CHAPTER 15 #2
I hang up and again dial my wife, praying she’ll answer this time. But she doesn’t. I toss my phone on the dash as every possible thing that could go wrong runs through my mind. At the next stoplight, I grab my phone and dial Ty.
“Hello. You’re supposed to still be celebrating.”
“I couldn’t. Her parents showed up, and then the police asked me to come in. Beau wanted to talk to me. It’s Starla. I need to know my daughter is safe, because right now, my wife is missing.”
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” he curses, then takes a deep breath. “Ria is safe right here. I’ll protect her until you or Butcher come for her. Find Andi. I always told her that Starla was wound too tight and focused only on winning at whatever means.”
“I’ll be pulling into the casino here in a moment. I’ve contacted everyone. They are looking for her.”
I pull open the center console in her truck and press a finger to the safe. It clicks open, and I grab my gun. Leaning forward in the seat, I slip it into the back of my jeans.
“Keep me posted,” Ty says, and we hang up.
I screech to a stop as I pull into the visitor loading area of the casino. A valet rushes up, and I toss my keys as I run for the entrance. Alek is waiting for me.
“My wife did her magic. Starla was seen on cameras before they went down in the animal pens area of the arena. Andi was also seen last heading that way after she was directed by an unknown person. I have my security detaining that man now. Let’s go. Do you have a gun?”
“Yeah.” I pat my back, and he nods.
Security, plus men in suits, surround us, and we run through the casino toward the large arena attached. When we get there, I look down at the arena floor and see nothing. But I can hear screaming, and the animals are going crazy.
I run, not caring about my safety. I need to get to my wife. I can’t lose her and my son now. The back of the arena, where the animals are, is dark. As my eyes adjust, a gunshot rings out, followed by multiple screams. I’m hit, but I keep going, knowing one of those screams was my wife’s.
“Andrea,” I yell as another shot rings out.
I swing to the side as Butcher dives for me, taking me to the ground. Gunshots keep firing, but it’s the scream from my wife that has me fighting Butcher.
“Stay down. I have a sniper taking her out, and you’re getting in the way. Besides, you’ve been shot. Andi is going to be pissed.”
I lie there for a moment before I hear Alek.
“She’s down. Call an ambulance.”
I struggle to get up, ignoring the pain in my shoulder and side.
By the time I reach the pen where my wife is sitting, I can now feel the pain, and I cover the grimace when I see the liquid around her body.
“She needs out of there immediately. Shoot the fucking gelding with a dart. Do something.” My voice rises in panic.
We know that Kari has been bigger than most babies his invitro age, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to come this early.
“Calm down, Callum. He’s upset, but he’s protecting me now,” Andi says.
I don’t understand what she means. But she uses the bars of the panels to pull herself up. When she’s on her feet, the horse settles down, and she brushes her hand along his flank as she moves to the entrance.
I start to open it when she sees the blood dripping from my body.
“Callum, you’ve been shot.”
“Been through worse. Come on.” I help her through the gate as Butcher opens it up for her. She doubles over and grabs ahold of my outstretched hand as a contraction hits.
“That was a bad one. They’re about six minutes apart now.”
Paramedics rush in and start to go for Starla, who is on the ground barely moving or breathing.
Alek and Butcher point them to us instead.
We’re loaded onto gurneys and about to be taken out when Starla comes to.
Is it bad that I pray she doesn’t survive her wounds?
If she does, I’ll make sure she dies in prison.
“I didn’t mean to kill that doctor. She wouldn’t give me the file. I needed it to prove that Andi was unstable,” she whines, sealing her fate with her confession.
I ignore her as I reach for my wife’s hand. “Baby, I love you. As soon as I can, I’ll be there to help you deliver our son.”
“I—” She breathes deeply, starting to pant. “I know. I love you.”
We’re separated into our own ambulances. She’s rushed to the maternity ward when we reach the hospital.
“Get me patched up so I can be there when my son is born,” I demand, but the doctors ignore me.
I’m so pissed I pull the IV from my arm, throw my legs over the side of the gurney, and stand up. I didn’t receive any pain medication yet, so my weakness has to be from loss of blood.
“Sir, get back in bed.” A nurse yells for security as she rushes to me.
“Listen here, I’m not going to miss my son being born, and if I did already, I’ll sue this hospital for everything. I told you to patch me up. I’ll have the surgery afterward. I won’t let my wife down. I need to be there.”
Alek appears at my side. “Come on. Butcher said she won’t push until you’re there.”
With security following behind me, we head up to find my wife threatening to make the nurses sorry if they don’t produce me soon.
I step through the doorway, and she starts crying.
“I can’t do this alone,” she sobs.
“You’re not alone.” I walk over to her, making sure she can’t see the amount of pain I’m in, or the fact that I know I don’t have too much time.
I take Andi’s hand into mine, and she squeezes it while the doctor tells her to push.
It only takes a few pushes, and Kary is born.
I cut his umbilical cord, lay him on her chest, and then a couple of nurses take him to the nursery to check him over.
Butcher told me before I stepped into the room that he would stay outside the nursery while Kary was in there.
“I love you.” I lean over and kiss my wife. “I’ll be back soon.”
“I love you too. Please be careful.”
Alek steps in with a wheelchair and takes me back to the ER.
“I have a contingency of men on her and the baby. They will be safe. Also, just so you know, that suka died in the OR.”
I don’t fist pump, but I feel like it. I don’t have to take care of her later now.
“Thank you for all you’ve done, Alek.”
“Ridley is like a little sister to me too, and anyone friends with her is friends of mine. Besides, it happened at the Lucky Dice. We take care of our VIPs.”
“Sure you do.” We both laugh, and then I’m being prepped for surgery.