Chapter 4 #3
“She said the woman’s name is Mrs. Jourdan.” She opened the wallet and handed it to me. “I was hoping the address was in here, but it’s clearly old.”
Sofia Maria Lopez.
I stared down at the Texas driver’s license, at the photo of Sofia smiling—really smiling—her dark hair loose around her shoulders, her eyes bright. The address listed was in Houston.
Houston.
That male had called her his wife.
My stomach twisted.
“Dakvaar.” Kardok’s voice was quiet. “She has a daughter?”
And a husband. I hadn’t known…but I’d feared.
The thought of her belonging to another male—any male who didn’t cherish her, who hurt her—made my vision go red.
Martha was watching me carefully. “She’s asking for you.”
That snapped me out of it. “Me?”
She nodded. “She’s disoriented, but she recognized your voice. Said your name.”
My Kteer purred, a deep, possessive sound.
Martha stepped aside. “Five minutes. Then we need to let her rest.”
I didn’t wait for permission. I was through the door before she finished speaking.
The exam room was bright, the overhead lights harsh against the sterile white walls.
Sofia was propped up on the table, a blanket draped over her shoulders, her dark hair mussed from where they’d checked her head.
Her face was a mess of bruises—purple and green and angry red—but her eyes found mine the second I entered.
And something in my chest cracked.
“D-Dakvaar,” she whispered.
I was at her side in two strides, my hand cupping her uninjured cheek. She leaned into my touch, her breath hitching. “You’re safe,” I rasped. “I’ve got you.”
Her fingers curled around my wrist, her grip weak but desperate. “Rosa—”
“Shh.” I brushed my thumb over her cheekbone, careful not to press too hard. “We’ll get her. I promise she’ll be safe.”
She swallowed, her throat working. “He found us.”
I stilled. “The male?”
She nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “He’s—he’s her father. He wants to take her.”
My Kteer roared, but I forced myself to stay calm. For her. “He won’t.”
She looked up at me, her dark eyes searching mine. “You don’t understand. He’s—”
“Do you want to go with him? Do you want Rosa to go with him?”
I held my breath, praying to the gods below she wasn’t considering such a thing. But to my relief, Sofia’s little headshake was immediate, even if it was followed by a wince from the movement.
“Then I do understand,” I said, my voice low and fierce. “He will never touch you again. Neither of you.”
Mine to protect.
She exhaled shakily, some of the tension leaving her body. “You can’t—”
“I can.” I pressed my forehead to hers, just for a second. “And so can the police, once we—”
“No cops,” Sofia whispered, eyes closed. “Please.”
Damn.
On the one hand, the logical part of my brain was disappointed I couldn’t rely on B.B.P.D, my Kteer howled in satisfied violence, knowing I need only to depend on myself to protect Sofia and Rosa.
My nose pressed against her temple. “I’ll protect you, dkaar. Trust me. It’s what I do.”
She didn’t answer, but her fingers tightened around my wrist.
And for the first time since I’d found her, I let myself believe that maybe—just maybe—she was starting to believe in me.
In us.
The door opened again, and Martha stepped in, her expression gentle but firm. “Time’s up, Dakvaar. She needs rest.”
I didn’t want to leave. But Sofia’s eyelids were already drooping, the pain meds pulling her under.
I pressed a kiss to her temple—just a brush of my lips against her skin—and stepped back.
Martha moved to Sofia’s side, adjusting the blanket. “We’ll keep her here with us for a few hours for observation, just to be safe. You can come back later.”
I nodded, my throat tight.
That bastard hadn’t seen me take her; hadn’t seen where she was. This ice complex was a good place to hide her, among so many people. She could get medical attention, and he wouldn’t think of looking here once he woke, if he was even in a condition to do so.
Kardok was waiting for me in the hall, Torrk beside him. They both looked at me expectantly.
I exhaled. “I need to get Rosa. Can Lila help figure out what they might need?”
Kardok didn’t hesitate, waggling his keys. “We’re coming with you.”
A part of me that had been determined to do this all myself—save her, protect my females—growled a denial.
But a larger part of me, the part which had practiced with these guys every day for years, and relied on them on the ice, was smart enough to grab that first part and shake it into silence.
I can trust them. I needed their help, if I was going to save Rosa and figure out what was going on with the male who hurt them.
So I sighed in surrender. “Fine. Rosa is at Sophia’s apartment building, and the male who hurt her—"
Torrk interrupted me with a grin as he tossed me Sofia’s bag. “I’m going to check for signs of the bastard by the café. You and Kardok and Lila go get your kitling.”
My kitling.
The words settled into my bones, the truth of them undeniable.
I turned toward the exit, my teammates falling into step beside me, today’s practice forgotten.
We had a daughter to bring home.