Chapter 48
REID
S awyer grapples with the man and I run straight for Ivy. I need to know that she’s okay, that we got here in time. She collapsed to the ground when he let go of her, but she’s coughing so I know she’s breathing. That’s a good sign. I scoop her up into my arms and move her to the back of the vehicle, shielding her from Sawyer and her ex as they fight on the ground.
“You’re safe, you’re okay, sweetheart. We’re here.” I whisper to her, pushing her soaked, wild hair out of her face and moving her hands out of the way so I can check for external damage on her throat. There’s no telling how hard he squeezed and if any harm came to her throat or vocal cords. The skin is bright red and angry. “The police are on their way, sweetheart. Just hang on. You’re going to be okay. We’re here.” I do my best to reassure her.
“Gun. He’s. Got. A. Gun.” Her voice is thick and raspy and my heart bottoms out in concern when her words finally register. “Stay here. Don’t move.” I look over the trunk of the car and find Sawyer straddling him, throwing punch after punch into his face. I get to my feet quickly and run to their spot. The man’s still conscious but not fighting back, and laying limp, his arms splayed out at his sides. His face is disfigured, already swollen, and starting to bruise. He’s covered in blood. Sawyer keeps landing blow after blow. I grab him under his arms with my forearms and yank him off. I fall on my ass and pull him with me as I go. “Sawyer, It’s me. It’s me. You’re gonna kill him, brother. You can’t have that on you. You’ve gotta stop. Ivy needs you. She needs you.”
“Ivy.”
“Yeah, brother, Ivy needs you. The police are on their way. I gotta get them our location. Get to Ivy. I’ll take care of this. He’ll never hurt her again, I promise you.”
Sawyer jumps up and rushes to the car looking for her. I pat down the asshole and find his gun, pulling it free of his pants and tossing it on the ground near us. I pull out my phone to call Dallas and he answers immediately.
“Where the fuck are you guys?”
“We’re about a mile into the woods behind Ivy’s house, about a quarter of a mile off of the highway from the other direction. Get here. Tell the police we need an ambulance. I don’t know if he’s going to make it.”
“Who’s not going to make it?” Dallas bellows into the phone.
“The ex! Sawyer’s with Ivy.”
“Fuck, Reid! Start with that next time! Stay put, we’ll find you.”
I hang up and go check the motherfucker’s pulse with my fingers. It’s weak, but it’s there. I kneel down on the sodden ground next to him as rage fills me, blinding me from everything else. I do my best to separate my past from the present, but he hurt her, and a haze fills my vision until all I see is her lifeless body. I can’t change my past failures, they’ll haunt me for the rest of my life, but I can make sure that Ivy never sees the same fate. I lean down and brace my forearm on his throat, placing all my weight into it until his breathing stops altogether.
“You’ll never hurt another woman. Scum like you shouldn’t be allowed to walk the earth.” I stand and push my drenched hair out of my face, staring down at his corpse and not feeling an ounce of regret. “And now you won’t.”