Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
“Come on, we’ve gotta clear out of here. Ronan and his men are doing their thing,” my brother said with a jerk of his head in the direction of the circle of men who’d had me surrounded. All of the men were now on their knees with their arms and legs bound. Dick was among them, whimpering like a baby. I smiled as I watched King take what I knew to be a flash drive from another man before shoving it unceremoniously into Dick’s mouth and then slapping a piece of duct tape over it.
“What is he doing?” Micah asked.
“Long story,” I said. I lifted Micah’s chin so he was forced to look at me. “I’ll tell you when we get home. All of it.” I couldn’t help but brush my fingers over the black-and-blue mark on Micah’s cheek. His hand came up to cover mine.
“I didn’t tell him, Con. I didn’t tell him anything. Not your real name or what you did for Lex—”
“I know you didn’t, sweetheart,” I said in confusion.
“I saw him hitting you and I didn’t think he was going to stop…”
Micah’s free hand moved to rest just above the spot where Dick’s goon had hit me.
“I’m okay, baby. I promise,” I said.
Micah shook his head. “I can’t lose you, Con. Please, I just can’t. Can we… can we go to the hospital so they can make sure you’re okay?” His words were so full of fear that I didn’t even hesitate to give in to the request.
“Yes,” I said simply.
“I’ll drive you,” Luca said.
“Do you mind if I tag along?” I heard another voice ask from behind me.
I glanced at Ronan and smiled. “The more the merrier,” I said. “Micah, this is Ronan Grisham. He’s a surgeon… and a family friend,” I added as I reached my hand out to shake Ronan’s.
“Hi,” Micah said. He was clearly confused, but he reached out to shake Ronan’s hand. As Ronan and Luca made their way to an SUV that pulled into the warehouse, Micah said, “He’s going to be part of the story, right?”
I chuckled and dropped a kiss to his temple. “Yeah, he is.”
Micah leaned into my side as we made our way to the SUV. “The kids?” he asked.
“Scared,” I admitted. “But safe. We can call them from the car. They’re with my family.”
Micah nodded tiredly against me, and it was all I could do to keep the next thought to myself.
The kids were with my family but if I had anything to say about it, soon they wouldn’t just be my family.
They’d be ours.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Micah
The sun was coming up over the horizon by the time Con and I walked off the elevator and straight into the welcoming arms of my niece and nephew. Even knowing they’d been safe the entire time, I didn’t fully relax until I had my arms around them.
From the moment we’d gotten out of the SUV at the hospital, we’d been surrounded by an army of men, and for good reason. As soon as word got out that Con was there, reporters had descended, along with countless fans, and the rest of the evening had felt like a lesson in surviving full-on chaos. Thankfully, Con’s tests had shown that while badly bruised, his kidney was still functional. My own x-rays had proven that I too was only bruised, not broken.
Well, not physically anyway.
From the moment I’d been shoved into the waiting van in that alley, I’d been focused on one thing.
Survival.
So I’d done everything I’d been told. Almost to the letter.
Almost.
But when one of the guys had started asking me questions about Con, I’d done what I’d done so many times when I’d been a kid and the violence in my life had taken front and center stage.
I’d checked out.
Mentally.
Emotionally.
I was sure when I’d had the hood placed over my head and I’d been corralled into a waiting car that I wouldn’t see Con or the kids again, but then there’d been bright lights and lots of yelling and then I’d heard it.
That familiar voice.
The one that had caused me to nearly choke on a sob of relief.
I hadn’t been able to follow much of the conversation between Con and the man who’d appeared to be at the helm of my abduction, but I had managed to figure out one thing.
I’d been taken to try and force Con to throw his fight. With Con heavily favored to win, anyone betting against him would have won big on the off chance Con lost to his opponent. Apparently, the guy who’d had me kidnapped hadn’t been willing to take that chance. He’d wanted a sure thing and I’d been it.
“Did Uncle Con save you, Uncle Micah?” Rory asked, her voice thick with tears as she clung to me. I lifted her into my arms and she automatically wrapped her legs around my waist.