“Graham says it’s a flesh wound. He’s got the OBGYN on call coming down now. We’ll be in the ER in a side room he says.”
I couldn’t speak anymore and the phone dropped out of my hand onto the floor as I took deep breaths and tried not to do the ultimate thing that no man should do - cry.
“She’ll be fine, Luke. Graham knows what he’s talking about and if he says it’s a flesh wound, then he’s telling the truth. She’s carrying Montgomery’s in her belly, too, man,” Baz said in his deep voice, not taking his eyes off the road. “They’re all gonna be just fine. And the fuck who did this…” he trailed off.
I didn’t reply as I watched houses and trees whizz past us until we pulled up to the entrance of the ER; I jumped out before Baz had pulled to a stop and ran in.
“Isla Montgomery?” I asked the receptionist. I must have looked a state because she stared at me for a second before snapping out of it and typing into the computer in front of her.
“She’s in the ER room five. Go through those doors and follow the corridor past the curtained cubicles and the door will be on your left.” She pointed at double doors off to the side of us and I barely got out a thank you before I was running through them.
I didn’t need help finding room five because I saw two of Baz’s men standing in front of it as soon as I hit the corridor and ran toward them. They both stood aside as I got to the door and I shoved through to see Maya bawling her eyes out as she sat on Cole’s lap. Isla was lying in the bed with a nurse standing over her as she attached what I now recognized as baby monitors to her belly.
She turned and looked at me and I saw how pale her face was. Before I could say anything, the swooshing sound of our babies’ heart beats filled the room and I saw the relief on Isla’s face before she burst into tears.
I pushed past the nurse who was trying to calm her down and bent over her in the hospital bed and stuck my face in her neck. I couldn’t help the sobs of relief that came out of me, too - my world was safe.
After a couple of minutes, I lifted my head back up and caught her face gently in both hands and kissed her. She tasted of her tears and it hit me in the gut.
Pulling back, I looked her over and saw the red bandage on her small arm and my dragon reared its head.
“What the fuck happened?” I barked, standing up and looking at Cole.
“Sir,” Graham said from behind me; I hadn’t even seen him when I came in.
“Coleman called me as Mrs. Montgomery was finishing up. He had received word from a contact that a contract had been placed on Isla and advised that we return to the house immediately. We planned that she would stand behind me and we would get straight into the vehicle, but the shooter was in an elevated position, so the shot hit her. My men returned fire and are currently in pursuit of the suspect.” He looked grim and kept looking at Isla. They’d become good friends since we got back and I knew that he would do anything that he could to keep her safe; I didn’t blame him.
“You did everything you could, don’t blame yourself.” His head dropped forward after I said this, and I knew it was going to take him a long time to get over this, too.
Looking around the room, I noticed that the nurse had left us just as Baz opened the door and walked in putting his cell in his pocket and looking more pissed off than I’d ever seen him.
“Calista Brennan and the former Mrs. Banks were granted bail yesterday,” he snarled.
“How the fuck did they get that? We were told that they wouldn’t be granted bail, Baz!” I was yelling, but fuck me, what the fuck was going on?
“It gets better. A man wearing a suit was caught on security cameras going into the office of Judge Rolling’s earlier that morning. No cameras caught the front of him, and when he was by cameras that would, the signal was lost on them. When they came back on line there was no sign of the man,” he furiously put his hands through his hair as he took a deep breath. “An hour later, Banks and Brennan were granted bail, which was paid by an anonymous source, and left jail.”
I didn’t even realize I’d turned around to punch the wall until I heard Isla say my name and felt the pain in my right hand. Trying to get some self-control back, I focused on the pain and turned back to Baz and was about to ask him what else he knew when his phone rang.
“Mace. Yeah. Are you fucking serious? Okay, I’ll be there soon.” He had an evil smile on his face now and I took a couple step towards him wanting to hear what he was being told. He looked over at my beautiful girl lying in the bed and his face softened. “Yeah, she’s awake. They’re monitoring the bambinos, but their heartbeats sound fucking amazing,” he ended on a grin. Then his eyes moved to Maya who was still sitting on Cole’s lap crying quietly now. “Absolutely, just a bit of shock. Ren’s on his way. Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“They caught the shooter,” he said in a low voice as he turned back to me. I saw Cole stand up and put Maya on the chair before walking towards us. “He’s being held at the old farmhouse again, so I’m gonna head out in a bit to ask him some questions.”
I looked back at Isla lying in the bed and was completely torn between staying with her and killing the bastard who had shot her. I was about to say something when the door opened behind us again and I turned around and saw a sight for sore eyes - my best friend Parker. He’d been based on a military base overseas where he carried out emergency operations and tried to save the lives of our men who were injured in attacks or road side bombs. Ebru followed into the room behind him.
“Luke, man, I heard you were in here,” Parker said walking up to me. We’d been through so much together at college and he’d moved to Piersville with me after it, but had then become a surgeon for our Military and couldn’t tell us where he was sent a year ago.
“Fuck me, Park, it’s good to see you,” I said pulling him for a ‘man hug’. The last time we’d spoken was two weeks ago and I’d told him about Isla and the babies. We’d discussed the things that he was actually allowed to tell me, but he hadn’t mentioned that he was coming back. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”
“I was given my return orders three days ago and arrived back the next day. I had to get the house aired and sort out shit here, but I was gonna call you tonight.” This was typical of Parker. He was loyal to the bone, but he took his time to tell you shit or just didn’t bother. “I take it this is the beautiful Mrs. Montgomery and the junior Montgomerys that you were telling me about.” He said moving over towards Isla.
“Isla, Parker.” I introduced and she gave him a weak smile as she went back to focusing on the baby monitor beside her.
“Great to meet you Isla, I’ve heard a lot about you and congratulations, too.” He grinned down at her and I her saw visibly relax. “Now, let’s have a look at all of this stuff and see what’s going on.” He moved around and picked up the paper that was curling out of the machine to the floor and studied it. “Babies are doing fine, Mama.”
We all let out a breath of relief. After having a gentle feel of the babies, he confirmed that they were doing just fine, but that the emergency OBGYN was going to come and check her over once she was moved to her room. Next he looked at her arm and Ebru walked around and stroked Isla’s hair off her face.
“Right, pretty girl, this might sting a bit and we’re limited to what we can give you because of the babies, but if it’s bad then there are painkillers that are safe for you and the babies, so speak up, okay?”
As he was studying her arm, I turned around to Baz. “Wait for her to get settled and then I’m coming with you.”
Baz immediately started shaking his head. “Luke, stay with Isla. She needs you and you do not need this shit on your conscience; trust me!”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about my conscience Baz,” I growled quietly. “He almost killed my wife and my babies.” I gestured back to Isla while still staring at him.
He stood looking between my wife lying on the bed, bleeding, and then back to me before noddin
g his head and taking a step back.
Going back to Isla’s side, Parker said, “Well the good news is that we can fix you with stitches. I’ll make sure that they’re neatly done to minimize the scar, but we’ll get those done now. Are you allergic to anything?”
All I could picture was Isla having an ugly scar marring her arm for the rest of her life and remembering this every time she saw it. After Parker gave Ebru a list of shit to get and instructions, I asked him about the idea that I’d had. “Is there a way to get rid of the scar, Park?”
He stopped writing on the iPad in his hand and looked up at me. “Sure, the most effective thing is laser surgery. It’ll cost you though.”
“I don’t care about cost. Can you get me the details?” I looked down at Isla who was back to staring at the monitoring machine. She’d been so quiet that I was starting to worry that she’d gone into shock.
“Yeah. They won’t be able to do it while she’s pregnant, though, so until then I’ll give you the name of something to put on it that’ll help reduce the scar, too,” Parker said as Ebru wheeled in a table covered with a blue cloth and wheeled it up to his side. “Right, pretty girl, are you ready?” He said looking down at Isla who again said nothing and just smiled and nodded at him. As he turned towards the sink to wash his hands, he caught my eye and shook his head slightly.
Picking up her hand, I leaned down to kiss her. “Are you okay, sayang?” When she just nodded, I caught her face and raised it so I could see her eyes. “I need the words, baby.”
She took a deep breath. “I was so scared about the babies, Luke,” she whispered, her lower lip trembling. “I was sure I’d lost them.”
“They’re fine and healthy, Isla,” I swept my thumb across her soft cheek. “I trust Parker with you three, and he says that they’re fine so they’re fine! Can you feel them moving?”
She stopped and I held my breath as I waited for her to confirm it so I could relax.
When she finally nodded and grinned up at me, I felt the pain that had been in my chest since I got the call from Cole leave me.
“Right, love birds, are we ready?” Parker said walking back over. When Isla nodded he talked her through the procedure and had just lifted up the syringe with the anesthetic in it to numb her arm when Cole started to gag behind us and Maya sighed as she pushed him out of the room. Pussy!
It took roughly forty minutes for Parker to get it all done, and by the time he’d finished with the stitches, I had to admit that he’d done a great job with the jagged wound on Isla’s arm. Once it was bandaged, Ebru opened the door and called in the two guards and started to instruct them on where Isla was being moved. I knew that it was against policy for non-hospital staff to move a patient, and I didn’t doubt that this was a decision that Ebru and Parker had made together.
Baz and Ebru led the way as they pushed the bed with Cole scowling in their direction and Parker and I brought up the rear.
“It appears that we have a lot more catching up to do,” Parker said as we exited the elevator.
I nodded before asking, “When will Isla be released?”
“Probably tomorrow. I want the OBGYN to monitor her overnight and I’m giving her time for the shock to wear off and then she can go home.”
“You free tomorrow night then?” The sooner the better really. I’d missed my best friend and also wanted to know what he’d been up to while deployed, as well as to fill him in on all of the shit that had happened.
“Sure.” He shrugged as he watched them situate Isla.
Baz moved over to my side and said in a low voice, “We need to leave shortly.”
I gave him a chin lift and then walked over to my beautiful wife. “I need to go and get some shit for you, sayang. Are you going to be okay on your own for a little bit?” I heard footsteps behind me and saw Ren walking in with Maya under his arm.
“Maya will stay with her and I’ll help you pick the shit up for Isla.” Looking at his face, it was obvious that he knew what was going to happen, and I figured that Brett or Coleman had contacted him and filled him in on what was happening.
I felt Isla’s hand tighten around mine and looked back at her to see her looking up at me with tears falling down her face. “Be careful, please!” she whispered, squeezing my hand tighter on the please.
Leaning back down, I gave her a soft kiss. “I’ll be back soon, sayang. I promise.”
She stared into my eyes for a second and then nodded, before reaching up and giving me a harder kiss than I’d expected, but one that was still very welcome. I hated leaving her when she needed me, but I had to do this; I had to know.
Backing up, I winked at her, gave Maya’s shoulder a squeeze as I passed her, and followed Baz out of the room with Ren following.
When we got down to the SUV, Cole was sitting in the seat behind the driver looking out the side window. “Don’t say anything, I’m coming with you.”
We all looked at each other and Baz gave a nod, so we all got into the car with Ren in the back and me in the passenger seat with Baz driving.
“Brett flew in and arrived five minutes ago. We’re meeting him there,” Ren said from behind me. I looked at my watch because that seemed kind of fast and saw that three hours had passed since I’d first got the call from Cole.
We drove the rest of the way in silence, all of us stewing over what had happened and what was about to happen. Dark thoughts that I’d never ever have normally thought came into my head as I thought of ways to get the information out of the fucker waiting for us. As we pulled into the space in front of the old derelict farmhouse, I had a sense of de ja vu as I saw black SUV’s and bikes parked beside it.
Walking into the building, I saw that this time Mace’s friends were standing where the bastard, currently tied to the chair and grinning smugly, could see them. I was glad that he was so smug, it meant that I could cause him the pain that he deserved for hurting my wife.
Mace, Brett, and Coleman walked up to us and quietly filled us in on what had happened so far.
“Fucker thinks that he’s some big shit,” Mace said looking back at the bastard who was now staring at us instead of Mace’s men. “We’ve asked for his name and he said it was ‘Suck my cock’.” Mace’s lips twitched as he repeated it to us, and had it not been Isla that had been shot I might have joined him, but right now all I could see was my wife bleeding from her arm and feel the fear of her losing the babies.
Walking around him, I walked up to ‘Suck my cock’ and stood staring at him as he sat staring right back at me. Mace had walked up behind the fucker at the same time, and I looked up at him and then to the side where there was a table covered in interesting looking instruments. At this precise moment, though, I was going to go with the one that I knew how to use well - the baseball bat. Walking over and picking it up, I whistled when I realized that this one had a difference to it in that it was about eight pounds heavier than the professional bat that I used to play with.
Walking back in front of the fuck, I let the tip of the bat hit the floor as I held onto the handle.
“Let’s start again shall we? And for every wrong answer, I get to use my bat here. What. Is. Your. Name?” I made sure to say the last bit clearly.
The asshole just sat looking at me and then smiled before spitting in my direction, missing me by about a five inches. Looking down at the blob on the floor, I made a quick decision on what I was going to do and then quickly swung the bat back and connected with his right knee. The crunch and screams that followed it turned my gut and I wanted to back away and let someone else do it, but I kept thinking of Isla and the twins and it stopped me.
“Maybe we forgot to tell you, but back in the day Luke here used to play baseball at college. He was quite the batter I tell you,” Ren spoke up from behind me and the fucker sobbed louder.
“Answer me,” I yelled making everyone jump.
“Steve Rake,” he whispered. Pulling up the chair that had been sitting behind me, I sat down and plac
ed the bat across my lap. His knee looked fucking awful and I had no clue how he was still conscious.
“Right, Steve, today you shot my wife, who is pregnant with my twins.”
His head shot up and he looked at me in shock and then rapidly started shaking his head. “No, they didn’t tell me she was pregnant. I swear!”
Quite literally everything that he’d just said had us all staring at him trying to process it bit by bit.
“You could see she was obviously pregnant, asshole,” Mace said from behind him and Steve’s head swung round to look at him.
“She was behind the guy, I didn’t know,” he insisted and part of it made sense because Graham had said that she was standing behind him when she was shot.
“Who is they?” Coleman asked the question before I could, but my eyes never left the bastard in front of me.
“I was in a bar in North Carolina yesterday, two chicks came up to me and offered me money to do it. I wasn’t gonna kill her so I went for her arm! They didn’t say she was pregnant!” The last word was almost a scream and it took everything in me not to wince.
“What did they look like?” I asked, although I had an idea what he was going to say.
“One was old, big blonde hair but looked rough. The other one was younger. They both looked like they slept rough, ya know? The younger one came up first and tried to get me in the stockroom for a BJ, but I wasn’t gonna go there. She looked… weird,” he babbled and we all looked at each other knowing exactly who he was talking about.
Coleman came forward and asked him for every detail he could remember about them and wrote it all down giving us a firm nod and then walked in the direction of the door while pulling his phone out of his pocket. We were now looking for Jodie and Calista.
“Are the babies okay?” He whispered, looking tormented, but then, he should fucking feel that way for even shooting at Isla.
“Yeah, and so is my wife!” I snarled.
Providence Series Books 1-4 Page 44
