Chapter 27
DANE
Iknow something is wrong the second I pull into the driveway. Half of my family is outside on the front deck, their expressions pinched with worry.
Nessie.
Climbing out of the truck, I slam the door behind me and race for the front steps. “Where is she? Where’s Vanessa?”
Gray steps forward, doing her best to look calm despite the worry I can see in her eyes. “Axel took her and Lanie out to play and Nessie ran off. He and Ford are in the woods looking for her now.”
“Goddammit.” Spinning on my heel, I dart toward the woods, pulling my phone from my pocket as I run. The tracker under her skin will alert me not only to her location, but to any changes in her heart rate, along with several other biometrics I don’t really understand.
“Vanessa!” I call as I go crashing into the woods, too worried about finding her safe and sound to care about stealth. “Vanessa, baby, where are you?”
Silence.
Forcing myself to stop, to think, I look down at the app I pulled up on my phone.
It says she’s less than a quarter mile to my east, and all her metrics look good other than her heart rate being through the roof.
But if she’s been running, that would make sense, so I try to tell myself not to freak out.
I swear to god that Little girl is never going to sit comfortably again when I find her.
If I find her.
No. Nope. Not even going there. I will find my babygirl and I will bring her back home. And then I am going to give her a spanking she will never, ever forget.
Vanessa
I’m so fucking lost.
I don’t even know how it happened. One minute I was running in what I could have sworn was the right direction to get to my car and the next thing I know, I’m standing at the top of the steepest hill I’ve ever seen with no clue which way is up.
Fuck.
Maybe I should stop moving. Isn’t that what they say to do if you get lost in the woods? Stop moving and give the people looking for you the best chance at finding you?
What if they aren’t searching, though? What if they’ve just written me off as a lost cause? What if I die here in these woods, and nobody finds me or my remains and I just turn into another cold case people talk about on true crime podcasts? What if I never see Josie or my other cousins again?
What if I never see Daddy again?
The thought of never laying eyes on Dane, of never seeing that look in his eye right before he punishes me, of never being cradled in his arms while he feeds me a bottle ever again breaks me.
Back pressed against a large tree I slide down to the ground and pull my knees up to my chest as a sob bursts out of me.
“Vanessa! Vanessa, where are you baby?”
“Daddy!” Oh please, oh please don’t let him be a hallucination.
“Vanessa! Stay right where you are, baby, Daddy’s coming!”
“Daddy! I’m right here!”
In my excitement, I jump up—and slip on a pile of damp leaves beneath my feet. I barely have time to scream before I go tumbling backward, straight down the giant hill. My head cracks against something hard, and all I know is sharp, blinding pain before the world goes dark.
Dane
Time itself slows around me as I watch my babygirl go flailing backward straight over a cliff. My breath tangles in my chest as terror grips me, and for what seems like an eternity all I can do is stare at the spot where she used to be standing only a moment ago.
Then her scream rips through the air, snapping me out of my horrified trance. “Vanessa!”
I race forward, skidding to the stop of what I realize now isn’t a cliff but rather a very steep hill.
Halfway down, my babygirl lies completely motionless and I have to choke back a sob as I pick my way down the hill.
Every instinct in my body is urging me to hurry, to run, but I know that if I fall it could be hours before anyone finds us.
And I don’t know if she has hours.
So I force myself to take it slow, to make my way carefully down the steep grade to where Nessie is sprawled, unconscious, blood matting her beautiful hair.
Please don’t be dead.
No sooner does the plea echo through my mind than she stirs, groaning loudly as she lifts a trembling hand to her head.
“Don’t move, baby. Daddy’s right here.”
Her eyelids flutter open, revealing dazed emerald eyes. “D-Daddy?”
That might just be the sweetest fucking sound I’ve ever heard. “Yeah, little fox. Daddy’s here. Give me a minute to look you over and then we’ll figure out how to get you the fuck up this hill.”
Looking down at the phone I’ve somehow managed to cling to during this entire ordeal, I hit the button to call Ford, relief flooding my veins when his face fills the screen.
“Tell me you found her.”
“I did. But she’s hurt. She fell and I think she hit her head. There’s… there’s a lot of blood, Ford.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” In direct contrast to my own trembling voice, my brother’s is calm, certain. “Head wounds bleed a fuckton. I’m going to walk you through checking her for any broken bones or a neck injury. All you have to do is stay calm and do exactly as I say.”
“All right.” Drawing on my brother’s strength, I drag in a deep breath. “Okay, what do I do?”
“Is she conscious?”
“Yeah, she’s talking to me.”
“All right. Hold her head still and I’m going to ask her some questions.”
“Okay. Okay.” Shoving down the panic trying to rise in my chest again, I set the phone on her chest and cradle her head between my hands with as much gentleness as I can while holding her still. “All right, baby. Uncle Ford has some questions for you. Just answer him the best you can, okay?”
“Okay, D-Daddy.”
“Hey, sweetheart.” Ford’s tone is low and soothing, but still loud enough to be heard clearly. “I heard you had a bit of a tumble.”
“I did. It hurts, Uncle Ford.”
My heart shatters at that single, pitiful statement.
“I know, honey. Can you tell me your name?”
“V-Vanessa. Vanessa Dawn, but our family calls me Nessie.”
“That’s right. You’re doing such a good job for me, sweetheart. Can you tell me where you are right now?”
“In the woods. With Daddy. Wanna go home.”
Giving into the need to comfort my sweet babygirl, I lean forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We can go home in just a minute, baby. But you have to answer all of Uncle Ford’s questions first, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
“You’re being so brave,” Ford praises, and my babygirl’s lips curl up in a tremulous smile. “Just a few more questions.”
He asks her what feels like far too many questions before getting to the rest of the assessment.
With my heart hammering against my ribcage, I follow his instructions to check for a neck injury, followed by any broken bones.
My baby passes every test with flying colors, and I nearly weep with relief when Ford gives me the okay to move her.
“Eli already called for an ambulance,” he assures me as I carefully lift her into my arms. “They should be here by the time you get back. It’s probably a bit of an overreaction, but we’d rather be safe than sorry. Especially where our Little ones are concerned.”
I’ve never been more grateful for my family than I am in this very moment. “Thanks, Ford. We’re on our way.”
“See you soon. Be careful.”
With that, I end the call, carefully juggling my precious cargo to tuck it back into my pocket.
“All right, little fox. Let’s get you home.”