Page 87 of Royal Beast
I close my eyes, struggling to steady my breath, interrupting her before she can work herself into hysterics. “Darcy, listen to me. We’re going to find her. You’re going to stay calm, okay? I’m not going to let anything happen to her. I swear to God. Stay put. I’m on my way to you. It’ll be faster if I come to get you. Safer, too. You can’t be driving right now. Just stay calm, okay? I’m on my way.”
Her response is a choked sob. “Kellan, please be careful. Please don’t let anything happen to our baby girl.”
“I won’t, I swear. Stay calm. I’ll be there soon.”
I hang up without giving her a chance to speak again. There’s nothing left to say. I can’t think straight. I’m racing down the hallway, grabbing my jacket and keys, my mind spiraling. I don’t know what’s happened to Rose. The news hasn’t said a damn thing about a child being involved. No little girl reported injured, nothing.
The only thing I can think is that she was with Clary, and she could be all alone and scared, or worse, or she’s hurt and trying to get help.
What if no one is there to help her?
I need to focus, try to keep my head clear, but my mind is a mess of worst-case scenarios.
Forcing myself to take a few deep breaths, I tell myself she has to be okay. She has to be. Clary is a great driver. Nothing like this should’ve happened. But the state of the car… Jesus, the car was unrecognizable. What if Rose was trapped inside? What if they couldn’t get her out in time?
I grip the steering wheel hard as I drive. I’m moving fast, trying not to lose my shit on the road, but it’s almost impossible. My heart feels like it’s pounding in my throat. My chest tightenswith every passing second. I can't lose her. I can’t lose either of them.
I think back to the times I’ve spent with Rose—the little giggles she makes when she plays with her toys, the way her face lights up when she sees me. She’s come to mean so much to me in such a short time. I can’t believe how much she trusts me and how easily she’s allowed herself to love me like I’m already part of her family.
I could have never foreseen this. None of this was supposed to happen. But now? I’d do anything for her. I’d go to the ends of the earth if it meant keeping her safe.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but it doesn’t work. I can’t stop picturing her in that car, hurt, trapped, or worse. I’d give my life to make sure she’s okay.
Every minute that passes feels like an eternity.
I need to stay calm. I need to stay focused because Darcy needs me right now. I have to stay strong. I can’t let her see me lose it. But God, the uncertainty, the not knowing whether Rose is safe or not, is eating me alive.
It’s hard to stay positive when there’s no information and nothing to go on right now. I swallow my pride and pray to the God of my father’s religion that she’s okay, she’s safe and unharmed.
Because I can’t lose her.
41
DARCY
My mind runs wild, spiraling with one terrible scenario after another. Each one is more horrifying than the last. I see Rose in my head, my baby, my precious little girl. Hurt. Crying. Bleeding out. Or worse—God, I can’t even think it without feeling like I’m going to be sick.
Anxiety churns in my stomach, twisting tighter and tighter until I’m convinced I’m going to throw up. My legs feel like jelly, and my breaths come short and sharp, but I can’t let myself completely lose it. Not now. Not yet. I need to hold on, just a little longer.
The clock on the hospital wall ticks with agonizing slowness, the seconds dragging like hours. Every tick feels louder than the last, mocking me with how long this is taking. Where is Kellan? He said he’d be here soon, but time feels warped, stretched unbearably thin by my panic. I know the hospital is on the way between his office and the crash site, but the wait is unbearable.
The thought of Rose, of my sweet little girl being somewhere out there, scared or hurt, makes my chest ache. I can’t stop the awful images that flash through my mind, no matter how hardI try to push them away. She needs me. She needs her mommy. And I’m sitting here, completely useless.
Finally, headlights sweep across the hospital’s entrance. My head snaps up, and I bolt to the sliding glass doors as Kellan’s car screeches to a stop. He jumps out, and the second I see him, my legs almost give out from sheer relief.
“Darcy!” he calls, his voice sharp but steady.
I rush toward him, my hands trembling as I grab onto him like a lifeline. “Kellan, we have to go. Please, we have to go now.”
“We’re going,” he says firmly, wrapping an arm around me and guiding me to the passenger side. “Come on, let’s get you in the car.”
The moment I’m buckled in, he’s back behind the wheel, the engine roaring to life as he pulls onto the road. My hands shake in my lap, twisting the hem of my sweater until the threads threaten to unravel.
“What do you know? Have you heard anything?” I ask, my voice breaking.
He shakes his head, jaw tight. “Nothing new yet. But we’ll find them. We’ll find her.”
The determination in his voice keeps me tethered, keeps me from losing my mind. I cling to it, even as my mind threatens to spin out of control.
