Page 42 of Wilder
Theo growls his disapproval but shakes his head and points. “Well, let’s fuckin’ go, then.”
With every step I take, I feel the hard landing. The way all the air had torn from my lungs. The scrape of the road against my flesh as it ripped. And lastly, the roar as the driver hit the accelerator after narrowly missing me.
I reach into my pocket for my phone. Fuck. “My phone didn’t survive the fall,” I grit out, holding it up to show Theo the shattered screen before I shove it back into my pocket. “Could you text one of them that we’re coming?”
Theo eyes me, ever watchful, as he pulls out his phone. “Sure. Got a number for me?”
My forehead creases. “The only number I know by heart is Echo’s.” My voice lowers. “Fuck, I don’t want to send her into a panic.”
The puff of air that escapes his lips demonstrates his level of frustration. “It’s your call.”
Finally, I rattle off the number to him. “Just tell her it’s you, and she needs to send Wilder or Beckham outside.”
“Yeah, okay.”
But as we approach, mere minutes later, only Echo is in the front yard with Chase. She may have already been outside with him, but now she’s watching anxiously, her neck craning as she squints in our direction. My eyes pin on my son as he toddles around, squatting down here and there to look at things.
I try like hell to appear normal, but I know the second we get close enough, she’ll be able tell something is very fucking wrong. Fuck, even if I wasn’t walking so slowly and stiffly, she’d still see the gash on my head, plain as day. I don’t know how big it is, exactly, but I have a feeling it’s bad enough that there’s plenty of blood. The warm flow trickles steadily down the side of my face, and onto my chest. I wish I could somehow protect her from this, but my only thought is to get back to the house. Back to her and Chase, Wilder, and Beckham.
NINETEEN
ECHO
My jaw clampstightly as concern, rapidly followed by fear, flows through me. This odd text from Theo relaying information from Royal doesn’t explain jack shit. A ripple of anxiety runs through me. Royal wants me to send Wilder or Beckham outside to him. He couldn’t have known I was already out here with Chase, I get that, but why’d he ask for them and not me? And why the fuck would Theo be texting me instead of Royal? My hands grow clammy as I finally spot them and watch their approach, taking in the careful, almost awkward, way Royal is walking. My throat goes dry as possibilities rush through my head. Chewing on my lip, I wonder if it could be as simple as a strained muscle.No.My gut says something is wrong. I can’t tell what yet, and that’s sending me to all sorts of dark places. My heart wants me to run to Royal, but I can’t take Chase with me when I don’t know what’s going on.
The door to the house opens behind me, and I whirl around in time to see both Beckham and Wilder spill onto the porch. Their eyes lock on the Royal in the distance. Wilder lifts a hand, then something he sees makes the color drain from his face. His dark eyes meet mine for a split second, then he’s off, sprinting toward the pair. With my heart in my throat, I scoop Chase up asBeckham joins me. It’s clear he’s torn between staying with me and following Wilder. “Go,” I choke out.
His fiery blue eyes find mine. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.” He presses a quick kiss to the side of my head. “Wait here,” he murmurs, squeezing my shoulder and touching a hand to Chase’s back before turning and taking off toward the other half of my heart.Why didn’t Royal text me himself if there was a problem?
As Beckham reaches them, they stop in the middle of the road, and I can only imagine what’s being said during the urgent conversation among the four men. Royal turns his head to look over here at me, and my lungs cease to function. Now I know I was right not to go over there with Chase. That’s blood running down the side of his father’s face. My chest tightens. How the hell do I handle this?
The door slams shut behind me and, wide-eyed, Kara hurries over to me. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. Could you take Chase inside so I can go find out?”
“Yeah, of course.” She pauses, a crease forming down the middle of her head. “Is that… is that Theo Jacobs?”
“It is,” I affirm, turning to shift Chase into her waiting arms. “Aunt Kara’s going to take you inside, Chase.”
“No! Want Woyal.” He points a chubby finger directly at the man in question.
Kara gives me a tight-lipped smile, which I read asYou owe me, then heads back toward the house, carrying a crying, squirming Chase, who is trying his damnedest to get her to put him down by throwing his full body weight backward in his attempt to escape. Fortunately, Kara has experienced Chase temper tantrums before, and it doesn’t faze her in the slightest.
“Woyal!” Chase sobs, the cry so completely pitiful, it makes me want to break down in tears myself.
At the sound of his name, Royal’s gaze shifts, and he peers over here to see Chase’s little body flailing as he kicks up his efforts a notch. His arms outstretch toward Royal as he cries, and my heart fucking twists into a knot in my chest.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, trying to blink away the moisture in my eyes, and end up squeezing them shut to stem the flow.
My breath catches at the deep gravel of Royal’s voice when he speaks right beside us. “Chase, buddy, I’m right here.” I open my eyes to see him reach for our son, despite the fact that he’s got blood trickling from his hairline, and his shoulder is scraped all to hell. Oh god. Chase is either completely unaffected by it or doesn’t see it, because he practically leaps to Royal’s chest like a monkey and clings there, his tiny body still shuddering with his upset. His daddy holds him close, alternately patting his back and smoothing a hand down the back of his head as he bounces him. “You’re okay. Did you miss me while I was out doing my run, little man?”
Chase nods, picking up his sweaty head from Royal’s equally sweaty chest. He studies Royal, the tears immediately stopping as he cocks his head to the side. Openly curious, he peers at the side of Royal’s face. “Woyal got a boo-boo?” he whispers cautiously. A miniature V forms between his brows.
“I do.Ouch.But I’ll be fine. Don’t worry, I can play in a little bit, because we’re gonna have Wilder fix me right up, okay?” He glances up as Wilder, Beckham, and Theo circle around.
“Otay.” He draws in a deep breath, then lets it go with his entire body.
Kara steps in, patting Chase’s back. “Come on, big guy. I think we should get a popsicle and eat it out back while we wait for Royal. Does that sound good?”
