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Cash clamps a hand on my shoulder as if he senses how close to the edge I am right now.
"Let's fucking go," Cormac says, rubbing his hands together like he'd enjoy nothing more than going in with me. From what I know about him, that tracks. He's a one-man wrecking crew.
"Jesus," Dillon growls, lifting his gaze to the sky, and then he sighs heavily. "Fuck my life. If either of you gets shot, I'll shoot you again myself."
"Make that three," Xavier says.
"Four," Cash says.
Dillon mutters a curse. "If any of you get shot, I'm killing you myself. And you," he points at me, his gaze hard, "don't even think about killing either one of the motherfuckers when you get your hands on them. I need them alive."
I make no promises.
Dillon doesn't wait around for one anyway. He waves over his deputies and breaks us into groups. Two deputies take up positions outside in case either of them escapes. The other, Deputy Keller, takes the side door with Cash. Cormac and Xavier take the back door, leaving me and Dillon at the front.
Within five minutes, we're in position.
I wait for the count and then pound my fist on the front door. "Bellotti, I'm unarmed and coming in, you bastard!" I shout. "Don't fucking shoot, you son of a bitch!"
"Stop antagonizing him," Dillon mutters.
I choose to ignore him and push the front door open before stepping inside with my hands in the air.
As soon as I'm over the threshold, I notice the signs of a struggle. Shit is knocked over and broken on the floor. The couch is knocked askew, and the rug is bunched up.
My blood boils when my gaze lands on the zip-ties spilled across the floor. Movement to the right catches my attention. I turn in that direction.
A roar of fury bursts from my lips.
Ciara's on the floor with tape over her mouth and her hands tied behind her back. Her feet are tied together. Her eye is red and swollen. She struggles against her bonds, fighting like hell to get free even though she can't.
I rush toward her, falling to my knees at her side. "Ah, God, Cherry. Ah, Jesus." I scoop her up into my arms, gently prying the tape from her mouth. "I'm here. I'm here."
"G-Garrett," she sobs. "B-back d-d-door."
"Dillon!" I roar. "They ran out the back."
He rushes into the house with his gun drawn. "How long ago?"
"T-t-ten m-minutes," Ciara manages to choke out.
"Fuck!" Dillon charges through the kitchen. A few seconds later, I hear him shouting orders at Cormac and Xavier, and then the three of them take off running.
"We're going to find them," I whisper to Ciara, rising to my feet with her in my arms so we can get the fucking zip-ties off of her.
She lays her head against my shoulder as I carry her into the kitchen. Within moments, the ties are off and she's free. She wraps herself around me like a vine, clinging for all she's worth.
"They hurt you."
"I'm f-f-fine."
She isn't fine, but she will be. I intend to make sure of it. Starting with getting an ambulance out here to check her out.
* * *
"I'm pregnant."
I stare at Ciara, certain I'm hearing things. There's no way she just said what I thought she said.
