him—had already become reality. Dammit.
He was at least thirty minutes away. Even as the needle on the speedometer climbed up, he knew he’d be too late.
Chapter Five
The drive to the safe house was the longest of his life. He’d been tortured before, brutally, when the pain that seemed to have no beginning and no end had the power to bring time to a standstill. Now, as then, the seconds ticked away with a desperate, agonizing slowness that drove him crazy.
It was nearly noon by the time he was finally flying down the right street. The sight of cop cars and two ambulances by the curb was enough to make him go gray. He pulled over and jumped from his car, burst into the house—and nearly got shot.
“Reid Graham, I’m with the FBI.” He flashed his temporary badge as guns pointed at him. “Where are they?”
The two officers inside the living room lowered their weapons, scowling at him for causing unnecessary excitement.
“Your man?” one of them asked, gesturing to the corner.
Ben, unconscious, lay on the floor, a pool of blood under his head. Half of one ear was missing. Looked like he was shot from behind.
Anger twisted through Reid. “How is he?”
“Massive head trauma,” an EMT said without looking up as they transferred Ben onto a waiting stretcher. “But if he makes it to the hospital he has a chance.”
“The woman and the babies?” Reid demanded.
Then Lara’s broken voice came from somewhere in the rear of the house, and his heart gave a hard thud. He pushed his way past the men as they rolled the stretcher out. In the hall, another officer was coming from the babies’ room. Reid identified himself again. The man nodded and kept going, letting him pass.
The first thing he saw in the small bedroom was another EMT. Then the man shifted, and Reid spotted Lara sitting on the bed, a large bruise on her cheek. She looked catatonic, her eyes staring but not seeing, tears shining on her checks, trying to get away from the man who was treating her.
No babies.
Some people reacted to strong emotions like fear and anger by blowing up like a volcano. Reid had a stone-cold rage that others sometimes mistook for calmness, missing the killer instinct behind the controlled facade. He held strong and still, when what he wanted to do was tear the whole damn house apart. But he would wait and focus his powers of destruction until he found the men who were responsible. Then God help the bastards.
“Lara?” He stepped closer.
The EMT was treating lacerations on her knuckles and wrists with one hand, holding her on the bed with the other. “Take it easy. I wish you’d lie down, ma’am.”
She didn’t say a word, just tried to get past him. If she weren’t so drugged, she would have evaded him, but as it was, her movements were too slow and uncoordinated.
“How is she?” Reid’s control kept his voice even. The EMT glanced at him for a split second before focusing back on his work, wrapping gauze around Lara’s wrist. “They tied her up. Wounds are mostly superficial, but she’ll have to keep them clean to prevent infection.”
Reid pushed back the rage a sliver, surprised when an overwhelming tenderness immediately filled the void. He moved forward to kneel next to her, put a hand on her arm to hold her in place. “Lara, honey?”
She stilled and slowly lifted her gaze to him, her expression tortured. “They took Zak and Nate.”
“I know, honey.” He squeezed her hand.
“It’s your fault! You brought us here.” She shook him off. “Don’t you honey me.” Her words held a tigress’s growl.
The EMT started tending to the rope burns on her ankles.
Reid sat next to her on the bed and pulled her to his chest, rested his chin on the top of her head. “Hey, nobody messes with my boys. I’ll find them. You better believe it.”
But she didn’t seem to hear him. She tugged free. “I begged them to take me, too. Why wouldn’t they take me? I want to be with my babies.”
He
He was at least thirty minutes away. Even as the needle on the speedometer climbed up, he knew he’d be too late.
Chapter Five
The drive to the safe house was the longest of his life. He’d been tortured before, brutally, when the pain that seemed to have no beginning and no end had the power to bring time to a standstill. Now, as then, the seconds ticked away with a desperate, agonizing slowness that drove him crazy.
It was nearly noon by the time he was finally flying down the right street. The sight of cop cars and two ambulances by the curb was enough to make him go gray. He pulled over and jumped from his car, burst into the house—and nearly got shot.
“Reid Graham, I’m with the FBI.” He flashed his temporary badge as guns pointed at him. “Where are they?”
The two officers inside the living room lowered their weapons, scowling at him for causing unnecessary excitement.
“Your man?” one of them asked, gesturing to the corner.
Ben, unconscious, lay on the floor, a pool of blood under his head. Half of one ear was missing. Looked like he was shot from behind.
Anger twisted through Reid. “How is he?”
“Massive head trauma,” an EMT said without looking up as they transferred Ben onto a waiting stretcher. “But if he makes it to the hospital he has a chance.”
“The woman and the babies?” Reid demanded.
Then Lara’s broken voice came from somewhere in the rear of the house, and his heart gave a hard thud. He pushed his way past the men as they rolled the stretcher out. In the hall, another officer was coming from the babies’ room. Reid identified himself again. The man nodded and kept going, letting him pass.
The first thing he saw in the small bedroom was another EMT. Then the man shifted, and Reid spotted Lara sitting on the bed, a large bruise on her cheek. She looked catatonic, her eyes staring but not seeing, tears shining on her checks, trying to get away from the man who was treating her.
No babies.
Some people reacted to strong emotions like fear and anger by blowing up like a volcano. Reid had a stone-cold rage that others sometimes mistook for calmness, missing the killer instinct behind the controlled facade. He held strong and still, when what he wanted to do was tear the whole damn house apart. But he would wait and focus his powers of destruction until he found the men who were responsible. Then God help the bastards.
“Lara?” He stepped closer.
The EMT was treating lacerations on her knuckles and wrists with one hand, holding her on the bed with the other. “Take it easy. I wish you’d lie down, ma’am.”
She didn’t say a word, just tried to get past him. If she weren’t so drugged, she would have evaded him, but as it was, her movements were too slow and uncoordinated.
“How is she?” Reid’s control kept his voice even. The EMT glanced at him for a split second before focusing back on his work, wrapping gauze around Lara’s wrist. “They tied her up. Wounds are mostly superficial, but she’ll have to keep them clean to prevent infection.”
Reid pushed back the rage a sliver, surprised when an overwhelming tenderness immediately filled the void. He moved forward to kneel next to her, put a hand on her arm to hold her in place. “Lara, honey?”
She stilled and slowly lifted her gaze to him, her expression tortured. “They took Zak and Nate.”
“I know, honey.” He squeezed her hand.
“It’s your fault! You brought us here.” She shook him off. “Don’t you honey me.” Her words held a tigress’s growl.
The EMT started tending to the rope burns on her ankles.
Reid sat next to her on the bed and pulled her to his chest, rested his chin on the top of her head. “Hey, nobody messes with my boys. I’ll find them. You better believe it.”
But she didn’t seem to hear him. She tugged free. “I begged them to take me, too. Why wouldn’t they take me? I want to be with my babies.”
He
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