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“Oh no.” I shake my head at him and laugh. “No. Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re a nobody in this town. My family has been at war with the Masons for decades. This has nothing to do with your stupid election and your power plays. This is an age-old vendetta and Mason has been out to destroy us from the start. Now, I believe your story about why you chose our town, to be honest with ya, I don’t care if you’re tellin’ the truth or not. What I’m tellin’ you. And you,” I look to Garrett next.
“Is that I am gonna find my girl, and then I’m gonna kill old man Mason. Fuck your campaign and how it might look. He’s dead.”
I leave ‘em all standin’ in the reception and head for my truck and when Garrett chases after me, I’m fully prepared to take a swing at him.
“Cole.”
“No.” I spin around. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Garrett. I’ve held on long enough to kill that man. This is bigger than the election. This is our family and what we do to protect it. You heard what Harvey said. The organization isn’t a threat to us. Neither is that weak-assed old man who’s been playin’ us.” I tear at his buttons and open his shirt. “Whatever it takes, remember?” I wait for him to argue and when he nods his head at me, a relief I wasn’t expecting swallows up some of my anger.
“We do this tonight and we do it together,” Garrett promises. “But first we find your girl. Let’s start by paying that old fucker a visit.” We’re both about to get in the truck when Wade comes racing toward us with his phone in his hand.
“Cole, Garrett. We got Savannah. Maisie’s on the phone, she’s at the hospital. She’s okay.”
I drop my head and say a fuckin’ prayer, then dragging my little brother by his sleeve I throw him in the truck so I can hurry up and get to her.
“I’m fine, stop fussing,” I tell Maisie who holds my face in her hands and searches me over for injury.
“Savannah, you’ve had a blow to the back of the head and you collapsed. What the hell happened?” she asks, her hands shaking and the red rims around her eyes showing that she’s been crying.
I want to be brave, Maisie has been through so much and the last thing she needs to hear from me is what nearly happened back there in those woods. I don't know how I managed to talk that psycho into cutting me loose, or how I found the strength to overpower and outrun him. All I know is that I’m here now and there was a time back there when I didn’t think I would be.
“Savannah. SAVANNAH.” I hear Cole’s voice bellowing from the corridor and when the door slams open, he charges toward me, he practically rips Maisie out of his way.
“You good?” he checks, gripping my arms far too tight as he searches me over the same way Maisie just did. I flinch from the ache in my side when he drags me onto him, but he doesn’t seem to notice and right now I don’t want him to. I feel safe now I’m in his arms again, and I never want Cole Carson to let me go.
“What were you doin’? You never told us where you were. I had no idea where to find you.” His hands move to grip each sideof my face and seeing how frustrated he is makes me feel even more foolish.”
“I’m sorry I was stupid,” I sob, finally letting everything sink in. I could be lying raped and bleeding on that cold hut’s floor right now. Joel may have been weak and unsure of what he was doing but I saw that look in his eye. He had every intention of seeing through the order he’d been given.
“Who did this?” Cole’s fingers are so tense I swear they could snap my head right off my shoulders.
“He was about my age, I’ve never seen him before and he was…”
“He was what?” Cole barely gives me a chance to think.
“He was working for someone. Someone who wanted to ruin me. He wanted him to rape me and cut me open,” My voice breaks as I try to explain, and Cole’s relief turns to hurt, and his strength weakens.
“I knew it.” He takes a step back, shaking his head and looking freaked out.
“Cole, none of that matters now. I’m okay. The police are gonna come and take a statement. I got a real good look at the person who took me.” I reach my arm out to him because I need him close.
“No.” He shakes his head and backs even further away from me.
“Cole, please. I need you. That man who took me, he’s still out there.” I really don’t want to cry but I can’t have him leave. I need to feel safe again.
“And I need him dead. I need ‘em all dead.” His eyes are cold and full of recklessness as he backs out the room and marches away. I try to get out of bed to chase after him but Maisie stops me.
“No, you need to stay here… Garrett, go after him,” she tells her husband, sounding worried.
“Uncle Jimmer followed us here. He’ll stay with you ‘til we’re back. Don’t speak to anyone about this. No police until we figured this out. Tell the doc you ain’t up to it.” He points his finger between us both.
“Garrett, the kids. I had to leave them with Leia and Josie so Finn could bring me here,” Maisie calls after him.
“Tate’s already with ‘em,” he assures her before he and Wade throw each other a concerned look and go in pursuit of their brother.
“You must have been so scared.” Maisie turns her attention back to me, lying on the bed beside me and taking me in her arms.
“I can’t let myself think about it,” I admit. Still unsure how I managed to be so strong and turn it all around.
