Rugged Daddy

by Rye Hart

  “Then, let’s get you laid down,” he said.

  He lifted me from the tub effortlessly as the water dripped from my body. He stepped us out, carried me to the bed, and then sat me on the edge. He wrapped a towel around my shoulders, and I pulled it close, reveling in the softness of it before I lay down in bed. Sliding in next to me and wrapping me up in him, he blanketed me with the sense of protection he promised.

  And then, a realization came crashing down onto my conscious mind before I fell asleep. I was falling in love with Cameron.

  What I didn’t know was if he could love me back. Was his care and tenderness toward me all stemming from his desire for another child, a brother or sister for Audrey, or out of some protective response because of the danger we were in? There really was no way to know until the threat hanging over us had passed and our child was born.

  Without knowing for sure, admitting my feelings would be a gamble, and it was one risk I wasn’t quite ready to take.

  CHAPTER 31

  CAMERON

  “You ready to go?” I asked.

  “Are you sure Audrey shouldn't come with us?” Heather asked.

  “She’ll be fine with me. Promise,” Hudson said.

  “He’s right. Hudson’s very capable of protecting her if something happens. Then, if something happens to us, my attention won’t be divided. My focus can be on you,” I said.

  “Do you think something will happen?”

  “No,” I said. “I don’t think anything will happen to us at this appointment. But we can’t—”

  “Be too careful. I know. I still think I should have Nikki on standby or something. She does know what's going on now.”

  “If that makes you feel better, then go ahead,” I said.

  It was the only way I knew to protect all of them. Heather and I had targets on our backs. If Audrey stayed behind with Hudson, it meant I could still protect my daughter while defending the mother of my child. I helped her into my truck, and we headed into town, both of us trying to focus on the appointment ahead.

  But I saw the fear in Heather’s eyes as she looked out the window. I reached over and took her hand, smoothing my thumb over her skin. I needed her to keep calm and stay as rooted as she could for this child. It killed me that there was nothing I could do to settle her down. Her cell phone was in her other hand, and her finger hovered over Nicole’s number, ready to press it at a second’s notice if she needed something.

  I really hoped Hudson’s plan was almost finished because Heather couldn’t live like this any longer.

  I had stayed up the night before and helped him put some things into place. We put a tracker on the undercarriage of my truck as well as in all of Audrey’s shoes. He programmed my and Heather’s phones into a tracking system on his phone as a backup locator. I had a gun on my hip in case it needed to be used, and Hudson had locked away handguns in every single room of my cabin.

  Not to mention we’d been readying the panic room with food and water and necessities if we needed to use it.

  We were bringing the war to us. That was dangerous, but it was all we had. Baiting them and keeping them in town meant keeping our eyes peeled for anything. Hudson still had a few last-minute details to finalize, so the emergency protocols were put in place as a “just in case” measure.

  I hoped to fuck we wouldn't have to use them.

  “We’re here.” She turned toward me and smiled, and for the first time that day, I saw a light dancing in her eyes.

  “Come on. Let’s go see our baby,” I said.

  The doctors took us straight back, and I was glad. But I did take the time to scan the waiting room. I didn’t want to sit there with a bunch of strangers holding children with a gun in the belt of my pants, but I did want to commit their faces to memory. After all, I couldn't be too careful with the precious cargo I was accompanying. The nurse took Heather’s height and weight, and she put her hand over my eyes so I couldn't see. I chuckled at her. Then, the nurse ushered us into a room to wait for the doctor.

  “All right,” the doctor said as he came in. “Heather Palmer.”

  “That’s me,” she said.

  “How are you feeling today?” the doctor asked.

  “The nausea hasn’t been as bad, but usually it’s an all-day affair.”

  “Are you doing anything to combat it?”

  “Ginger ale and these morning sickness drops I found,” she said.

  “Are they from the all-natural pharmacy up the road?”

  “They are.”

  “Those are really good. I actually advise my patients to get them if their nausea is kicking them while they’re down, so it’s a good thing you’re using them. Are you experiencing anything else?” he asked.

  “I’m tired all the time, not eating too much.”

  “I did notice you’ve lost a couple of pounds, so we’re going to keep an eye on that. It’s common for women who are sick through the first trimester, but if you’re still losing weight through your second trimester, we’ll have to find things you can drink that’ll help put weight on.”

  “Is there anything we should be doing about it now?” I asked.

  “Is this Daddy?” the doctor asked.

  “He is.” The bright smile on her face as she answered warmed my chest with pride.

  “Nothing we can do right now, Dad. Like I said, it’s normal now, but it won’t be in a month or two. So, we’ll keep an eye on it and make sure her vitamin table is level and that she isn’t deficient in anything.”

  “Does that mean you’ll be drawing blood today?” Heather asked.

  “Just a vial. We’ll check your hCG levels to make sure you’re on track and measure the vitamins and minerals in your system to make sure you aren’t lacking in something that could be making your symptoms worse. I’ll just do a quick check of some things. Listen to your lungs, test your reflexes, check your eyes. Then, I’ll send you to the lab, and you’ll be good to go.”

  “Will we be having an ultrasound today?” I asked.

  “Not this time, but the next visit will have one. We’re down a technician today, so next time, we’ll get that done and nail down a more accurate due date.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I said.

  The doctor checked her out and everything seemed to be okay, though he tested her reflexes a little more than I figured he would. A look of concern crossed his face, and I felt my body tense.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  “It might be premature, but her reflexes are a little dull. It could be from her exhaustion, depending on how bad it is. If she isn’t eating much, she could be deficient in some vitamins, which is easily corrected with a stronger prenatal. But I do have to note it, so I want you to be aware of it.”

  I got up from my seat as Heather turned her worried eyes to me.

  “It’s okay,” I said as I rubbed her back. “We’ll get your bloodwork done. Then, we’ll see about getting you some good food since you don’t seem to be as sick today.”

  But my sentiment didn’t abate the worry in her eyes.

  I helped her to the lab and sat there as she got her blood drawn. The technician in there wasn’t a fan of my sticking around, but I wasn't letting Heather out of my sight. The second they stuck her with that needle, I was glad I had stayed. She started to sway, and her face went pale. I got up from my chair and steadied her shoulders as the lab technician quickly took her blood and patched her up. I massaged her arm while the nurse got her some water to drink. They took her pulse and waited until she was strong enough to stand on her feet before they released us.

  As soon as I got outside with her, I picked her up and carried her to the truck.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked as I slid her into her seat.

  “Still a little cloudy.”

  “Then let’s get you home and we can get you laid down, okay? Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t like needles?”

  “It’s not the needles,” she said.

&nb
sp; “Squeamish with blood?”

  She shook her head, and that really started worrying me.

  I hopped into my truck and cranked it up, preparing to race back to the cabin. Something was amiss, and I didn't like it. I looked over at Heather who had her forehead propped up on the glass window, and I reached over to squeeze her knee so she would look at me.

  “Heather. You okay?” I asked.

  “I’m really tired. This exhaustion is rough,” she said.

  “I don’t think you’re tired, Heather.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The sound of tires squealing caught my ear, and I looked into the rearview mirror. A car pulled out into traffic behind us from the doctor’s office, and I recognized the person behind the wheel of the car. They had been in the corner of the waiting room when we first walked in.

  “Heather. Call Nicole,” I said.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Listen to me. I need you to stay calm. Take out your phone and call Nicole. Tell her to get to my cabin now.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Please, just do it, and I’ll explain in a second, okay?”

  She managed to lift her head and look at me before she started rummaging around for her phone. I pulled mine out of my pocket and dialed Hudson as I took a sharp right-hand turn. Just like I figured, the car followed us around the bend.

  “How’s that baby doing?” Hudson asked.

  “We’re being followed,” I said. “Heather’s calling her friend Nicole now to stay with Audrey. I need you to come and find us.”

  I looked over at Heather and watched as she desperately tried to hold her phone up to her ear.

  “I think Heather’s been drugged,” I said.

  “I’m heading to my computer right now. You both have your phones on you, right?”

  “We do. We also have the tracker on the truck.”

  “I’m pulling you up now. What’s going on?” he asked.

  “There’s a dark red Lincoln Continental with silver accents driving behind us. Heather’s pretty loopy from when they took her blood.”

  “Are you sure she isn’t just squeamish with needles?”

  “We drew blood ten minutes ago, and she can hardly keep her eyes open.”

  “Dammit. Okay, I’ve got you pulled up. Take your next left,” he said.

  I careened around the corner as Heather groaned. I looked over and saw her fumbling with her phone, so I put Hudson on speakerphone and took it from her fingertips.

  “Heather? Are you there? Heather!”

  “Nicole. It’s Cameron.”

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  I whipped around another corner and watched as the car followed us.

  “Heather and I are in a bind. I can’t explain it right now, but I need you to get to the cabin. Please. I need you to watch my daughter and relieve the man there watching her now. His name is Hudson. He’s going to have to come get Heather and me.”

  “Is she okay?” Nicole asked.

  “She will be, but I need you to go. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

  “You’ll pay me by keeping my best friend safe,” she said. “I’m walking to my car now. I’ll be to your place in maybe fifteen minutes.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  I turned off the phone call and shoved her phone into my pocket. I looked at Heather, taking her in as she slumped against the dashboard of the car. She was completely out, and panic flooded my veins.

  “Hudson?” I asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Nicole’s on her way, but she’s still fifteen minutes out from my place if she drives like a fucking banshee.”

  “I’ll leave the second she gets there. I’ve alerted all the officers in the area and local SWAT is already heading into town.”

  “You’ve been busy,” I said.

  “Take your next right.”

  I careened around the corner, squealing my tires. The car followed us, weaving in and out of traffic to get closer.

  “I want you to get off the phone and drive like you’ve never driven before, Cameron. The second Nicole gets here, I’m coming for you guys. Keep your phones on your person, no matter where you have to put them, and stay with that truck until absolutely necessary.”

  “Got it,” I said. “See you with SWAT soon.”

  I hung up the phone and shoved it into my pants. Then, my mind started swirling. If I wanted to hide it so it wouldn't be trackable if we got caught, I’d need it in a better place. I squealed around another corner and lifted off my ass, pulling my phone back out of my pocket and sliding it down my pants. I situated it between my thigh and my groin, hoping to hell and back it would stay concealed if something happened.

  But someone cut me off before I could sit back down.

  The damn car came out of nowhere and caused me to swerve. Heather’s unconscious body fell into my arm, and I wrapped my grip around her. I held her to me, keeping her steady as my other hand gripped the steering wheel. Tires squealed and smoke flooded the windshield of my car. I missed the car that cut me off by only two or three inches.

  I throttled it to get away from them, but when the smoke cleared, my eyes widened. The last thing I saw was the tree in front of us before I crashed into it.

  CHAPTER 32

  HEATHER

  “Get out of the car.”

  My head felt heavy, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

  “Did you hear me, bitch? Get out of the car.”

  My eyes fluttered opened as my head lifted up from something hard and warm.

  “Cameron?” I croaked.

  I heard something snap, and my head fell to the side to see what was happening. The barrel of a gun came into view. My eyes widened, and my body tensed as a whimper fell from my lips.

  “Do I have your attention now?” the man asked.

  I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. Couldn’t move. Who was this person? Where was Cameron? Was I about to die?

  “Get out, Mr. Silver.”

  My head whipped over as a searing pain shot down my neck.

  “It’s okay, Heather. Just do as they say.”

  Cameron’s body was fuzzy, but I saw him next to me and felt his heat gravitate away from me as he slid from his truck. My door glew open, and someone’s hand came down onto my arm. My instant reaction was to pull away, but he was too strong. I unbuckled my seatbelt just as he tugged at me, and then he tossed me onto the ground.

  I tried my best to keep my stomach from taking a pounding as I began inhaling dust.

  “We got them, boss.”

  “After over two years.”

  I closed my eyes and willed my jaw to stop trembling as a door opened in the distance. I looked over and saw a blacked-out vehicle sitting behind Cameron’s mangled truck. Everything came back in bits and pieces as a man stepped out of the car, a man I figured was the boss. The doctor’s appointment. The needle. I’d been woozy the second they pricked me with it. I’d never been weird with needles or blood.

  Had I been drugged?

  “You had to know you couldn’t hide forever Mr. Silver,” the man said.

  I looked over and saw someone dragging Cameron toward the boss. I felt the cold metal of the other man’s gun at the back of my neck, and I lowered myself to the ground. I pressed my cheek against the dusty dirt and cradled my belly, trying my best to keep myself alive.

  “What do you want?” Cameron asked.

  “You know what we want,” Boss said. “A life for a life.”

  “You took my brother’s life. I didn’t take one of yours. Doesn’t sound like we’re even to me.”

  “Your brother took our money, so we took his life. That was even. But you decided to lash out against our family, and no one gets away with that. You beat him within an inch of his life, so you owe us one in return.”

  I furrowed my brow as my vision began to clear. “Boss” started chuckling, a disgusting sound I’d never rid myself of. I tried to move ag
ain, and the man pressed the gun deeper into my skin, causing me to whimper.

  “Get the fuck away from her, she’s got nothing to do with this,” Cameron said.

  “You might not have killed my guy, but you did a number on him. He was in the hospital for months. Needed a great deal of reconstructive surgery. I guess that’s why you don’t recognize the man holding the gun to your girlfriend.”

  My blood froze as Cameron looked over at me. I watched his face fall and his eyes harden.

  “You,” Cameron said.

  “Me,” the man behind me said with a smile.

  “You don’t want a life for a life, then,” Cameron said. “You want to make an example out of me.”

  “What can I say?” Boss said. “Can I do it now, boss?” the man behind me asked.

  He pressed the gun so far into my neck, I began to choke. My forehead fell to the ground and tears streamed down my cheeks. I refused to cry out loud. I refused to give them the satisfaction. But I was so scared, and I had no idea if my child was okay, and I didn't know if they were going to kill Cameron or me or both of us.

  I had no idea how he was so calm and collected.

  Too many beats of silence passed, and I grew worried. But then, cracks filled the air. Crunches rained down on my ears, and I heard something dropping to the ground. The gun moved from my neck, and a gunshot rang out before the man stepped over me. I shivered with fear as I dared to peek out from beyond the dirt I’d buried myself into.

  And what I saw was incredible.

  Cameron, all by himself, took on every single one of those men. He dodged the bullets the guy was shooting at him while dislocating shoulders and breaking ribs. He thrust the heel of his palm up into the nose of the man he’d beaten up that night years earlier, and I watched the man fall to the ground with his hands on his face. Cameron kicked the gun off to the side before jamming his elbow into Boss, relieving him of air to breathe before Cameron kneed him in his face. He walked around the black car and dragged someone out of it, and I watched a gun clatter to the ground. They fought and struggled behind the open door before I saw Cameron ram the man’s face into the corner of it, dropping him to the ground as well.