AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His sharply exhaled breath stirred her hair, porcelain fingers reaching for her neck. Before she could twist away, crushing pressure clamped brutally down on her windpipe. Hoisted upright, her toes barely brushed the frigid concrete as she choked. One massive hand pinned her spine against a support column while she clawed helplessly at his constricting grip.
Fiona's plea emerged from a gargling whine between compressed lungs, fruitlessly seeking air.
"Shhh, now …" The faceless voice cooed with gut-turning tenderness, contrasting the merciless strangling torture. "Just need you to pass along a small message for me, hmm? Can you do that, Mama?"
With a violent roar, he flung her limp body aside. Pain exploded behind Fiona's eyes as her shoulder and temple cracked against the unforgiving pavement. Managing to drag in oxygen, at last, she still heard his demand rasp from the enclosing shadows above …
His last barked command still echoed mockingly around the empty garage. "Tell Callum that Rocco stopped by …" A final amused rumble vibrated through the stagnant air.
EIGHTEEN
CALLUM
He swam laps in the pool, attempting to keep his mind calm. He felt a little guilty about the argument he'd had with Fiona. He had wanted her to be fully informed before the baby arrived, but perhaps he had pushed too hard.
Her words echoed in his head, especially how she felt like she was losing her sense of self. She missed her work as a journalist and felt she had sacrificed it when she dropped the article.
He had to admit that he understood her perspective. She had dedicated a lot of time to learning about shifters, which had caused her other life to take a backseat. But it was all for a good reason.
He pushed off the wall and began backstroking to the other side of the pool. He sighed, gazing up at the ceiling, wishing he had handled the argument more skillfully. He should have tried to calm her instead of escalating the situation.
He also understood she needed space, and he had to respect that, even though it made him uneasy.
As he reached the wall, he paused upon hearing the door open, noticing that Dan had entered the area. He didn't push off the wall, sensing that something was amiss. Dan appeared disheveled.
"What’s up?" he asked, standing. He reached for his bottled water and uncapped it.
"We just received word about Fiona."
He waved his hand, urging Dan to continue as he took a deep sip of his water.
"She's in the hospital."
His body tensed. His eyes snapped towards Dan, and his confusion was evident. How could she be in the hospital? She had gone home.
"What do you mean she's in the hospital? What happened?"
Dan shrugged. "We don't know. We just got the news."
He pulled himself out of the pool without waiting for more details, grabbed his towel, and quickly moved to his bag.
"How long has she been there? What happened? Was she in a car accident? Did something happen with the baby?"
Dan looked at him, shaking his head. It was clear he didn't have any more information.
He rushed to the bathroom, stripping off his swim shorts and hastily dressing. His hair was still wet as he stepped out, retrieving his keys from his bag.
"I'll call you," he told Dan as he hurried out of the pool room. He made his way to his car, his mind filled with worry. Images of accidents and mishaps flashed before him.
He pictured Fiona injured in a car accident, or worse, experiencing a miscarriage due to a fall. He imagined her hooked up to machines, fighting for her life, and feared losing both her and the baby.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his heart racing as he had no idea what awaited him at the hospital.
Arriving at the multi-story building, he rushed inside, out of breath as he entered the ER. He received directions at the front desk but still found himself lost as he wandered the triage area in search of her. A nurse intercepted him.
"Are you looking for someone?"
"Yes, I'm …" But before he could finish his sentence, he spotted her.
