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“Got it.”
“W—what are you talking about?” Martin stammers. “No. You can’t make me leave. I’m not going with you.”
Ice punches him this time. His fist making a sickening crack against Martin’s cheek. “Now you know how Shelby felt, asshole.” He lifts his chin at Pants. “Get him out of here.”
A few seconds later, the van starts up and drives away.
“Rooster, we gotta go,” Ice says. “Call me.”
I tear my gaze away from Shelby. “Thank you, brother.”
His gaze falls on Shelby and his jaw works from side-to-side. “Thank fuck we found her.” He shakes his head and walks out of the bedroom.
“Shelby, baby,” I whisper. “Come on. You’re safe. We’ve got you. Wake up.”
Nothing.
“It’s all right. She’s breathing. She’s gonna be okay,” Jigsaw keeps repeating. Whether he’s trying to reassure me or himself, I can’t tell.
Sometime later—minutes or hours, I have no idea—sirens fill the night air, slowly growing louder.
Jigsaw slaps my shoulder and stands. “I’ll get someone for her.”
Careful not to jostle her too much, I stand with Shelby limp in my arms and walk into the hallway. Every light in the place is blazing now. Paramedics rush into the house with Jigsaw shouting directions at them.
Agent Jackson follows, scowling at me. When his gaze lands on Shelby, he closes his eyes briefly.
“She’s breathing. We don’t know what he gave her,” I explain to the paramedics, ignoring Jackson.
“Where is he?” Jackson shouts.
“Don’t know. He was gone when we got here,” Jigsaw answers smoothly.
The paramedics don’t seem to understand the situation. They fire off question after question at me.
Has she been drinking?
Does she do drugs?
Is she diabetic?
“No! None of that. The guy kidnapped and drugged her, or he knocked her out with a sedative. She’s got a head wound.”
They lay her out on a stretcher, supporting her airway and administering oxygen. She’s so limp, like a fragile doll.
“Puncture wound,” one of the paramedics says, studying her neck.
“We found this on the nightstand.” Jigsaw hands over the black case. Thank fuck. I’d been worried Ice left with it.
“Ambulance is out front. Let’s get her to the hospital.”
I move to follow and Jackson stops me with a hand against my chest. “Wait a minute. I need information from you.”
I brush his hand off. “Not now. I’ll be at the hospital. You can catch me there.”
Jigsaw blocks Jackson’s path. I edge around them and run to catch up with Shelby, wincing every time the stretcher bounces and shakes down the stairs and over the grass.
“How long has she been out?” one of the paramedics barks at me.
“I don’t know.” I jump into the back of the ambulance, not waiting for an invitation. “We just found her.”
“Sir, move into the corner.” He jerks his chin.
I fold my big ass into the spot he indicated and brace myself. Sirens pierce the air. The ambulance rolls out at a quick and bouncy clip.
“I think he drugged her water when he took her. Not sure if he injected her with something else here.” Words keep rambling out of my mouth. I’m so fucking afraid of whatever he did to Shelby in the few hours that he had her.
The paramedic grunts in acknowledgment and keeps working on Shelby.
The ride to the hospital is excruciating. I keep my gaze focused on Shelby, watching for any sign she’s waking up.
Every minute she remains unresponsive murders a piece of my heart.
Chapter Eight
Rooster
Friend of the club or not, Agent Jackson is relentless.
The doctors took Shelby away immediately and started working on her. The paramedics handed over the stuff we found at the house. The doctors questioned me, but I didn’t have a lot of information to share. They finally sent me to the waiting room with a promise someone would keep me updated. Jackson tried corner me the second Shelby disappeared behind the swinging doors, but I’d dodged him easily.
I haven’t had a chance to confer with Ice yet to know what he wants me to say to his FBI buddy.
Greg and Trent arrive at the hospital, both grim-faced and tense. Confident Greg can answer at least a few of Jackson’s questions, I slip away to phone Ice.
“What’s going on?” he answers, his tone casual.
“Got her to the hospital. Jackson’s on my ass, though.”
“We got everything you need. Just tell it like it is. Suggs and the van were gone when we located the house. We searched the cabin and found her under the bed. That’s it. You can say we’re hunting for him now if you want.”
“All right.”
I hang up and push through the side door into the hospital.
Agent Jackson’s waiting for me in the hallway. “Get your story straight with your prez?” he asks in a dry tone.
“No story to get straight.” I relay the barest ‘facts’ to him.
He grunts in response. “I suppose your brothers are out there trying to track him down so you can get a piece of the guy.”
