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Chapter 9
Carter
Looking at my cell phone when it rings, I’m surprised to see Max, Fern’s bodyguard, calling. Since the moment I hired him after the funeral, things have been quiet. I was worried for a while that Fern’s grandmother would do something to try and get back at her, but as far as I know, she has been keeping a low profile. It may have helped that I explained to my father what went down, and he went and had a chat of his own with Mrs. McCauley, explaining to her that now that Fern was mine, she had a huge family at her back, and if she thought about doing anything else to cause Fern distress, her lifestyle would be changing drastically.
My parents both love Fern. My mom was a little worried at first, but once my father reminded her that he too is ten years older than her, she settled. Yesterday, she had my grandmother’s ring delivered to my office. I think she was trying to hint I need to stop fucking around and put a ring on Fern’s finger, and that is my plan.
Picking up the phone, I step out of the meeting I’m in and walk toward the large wall of windows in the hall, shoving my hand in my pocket.
“Max,” I greet then feel my body go tight when I hear the sound of his voice.
“Fern just got in a town car with a girl named Cathy.”
“And?” I growl.
“The young lady got into the car, Fern followed her in, and then Cathy got out the other side a couple moments later before the cab pulled away with Fern still inside,” he says, and I feel like my heart was just ripped out of my chest.
“Are you still following them?” I ask, jogging across the building to my office and grabbing my keys.
“Yes, we’re on the Westside Highway now.”
“Do not let them out of your sight. I’m getting in my car now,” I roar.
“I won’t,” he says firmly, and I hear his car’s engine rev in the background.
Rushing down to my Bugatti, I get in and speed out of the parking garage then head uptown through traffic until I hit the Westside Highway. Pressing call on my phone, I grit my teeth when I hit a red light.
“Where are you?” I ask.
“We’re heading toward the Bronx. How far out are you?” Max asks.
“If the fucking light would change, I would be there,” I spit out then say fuck it and swing my car around the two cars in front of me, pressing the gas and switching lanes until I’m out of the congestion of the city and halfway to the Bronx.
“We’re pulling up to a building at two-fifty Sixth Street,” he tells me, and my heart starts to pound in my chest.
“Do not let them take her inside. I’ll be there in two minutes,” I tell him, cutting through traffic as I exit the highway.
“They won’t,” he assures me, hanging up.
Speeding through the narrow side streets, I put my car in park across from the building and run across the street, seeing Max is out of his car with a gun pointed at a large man holding Fern in his arms. Her face is pale, her body is completely limp, and her head is rolled to the side at an awkward angle. Without thinking, I walk directly toward them.
“Give me my fucking woman now,” I thunder as I get close to him.
“This is just a job, man,” the guy holding Fern says, looking between Max and me.
“You’re going to die for your job in a second,” I tell him honestly.
“The lady took off,” he says, looking across the roof of the car to the open door.
“That’s my woman in your arms. I don’t give a fuck if you were doing a job or not. If you don’t give her to me, I will order my man to take you out,” I promise.
“Tell him to lower his gun,” he says, nodding toward M
ax.
“Give her to me and I will,” I assure him, watching the way Fern seems to be fighting for each breath she’s taking.
“Please, don’t shoot me,” he says to Max over my shoulder as he hands Fern to me, whose body feels cold to the touch.
“What did you give her?” I ask, feeling Max come up to my side.
“I don’t know what it was,” he confesses.
“Max, I need you to stay with him until the cops get here. I’m going to take Fern to the hospital,” I say as I start off toward my car.
“You can’t call the cops!” the guy shouts.
“Cops are on their way, and Max, if he moves, shoot him,” I toss over my shoulder as I quickly cross the street with Fern in my arms. Once I have her in the passenger seat, I rush around the car and get in behind the wheel.
Picking up my cell, I ask Siri where the nearest hospital is and, thankfully, it’s only seven minutes away. When we pull up to the emergency entrance, I get out and move around to get Fern out of the car while ignoring the guy who is yelling at me that I can’t park here.
Carrying her inside, I’m relieved when a nurse approaches us.
“Is she okay?” the older woman asks, looking at Fern.
“No, she was drugged and she may be pregnant. She needs a doctor now.”
“Bring her in here,” she says gently, leading me into one of the rooms.
Placing her on the bed, I step back when the room fills with nurses and doctors.
“Do you know what she took?”
“She didn’t take anything. She was drugged,” I explain, watching as one of the nurses takes a vial of blood from her arm.
“We have a puncture wound here, Doctor.” One of the other nurses points out a spot on Fern’s neck that is slowly forming a bruise.
My hands clench into fists at my sides and I take deep breaths to fight back the rage that is consuming me. I’m going to kill her grandmother. I know she did this. I know that, for whatever reason, she was going to hurt my beautiful girl, and there is no way I will let her live to see another day. She could have killed her.
