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They reached the island, and Neil directed Tiger to tie the raft up to a branch protruding from the island’s foundation of debris. Then Neil pointed to the door.
A board had been nailed over it. Which meant there was no one in the shed but who they’d trapped in there.
Rage flooded Tiger. He managed to wait for Neil’s go ahead, but once he had it, he’d crossed the ground and was at the door. With Neil’s reminder in his head, that Tiger’s job was to get to his niece and theirs was to keep everything out of his way, he ignored anything but getting that door open. And letting her know he was there.
“Aubrey, it’s me. It’s Uncle Tiger. It’s okay, honey, we’re here. It’s all right.”
Fuck, he needed something to get that fucking board loose. Neil tossed him a pry bar he’d pulled from his kit, saving him from doing it with his bare hands. Tiger wrenched the board off with one screeching yank.
The five-by-five space was more a crate than a shed. Aubrey was huddled on the floor, knees drawn up, hair snarled, face scratched and dirty. But when she saw him, she sprang up like a cricket, meeting Tiger halfway to be swallowed in his arms as he went to his knees for her.
Lawrence was right.
Her sobs were hoarse, caught in a throat exhausted from crying and calling out. But she’d kept doing it, trying to believe they were looking for her, would find her, even in the middle of a storm.
If they hadn’t found her, there was no telling how long she would have survived here. He wanted to kill every one of the bastards who’d put her through this, but now that he’d found her, that would be Colt’s area, not his. He had one priority.
Remembering Nicole bleeding out in his parking lot, looking at the child who had his brother’s eyes and her mother’s brown hair, Tiger knew exactly what that priority was.
He’d make it happen, even if he had to kill Colt to do it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
We got her.
Tiger’s text made Skye’s heart start beating again. The signal had been coming in and out, enough to tell her the men were headed back in her direction.
When they came out of the woods, Tiger was carrying Aubrey. She was covered by his poncho, but her thin arms and legs were clamped around him like a vise. Her head was on his shoulder.
In the truck, she seemed disoriented and unresponsive, but Tiger told her it was a post trauma reaction, not an injury or shock. With their field combat medical training, Neil and Lawrence had checked her for anything serious, so hadn’t needed to immediately use the first aid kit they’d carried with them. However, before he got back into his own vehicle, Neil told Skye to follow him and Lawrence; he’d take them somewhere close by to get out of the wet and do a more thorough exam.
Tiger got into the passenger seat holding Aubrey, but he freed one hand long enough to squeeze Skye’s hand hard and to exchange a look with her that had too many things in it to say.Words can’t cover it, Mistress.
He also sent a short text to Colt, telling him his daughter was safe, and Tiger would call him soon with more details.
Skye drove. While him holding Aubrey in the front might not meet child safety seat requirements, the best place for her was in her uncle’s arms. Skye drove carefully with their precious cargo.
Neil brought them to a small house that looked like a fisherman’s weekend retreat. Obviously familiar with the place, he went around back and returned with a key to get them inside. The place had a bed, kitchenette and, most importantly, a bathroom with a shower.
Neil’s gentle but more thorough exam confirmed Aubrey had nothing physically worse than scratches and bruises. Skye went into the bathroom to get her out of her wet clothes and into the large sweatshirt Lawrence found in the closet. As Skye helped Aubrey pull the sleeves up, her hand closed over the bracelet on the thin arm. A deep quiver went through Skye as she thought of how this day might have gone if she hadn’t been wearing it. Or if they’d taken it off…
When they emerged, Neil and Lawrence had changed into dry clothes they’d brought in their go-bags. In the same closet as the sweatshirt, Tiger had found an XL T-shirt, socks and jeans that were baggy and a little short, but fit well enough. He’d also put his hearing aids back in, though Skye noted he’d done well enough with her voice software in the truck without them. His hearing had improved so much since she’d seen him last. She ignored the conflicting emotions that thought gave her, and how it took her back to their unfinished conversation at the club.
Nothing mattered right now but Aubrey.
She needed fluids and carbs, so Skye sat with her on the bed, encouraging her to take sips from a bottle of water until Tiger brought in a package of Fig Newtons from his glove box. “I carry them for her,” he told Skye. “They’ve been in there a while, since before… but they should still be okay.”
The fisherman either had kids or liked juice boxes, because he had a six pack of them. Lawrence brought one to her. Even the tough SEALs were having trouble not hovering over Aubrey, who looked so frail in the big sweatshirt.
Skye stroked the girl’s hair. She only looked up from her charge when Tiger placed a blanket around her own shoulders. She hadn’t realized she was damp herself, enough to be shivering, but he had noticed. Tiger squeezed her shoulder and waited for her nod, the brief touch of her hand, to confirm she was okay. As okay as any of them.
She wrapped both her and Aubrey in the blanket, so Aubrey was getting direct body heat from her. The girl rested her head on Skye’s breast as she chewed the Fig Newton. Then she spoke, her voice shaking.
“Do you need me to tell you…what h-happened? S-so Daddy can get the bad g-guys?”
Tiger didn’t look surprised as the rest of them by the question, but he knew what it was to be raised in the outlaw motorcycle gang world. While a girl might be sheltered more than a boy, Aubrey had likely already seen more violence than most kids did, even beyond the worst thing, her mother’s death. Aubrey’s serious expression was like Tiger’s when he was determined to protect someone he cared about.
“You don’t have to do that right now,” Tiger said.
