo, not that I’m not extremely grateful and all, but how did you get to the mansion?”

He tells me about King’s call, and everything that happened afterward. When he finishes, he brushes the hair off my head. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life. After King called me, I informed Francesco, who mobilized his people. As soon as King walked in that door, I gave Francesco the signal and he and a few other officers surrounded the house. But we couldn’t do anything to tip our hand since we didn’t know where you were being held. When Trevor led King to the room where he was keeping you, we all felt the shift in Trevor. I’m so sorry we couldn’t prevent him from hurting King.”

I grab his hand and kiss it. “You saved me. And him.” God, I hope he saved King.

“But answer me this.” His voice turns stern. “Why did you go to the mansion in the first place? Marlene said you’d never met the client before.”

I stare at the ambulance’s ceiling. “I know. It was a stupid thing for me to do.” I exhale. “He gave me a sob story on the phone and I fell for it.”

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