by Mj Fields
He looked at Harper and held his finger to his lips. He held up two fingers and raised his shoulders in question.
Harper lifted her arm and held up three.
���Well hello, Collin,��� he heard from behind him, ���I would drop the gun and turn around very slowly if I were you.���
Collin did as he asked.
He stood and looked at the man holding a gun, ���Atticus, I presume.���
���Very good, Collin. Or should I say, brother?���
���You���re going to turn around and walk out of here and let them go,��� Collin said his voice smooth and steady.
���Oh I don���t think so.���
���You have no choice in the matter,��� Collin took a slow step towards him.
Maddox, Zach, Matthew, and CJ walked noiselessly through the woods when they heard a gunshot.
Panicked— Maddox ran full speed through the trees, glancing briefly at the path of broken branches laid out before them by Collin, Brody, and the others.
He came upon the clearing and all hell broke loose. He scanned the area and saw Brody grabbing his gun. As he continued to run hidden in the trees, he saw two men on the porch quickly duck inside the cabin���s door.
He looked back and saw Zach, Matthew, and CJ hot on his heels. He pointed towards Tomas and Clive and then to Brody. Zach, Matthew, and CJ ran towards them.
Another shot was fired and he heard Harper scream in horror. Maddox watched as Tomas held Matthew back from running towards the cabin. Harper screamed: ���NO!���
Maddox heard no one as he ran to the back of the cabin. He saw an open window and climbed through. A foot kicked him hard under the chin sending him falling backwards. He quickly stood and dove on the man. Maddox grabbed him by the throat and his long thick fingers easily wrapped around tight enough that the man was unable to make a sound. Maddox squeezed harder until his body quickly went limp. He dragged him towards the window intending on throwing his limp lifeless body out of it when he saw Matthew climbing through the window.
Maddox grabbed his hand and pulled him in. Matthew looked at the limp body in Maddox���s other hand and looked shocked as Maddox pushed him out the window.
They stood silently and listened to Harper���s soft sobs. Two men���s voices were muffled and angry, ���Where the fuck is he?���
The door to the room flew open and Maddox jabbed him in the face knocking him unconscious.
���Get him out,��� Maddox didn���t give Matthew a chance to respond.
He stormed through the door and Atticus grabbed Harper.
Maddox drew his gun and slowly moved facing Atticus. His eyes swept over Harper���s bruised body. He glanced at Collin lying on the floor as blood pooled around him. Claire had maneuvered herself into a corner.
���Drop the gun, Hines,��� Atticus pointed his gun to Harper���s head and pulled back the hammer.
���You first,��� Maddox growled.
���You���re in no position to make demands,��� Atticus smiled salaciously, ���Now! Or I shoot her in the head.���
Maddox���s eyes fixed on Harper���s and he slowly dropped the gun to the ground. A shot was fired and Maddox dove toward Harper covering her body with his.
Atticus hit him hard in the back of the head and Maddox growled as he was pulled up. Atticus forced him to walk towards the front window. He pressed Maddox���s head against the glass, ���Back the fuck off, or he dies next.���
���Fucking listen to him,��� Maddox yelled.
A shot rang out from behind them and Atticus yanked Maddox away from the window and closed the curtain.
Maddox was facing Harper with his back to Atticus when the goon walked out from the back room wiping the blood from his mouth, ���You���re going to pay for that mother fucker,��� he said as he pointed his gun at Maddox.
Maddox laughed a deep throaty laugh, ���Sweetness, which one of these guys fucked up that pretty little face of yours?���
���Maddox, no,��� Harper whimpered.
The goon laughed, ���I did--- what the fuck������ Maddox swiftly kicked him in the face again sending him tumbling to the ground.
Atticus grabbed his neck from behind and a shot rang out. The goon jumped up and lunged towards Maddox pointing his gun at him. Maddox wrestled him to the ground and pinned him face down.
He heard a commotion behind him and glanced back. Atticus lay on the ground with a bullet through his head, ���Dad, Matthew, in the back!���
Brody ran in the back room and Tomas pulled Collin���s head to his lap. Harper began crying. He let go and started towards her, the goon grabbed for his gun and Maddox grabbed him by his hair forcing him up on his knees as he struggled to get the gun from him, ���Sweetness, which one!���
���Him, Maddox��� my father,��� Harper whimpered and held her stomach, ���Our baby.���
���Not anymore BITCH!��� the goon growled loudly.
Maddox���s eyes went dark as he watched Harper shake her head slowly from side to side, ���YOU MOTHERFUCKER!��� Maddox screamed as he held the goons head tightly. Maddox screamed out as he put one arm around his neck and in the blink of an eye took his jaw in the other hand and snapped his neck. He let go and the man fell face down into the dirty wooden floor.
Harper screamed as she held her hands over her ears and cried loudly. Maddox rushed to her, he grabbed her in his arms and held her as she sobbed.
���I���ve got you, Sweetness. You���re going to be okay,��� Maddox said as he stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth.
Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her body shook violently, ���Claire,��� she whispered.
Brody came out with Matthew limping, as he leaned on Brody.
Maddox looked at him and then quickly towards Collin.
Tomas and Zach were performing CPR on Collin.
Matthew dropped to his knees, ���NO!���
Harper looked up and saw them, ���Daddy please������ she cried out.
Matthew looked around the room his eyes wide and angry. He saw Claire in the corner and pulled himself towards her. Claire was shaking as she covered her ears and rocked herself back and forth, ���Shh, shh, shh.��� Matthew grabbed her, ���No��� please no.���
He pulled her towards him and pulled her head to his chest, ���You���re alright now.���
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Shattered
It seemed like forever had passed when the police and ambulances arrived at the scene.
Zach and Tomas continued CPR trying to revive Collin. They continued as they loaded him into one ambulance; Harper and Maddox in another, and Zach, Claire, and Matthew in the third.
���I need to be with him,��� Harper cried as she tried to sit up.
���They are doing everything they can, Harper. Please Sweetness, lay back alright?��� Maddox watched her pained eyes, ���Rest please. Let me take care of you now.���
Harper laid back and one hand gripped her shirt over her heart and the other rubbed her belly slowly. ���It hurts, Maddox,��� she whispered.
���I know, Sweetness, I know,��� Maddox kissed her check, ���You���re here now, I have you.���
Harper closed her eyes as silent tears escaped them. Maddox took a slow deep breath as he opened his mouth slightly and captured the tear; he sucked gently and then slowly licked the spot the tear had fallen. A metallic taste touched his lips, blood he thought. Rage and fury burned through his veins. Maddox blocked out the need to tear everything around him to shreds. His awareness of her needs, and a desire stro
nger than any force he had ever felt to tend to them, strangled the rage. He moved to the next tear and slowly did the same.
Harper let go and sobbed quietly against his face. She grabbed his hair and pressed his head against hers as he kissed her. Gently licking away her tears and the dried blood on her face and around her mouth, Maddox lost awareness of everything else going on around him.
The paramedic touched his arm and tried to hand him a damp cloth, Maddox shook his head ���no���, and continued. A growl crept out as he continued to clean her wounds. He placed his hand over hers as she continued rubbing her swollen stomach. She sobbed loudly.
���Maddox,��� convulsive gasps followed his name, ���I feel like I���m going to die.���
���You���re not, Harper,��� he swallowed back the pain he felt filling him, ���I won���t ever allow that to happen.���
���Right now,��� she took a large intake of breath, ���right now— I wish I had, Maddox, I wish I had!��� She nuzzled her nose against his neck as she sobbed. Her arms reached around him and she cried out again. Squeezing him, she screamed out in rage— ���WHY?!���
His hand brushed over her hair trying to calm her as she continued. Her body began to shake and the electrocardiograph machine spiked.
���We have to give her something to relax,��� the female paramedic said softly.
Maddox held her tightly against him as he laid her back down.
She flinched and let out a pained cry when the IV was placed into her arm and Maddox snarled at the paramedic.
���I am so sorry Miss,��� she said before shooting something into the plastic line attached to Harper���s hand.
���Easy,��� Maddox warned the paramedic, ���Just what she has to have, no more.���
The paramedic nodded.
Harper���s sobs softened as he felt the pressure from her firm grasp start to loosen.
���I need to see my daddy, Maddox,��� Harper sniffled softly.
���I know, Sweetness,��� Maddox softly stroked her swollen cheek and kissed her hair gently.
���Our baby boy������
���Harper,��� he whispered against her head, ���I will get you through this.���
���What about you, you������
���Taking care of you is my focus, Harper,��� Maddox looked into her swollen, bloodshot blue eyes protectively.
The red and white flashes of the lights stopped moving around them as Harper became more and more restful. She wondered if it were in her imagination. If the lights were a dream, a nightmare. If this calm now washing over her was actually because of the medication that burned when entering her veins, if Maddox was actually holding her gently in his arms, or if in fact she was now entering into the light. The only thing she did know was movement had stopped. The pain was fleeing her body, the terror of the past day and night, and the next day now night again was dwindling. The strangling pain in her heart for what she knew was lost was now a weighty soreness.
The doors to the ambulance flew open and Maddox looked up and saw Emma, ���Go to Tessa, I have this, Mom.���
Emma heard a blood curdling scream and she ran to the other ambulance. She ran towards the sound and saw a paramedic straddling a man as he did chest compressions. Her eyes swept left and she saw Brody holding Tessa back as she fought to get to the man Emma now knew was Collin.
���WAKE UP NOW!��� Tessa screamed as her sons took her from Brody, ���Don���t you leave me DAMN IT!���
Heavy with emotion and still sore from the attack, Emma���s knees began to buckle. Brody quickly grabbed her before she fell. He held her as they followed the stretchers through the emergency room doors.
Harper tried lifting her head and Maddox leaned over as he held her hand never leaving her side, ���Rest, Sweetness. You can see him in a minute alright?���
Harper let out a whimper as she slowly nodded her head yes.
The emergency room doctors took over administering CPR as Maddox watched the breathless paramedic squat down on the ground trying to regain his strength, ���We had him back— don���t stop damn it.���
Maddox watched Harper���s groggy eyes as they went towards the bustling noise that filled the emergency room. Tessa glanced behind her as if she could sense her child was present. She wiped her eyes vehemently, trying to mask the pain and wipe away its evidence as she ran towards Harper.
���Baby girl, you���re okay,��� Tessa kissed her face gently and looked at Maddox for answers.
���She���s going to be fine,��� Maddox looked sadly into Tessa���s eyes.
The third stretcher made its way into the busy halls and Maddox looked back at Claire, ���Please, no. Please I don���t want to be here. PLEASE NO!���
The deafening sound of the heart monitor���s flat line filled the hallway causing time to stop as everyone looked towards Collin, silence.
Harper dug deep inside herself and found her voice, ���NO, DADDY, NO!���
The heart monitor beeped and Collin gasped and his eyes opened wide, ���There you are. I knew you wouldn���t leave me,��� Tessa sobbed.
���..Can���t���have ���you���yet,��� he gasped.
���No— not yet, but we have lots of time Collin������
���Love…so���much beautiful,��� he gasped again.
���I love you, I love you, Collin,��� she covered his face with kisses and tears.
Maddox swooped Harper up in his arms when he heard, ���Hey, put her down.���
���Try to stop me,��� he growled at the nurse as he walked by.
���Daddy,��� Harper whispered, ���Thank you, thank you so much for finding me.���
���Maddox…��� Collin tried to swallow.
���Both of you, Daddy,��� Maddox bent down so she could kiss him, ���I love you.���
Collin���s eyes widened as he looked to his sons, back to Harper, and finally at Tessa, ���Four chambers���full���truest���love. Thank you������
Tessa shook, ���No Collin— thank you, thank you.���
���The OR is ready, let���s get him up there,��� the doctor shouted.
���Enough���to fill���all four���overflowing������ Collin���s eyes rolled back and the machine sounded again.
���GET BACK,��� the doctor grabbed the defibrillator paddles, ���CLEAR.���
Collin���s body jilted up, beep-beep beep���and nothing.
���CLEAR,��� they shocked him again.
���YOU FIGHT! YOU FIGHT NOW!��� Tessa screamed.
���CLEAR,��� beep-beep beep���and nothing.
���CLEAR,��� beep-beep beep���and nothing.
���Time of������
���NO! NO! NO! NO!��� Tessa screamed as she pushed the doctor away and clung to Collin���s lifeless body, ���I love you, please Collin. GOD please.���
Matthew and CJ grabbed her.
���Daddy, no don���t go, please, PLEASE! WHY? Take me God, damn it— take me!��� Harper screamed.
Maddox held her tighter as tears filled his eyes and he whispered, ���He can���t have you, Harper.���
���NO!��� Harper screamed and shook.
Maddox felt like he was going to lose it. He couldn���t stand to see her hurt any more than she was. He looked for the nurse and nodded to her. She gave Harper a shot in her arm.
���No, ple
ase, no,��� Harper fought the effects of the drugs as long as she could, holding onto Maddox as if her life depended on it, ���Maddox, please.���
���Rest, Harper, please, rest,��� Maddox watched as Tessa sobbed and Matthew and CJ tried their very best to calm her down.
Maddox paced beside Harper���s hospital bed when Matthew popped his head in, ���Claire is out of surgery. They were able to drain the blood from her lung and fix the puncture.���
���That���s good Matthew. How are you?���
���Strong. I have to be,��� he gave a weak smile.
���Tessa?���
���She���ll be up soon,��� Matthew took a deep breath, ���Emma got her to shower, and she is in scrubs. Don���t let that fool you though, she really isn���t a doctor.���
Maddox smiled politely at his joke, ���I won���t.���
Matthew walked over to Harper and whispered, ���She looks like hell. Fuckers.���
���No one will ever lay a hand on her again������
���Or you���ll kill them?��� Matthew asked.
Maddox looked quickly up at Matthew and scowled slightly.
Matthew chuckled, ���I was climbing through a window and saw you strangle a man.���
���I would do it again.���
���Then you snapped another man���s neck,��� Matthew chuckled again.
Maddox looked at him showing no emotion and started to speak.
���I know, you would do it again,��� Matthew gave him a slight smile. ���He liked you.���
Maddox looked at Matthew as tears threatened his eyes and waited for him to regain his composure.
���He liked you a lot. I now see why,��� Matthew bent down and kissed Harper���s head. ���You ever hurt her and I won���t snap your neck, Maddox, I���ll just fucking shoot you.���
Maddox���s eyes left Harper���s face and widened a bit as he looked at Matthew.
