across the Summers kid and his sister not a couple hours before we ambushed those guys. He told us where you might be,” Logan replied. He was taller and leaner than his cousin and without a doubt the younger of the two. The family resemblance came from jet black hair and green eyes. His voice had a similar tone but slightly higher.
“Luke?” Nicholas muttered.
“Yeah, that’s his name. Their parents reported them missing, so when we ran into him and he had word on those guys, we killed two birds with one stone,” Logan said.
“Enough of what happened out there. We stopped by to check on you and,” Brock said but hesitated; he looked at Logan, smiled and continued, “we have a surprise for you.”
“Guys, I’m very thankful for you saving me, but I need to get back to my group.”
Logan stepped over to the gurney where Proctor’s body rested, unlocked the wheels and with a heavy shove began to push it towards the door that Brock was now holding open.
“Where are you taking him?” Nicholas asked in a somber tone.
“Just down to the coroner’s office at the end of the hall,” Brock informed him.
“Take care of him. I need to take him back with me,” Nicholas said with a concerned look.
“No need to worry,” Brock said then left. He stuck his head back in and said, “I’ll be right back with that surprise.”
Nicholas exhaled deeply and laid his head back onto the thick pillow. He hated being there, and being wounded was just a plain inconvenience. Thoughts of Becky and Abigail filled his mind. He prayed they were safe and cursed the entire situation that had led to his being there.
The door opened slowly.
Nicholas didn’t raise his head because he assumed it was Brock.
“Can this surprise just wait? I need to get the doc to check me out. I really need to go.”
“And where would you be going?” Becky asked.
“Huh?” Nicolas blurted out. He shot his head up and saw Becky and Abigail standing there.
“Daddy,” Abigail cried out as she rushed the bed and hugged him tightly.
“What, how? Don’t hug me too hard, Abby, you might pop a stitch.”
Becky hurried to his side, took his hand and held it firmly. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. Several tears streamed down her face and her breathing increased with each second she sat there looking at him. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”
“How is it you’re here?” Nicholas asked, unsure if he might be in a drug-induced hallucination.
“It’s a long story, but after all the shooting and Bryn killing some guy in the woods, Colin told us we were leaving and that it was your instructions to do so. I didn’t agree at first, but we couldn’t just sit there, especially after that guy.”
“Who was this person Bryn killed?” Nicholas asked.
“I don’t know, must have been with those guys who had you and Proctor.”
Nicholas now remembered Cam mentioning one of his men were watching the group.
“Katherine is a mess,” Becky said.
“And Evelyn [PN7] ?” Nicholas asked, referring to Proctor’s eighteen-month-old daughter.
“It’s so sad, all of it. She’ll never remember her father,” Becky said.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Nicholas replied.
“Daddy, I was so scared,” Abigail whimpered, her embrace unrelenting.
“It will take a lot to take your old man out.” Nicholas laughed. He continued, “How are you doing, though?” He caressed her hair.
“Better now,” Abigail answered.
“How’s everyone else?” Nicholas asked Becky.
“Frazzled.”
“I bet. I’ll be out of here soon and we’ll be on our way.”
“We can’t leave until they come back,” Becky said.
Nicholas raised his brows, curious as to who she was talking about.
She picked up on his facial expression and said, “Bryn and Rob.”
“What about Bryn and Rob?” he asked.
“They went looking for you.”
“I gave specific instructions that no one attempt to rescue us. I know I was very specific on
“Luke?” Nicholas muttered.
“Yeah, that’s his name. Their parents reported them missing, so when we ran into him and he had word on those guys, we killed two birds with one stone,” Logan said.
“Enough of what happened out there. We stopped by to check on you and,” Brock said but hesitated; he looked at Logan, smiled and continued, “we have a surprise for you.”
“Guys, I’m very thankful for you saving me, but I need to get back to my group.”
Logan stepped over to the gurney where Proctor’s body rested, unlocked the wheels and with a heavy shove began to push it towards the door that Brock was now holding open.
“Where are you taking him?” Nicholas asked in a somber tone.
“Just down to the coroner’s office at the end of the hall,” Brock informed him.
“Take care of him. I need to take him back with me,” Nicholas said with a concerned look.
“No need to worry,” Brock said then left. He stuck his head back in and said, “I’ll be right back with that surprise.”
Nicholas exhaled deeply and laid his head back onto the thick pillow. He hated being there, and being wounded was just a plain inconvenience. Thoughts of Becky and Abigail filled his mind. He prayed they were safe and cursed the entire situation that had led to his being there.
The door opened slowly.
Nicholas didn’t raise his head because he assumed it was Brock.
“Can this surprise just wait? I need to get the doc to check me out. I really need to go.”
“And where would you be going?” Becky asked.
“Huh?” Nicolas blurted out. He shot his head up and saw Becky and Abigail standing there.
“Daddy,” Abigail cried out as she rushed the bed and hugged him tightly.
“What, how? Don’t hug me too hard, Abby, you might pop a stitch.”
Becky hurried to his side, took his hand and held it firmly. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. Several tears streamed down her face and her breathing increased with each second she sat there looking at him. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”
“How is it you’re here?” Nicholas asked, unsure if he might be in a drug-induced hallucination.
“It’s a long story, but after all the shooting and Bryn killing some guy in the woods, Colin told us we were leaving and that it was your instructions to do so. I didn’t agree at first, but we couldn’t just sit there, especially after that guy.”
“Who was this person Bryn killed?” Nicholas asked.
“I don’t know, must have been with those guys who had you and Proctor.”
Nicholas now remembered Cam mentioning one of his men were watching the group.
“Katherine is a mess,” Becky said.
“And Evelyn [PN7] ?” Nicholas asked, referring to Proctor’s eighteen-month-old daughter.
“It’s so sad, all of it. She’ll never remember her father,” Becky said.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Nicholas replied.
“Daddy, I was so scared,” Abigail whimpered, her embrace unrelenting.
“It will take a lot to take your old man out.” Nicholas laughed. He continued, “How are you doing, though?” He caressed her hair.
“Better now,” Abigail answered.
“How’s everyone else?” Nicholas asked Becky.
“Frazzled.”
“I bet. I’ll be out of here soon and we’ll be on our way.”
“We can’t leave until they come back,” Becky said.
Nicholas raised his brows, curious as to who she was talking about.
She picked up on his facial expression and said, “Bryn and Rob.”
“What about Bryn and Rob?” he asked.
“They went looking for you.”
“I gave specific instructions that no one attempt to rescue us. I know I was very specific on
Similar Books
