Chapter 6 #5
Then I see movement. A figure emerges from the cabin, small, slight. A child's shape. My breath catches as Trenton appears behind her, his hand on her shoulder, guiding her toward the truck.
It's Charlie.
I'm out of the vehicle before I can think, running toward them across the uneven ground. Charlie looks up as I approach, her face pale but alert.
"Ms. Morgan!" She breaks away from Trenton, throwing herself into my arms. "Daddy said you'd come!"
I hold her tight, feeling her small body tremble against mine. "Charlie, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
She shakes her head, her dark brown hair catching the headlights. "He said I had to wait here. That you'd take care of me."
I exchange a look with Trenton over her head. "Where is he, Charlie?"
"Gone," she whispers. "He left this morning."
Matthew appears from the cabin, his expression grim. "He left a note."
I take the folded paper he offers, my hands unsteady. The handwriting is neat, precise, nothing like the erratic scrawl I would have expected.
Morgan, it begins. Take care of our daughter. I'll be back for both of you soon.
My stomach turns. "Our daughter," I repeat, each word sitting wrong in my mouth. "He thinks—"
"He's delusional," Trenton finishes, his voice hard. "But we have Charlie now. That's what matters."
I look down at the little girl still clinging to my waist. She seems unharmed, but the haunted look in her eyes tells me she's seen things no child should witness.
"We need to get her to the hospital," I say. "Have her checked out."
Matthew is already on his phone, calling ahead to let the authorities know we've found her. As we bundle Charlie into the truck, I catch movement in the trees, headlights approaching from the main road.
"Greyson's here," Trenton confirms, noting the approaching vehicles. "With reinforcements."
Three trucks rumble into the clearing, their headlights cutting through the dark.
Greyson is out first, already assessing the scene, and Harlan moves to form a perimeter, their expressions grim.
From the last truck, Tiana emerges, her eyes finding mine with immediate concern as Zach follows close behind her.
"Morgan!" Tiana rushes forward, pulling me into a quick hug. "We heard you found her."
I nod, unable to find words as emotions threaten to overwhelm me.
Caiden approaches Charlie, crouching to her level. "Hey there, kiddo. I'm Caiden. These are my friends. We're going to make sure you're safe."
Charlie looks at him with wide eyes, then back at me. I give her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. They're here to help."
"What's the plan?" Greyson asks, his voice low as he approaches Trenton and Matthew.
"Hospital first," Trenton replies. "Then we figure out our next move."
Harlan steps forward, his normally playful expression serious. "The police are on their way. They'll want to question her."
"She needs a doctor first," I insist, my arm tightening around Charlie's shoulders.
"We'll handle the police," Cole assures me. "You focus on the kid."
As if on cue, sirens wail in the distance, growing steadily louder. Red and blue lights flash through the trees, approaching our location.
"The cavalry arrives," Zach mutters, moving to stand with his sister. "Right on schedule."
Two police cruisers pull up, officers spilling out with their weapons drawn. I pull Charlie behind me, shielding her small frame with my own.
"She's safe," I call out. "She needs medical attention."
The lead officer lowers his weapon, recognition dawning on his face as he spots Greyson. "Greyson. Didn't expect to find you here."
"Ethan called us in," Greyson explains smoothly. "Morgan found the girl. Harris is gone, but he left a note."
The officer approaches, his expression softening as he looks at Charlie. "Hey there, sweetheart. I'm Officer Johnson. Can you tell me your name?"
Charlie shrinks against me. "She's traumatized," I tell him. "She needs to see a doctor before you question her."
The officer nods. "We'll have a unit take you to the hospital. Our forensics team needs to assess the cabin."
As arrangements are made, I help Charlie into the back of a police car. She clings to my hand, her small fingers cold against mine.
"I'm scared," she whispers.
"I know," I tell her, brushing her hair from her face. "But I promise, you're safe now."
"Ms. Morgan?" Her voice is so small I can barely hear her. "Will you stay with me?"
I look up at Trenton and Matthew, who are watching us with identical expressions of concern. Without hesitation, they nod.
"We'll all stay with you," I promise. "As long as you need."
As we drive away from the cabin, the headlights catching on the faces of the club members who came to help, I realize we've only won the first battle. Evan is still out there, his delusions intact, his threat hanging over us.
But as Charlie's head droops against my shoulder, her eyes finally closing in exhausted sleep, I know I'll do whatever it takes to protect her. To protect all of us.
"He'll be back," I murmur.
Trenton nods, his jaw set. "Let him come."
The hospital corridor feels endless as we walk alongside the gurney carrying Charlie.
Her small hand remains clasped in mine, her fingers still trembling despite the blanket they've wrapped around her thin shoulders.
The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across her face, making her look even more fragile than she already is.
"We're almost there," I tell her, squeezing her hand gently. "The doctor will check you over, and then we can figure out what happens next."
Trenton and Matthew flank us, their expressions a mirror of protective determination.
Neither has left my side since we arrived, not even when the police tried to separate us for questioning.
The club's reputation has its uses as officers who might have insisted on procedure seem willing to bend rules when Greyson speaks to them.
"She'll need blood work," the nurse tells us as we reach the pediatric wing. "Standard procedure for cases like this."
Charlie's eyes widen, filling with tears. "Do I have to?"
I crouch down beside her, brushing hair from her forehead. "It might sting a little, but it will be over fast. I'll stay right here with you."
They usher us into a private room, and a doctor appears, a woman with kind eyes and a gentle voice who explains each step before she takes it. When the nurse arrives with the blood draw kit, Charlie's breathing quickens.
"I don't want to," she whispers, tears spilling over. "Please."
Before I can respond, her small hands reach out, not to me, but to Trenton and Matthew. "Will you hold me?"
The request catches us all by surprise. Trenton recovers first, moving to the other side of the examination table while Matthew takes position near Charlie's head.
"Of course we will," Trenton says, his voice softer than I've ever heard it. "I'll hold this hand, and Matt will hold the other. You can squeeze as hard as you need to."
Charlie nods, her eyes fixed on them with complete trust. The nurse prepares her arm while Matthew tells her a story about a time he got lost in the woods as a child and how brave she's being now. Trenton's large hand engulfs Charlie's smaller one, his thumb tracing calming circles on her wrist.
When the needle goes in, Charlie doesn't make a sound, but her eyes squeeze shut and she pulls their hands up close against her chest, holding on. My heart swells watching them, these two dangerous men reduced to tender protectors by one small child's need.
"You did so well," I tell her when it's over, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."
Charlie's eyes drift closed, exhaustion finally claiming her after the adrenaline of the day. We step back to let the medical staff finish their work, the three of us forming a silent wall between her and the world.
"Morgan." Greyson appears in the doorway, his voice low. "We need to talk."
We move to the hallway, careful to stay within sight of Charlie's room. Greyson looks grim, a muscle jumping in his jaw.
"Social services are on their way," he says. "Standard procedure when a child is found in these circumstances."
"No." The word slices through the corridor, sharper than I meant it to. My thoughts snag on the worst of it: social services show up, they take Charlie away, foster care, paperwork, a system that can't protect her from her father. "We can't let them take her."
Greyson's expression darkens. "It's not that simple, Morgan. The law—"
"The law can go to hell," Trenton growls, voice low and dangerous. "That kid just found someone she trusts. She's been through hell."
Matthew steps closer, urgency in his eyes. "We need to call Isaac. He'll know people who can help."
I'm already pulling out my phone. On the first ring, my father's gruff voice answers, worry edging his tone. "Dad, we found Charlie," I say. "But social services are on their way. We need help."
"I'm already here," Dad replies. "Ethan's with me. We'll be at the pediatric wing in five minutes."