“I know.” I rubbed a hand over my jaw, keeping the other clenched on the steering wheel. “I just... I can’t shake this guilt. I should’ve done more to protect them.”
“None of us saw this coming, but what matters now is how we handle it. Let’s be there for Scott and the boys, and you do whatever it takes to bring Liza home.”
“Right.” As we pulled up to the hospital, I steeled myself, determined to do whatever was necessary to make things right.
We entered the waiting room, the harsh fluorescent lights casting stark shadows on the faces of Liza’s brothers. Mason’s and Michael’s expressions were thunderous, and I braced myself for their wrath.
“Where the hell is Liza, Ty?” Mason’s rage was barely contained. “You were supposed to protect her.”
“Believe me, I’m doing everything I can to find her. My team is combing the security footage now.” Frustration had me balling my fists. “Right now, we need to focus on your mom and dad. They need our support.”
“Support?” Michael sneered, his eyes cold and accusing. “Is that what you call it when you let our sister get kidnapped and our mother attacked?”
“Enough.” My father’s voice commanded the attention of everyone in the room. “We’re all upset, but pointing fingers won’t help anyone. We need to work together if we want to find Liza and bring her home safely.”
“You blame me, and maybe you have every reason to. But I swear to you, I will do whatever it takes to make this right,” I told them.
Mason’s jaw clenched, his eyes burning with anger. After a moment, he nodded curtly. “Fine.” He turned his attention back to their father, who sat hunched over in his chair with his face buried in his hands.
“Thank you.” My heart ached for them. It was my responsibility to fix it—to save Liza and mend the rift that had formed between our families.
The door to the waiting room opened, and a doctor in pale blue scrubs approached us. His expression was calm and professional, and I sensed the slightest hint of relief coming from him. It was enough to make my heart skip a beat.
“Mr. Mims?” the doctor said, his gaze settling on Scott. “Your wife is out of surgery. She’s in recovery now if you’d like to see her.”
“Thank God.” Scott’s shoulders sagged with visible relief. A weight lifted off my chest, too. At least Rory was safe for now.
We followed the doctor through a maze of hallways, my ears picking up every conversation and beeping monitor along the way. It was disorienting, the constant barrage of human sounds and scents, but I kept my focus on the task at hand: being there for Scott and Rory.
When we finally reached Rory’s room, she was awake but groggy, her eyes glazed over from the painkillers. The bandage wrapped around her head was stark white against her dark hair. She looked so fragile. So vulnerable.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Scott said as he approached Rory’s bedside and reached a trembling hand out to touch her face.
“Scott,” she croaked. “Where’s Liza?”
Scott’s jaw worked, and his eyes darted to me. He couldn’t hide the truth from Rory, but how could he say it?
Before he could answer, I stepped forward, needing to take some of the burden off his shoulders.
“Rory, Liza is… well, she’s not here right now.” I chose my words carefully. “We’re doing everything we can to find her and bring her home.”
The sterile scent of the hospital room burned my nose, and the quiet beeping of machines monitoring Rory’s vital signs assaulted my ears. She looked pale and fragile in the dimly lit room, her eyes barely open, but she was alive and awake.
We didn’t bombard her with questions, as she had just had brain surgery . Shifter healing or not, it was important to give her time to recover. Scott remained at her side, holding her hand gently, his gaze never leaving her face.
It was Rory who broke the silence, her voice weak but determined. “I need to tell you what happened.” She looked at each of us in turn, drawing strength from our presence.
“You don’t have to do this now,” Scott said softly. “You’ve been through so much already.”
She shook her head slightly, winced, then continued. “No, I need to tell you. There were three men. They came into the house and threatened me. They made me text Liza.”
My fists clenched involuntarily, and my wolf rose to the surface, its protective instincts on high alert. The thought of these men threatening Rory and using her to get to Liza made my blood boil, but I forced myself to remain calm for her sake. We needed to focus on the information she was giving us, not our emotions.
“Did you recognize any of them?” I asked, hoping for any clue that might lead us to Liza, considering we knew very little about Liam’s whereabouts.
Rory shook her head again, more carefully this time. “No, but one of them seemed familiar. He looked a lot like Liza.”
“Take your time, Rory.” I tried to keep my own impatience in check. “Every detail helps.”
