Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
FORD
PRESENT
My lungs burned as I ran, and by the time I came skidding to a stop I thought they might burst. Red blood stained Royce’s clothing, my vision blurred, and I dropped to my knees, not even focused on where her abductor might have gone.
My shaking hands gently plucked out a twig that had gotten into her flaxen hair.
She was turned away from me, so I gently scooped her into my arms, realizing the blood was due to a bullet that had grazed her bicep.
She bled from her temple as well, but it looked like it was from hitting a rock on her way down.
Her arm was bleeding badly as it’d ripped her skin open to a wide gash.
“I got you, baby. It’s okay.” I rocked her while my entire body shook.
She was still unconscious, but it didn’t stop me from talking to her.
“We’ll get this cleaned up, and we’ll take you to the hospital, and it’ll be okay.
” Realizing I needed to get into action, I took a deep, shuddery breath and set her back on the ground.
I slipped my jacket off and propped it under her head, and then ripped the bottom part of my T-shirt until it was a thick strip.
I wrapped her arm up as tightly as I could, tying it off, and then covered her with the cut I’d grabbed from the ground.
My cell. I needed to call an ambulance, but instead I dialed Killian. He’d get here faster, and he’d ensure we had the protection to get back to the hospital.
The phone rang a few times before I felt something cold and metal press against my neck.
“Hang up.” I recognized the voice but couldn’t quite piece together who it was.
Anger stirred in my veins as I remained kneeling next to Royce. The leather over her body had a knife tucked inside the pocket, so I carefully began pulling it out as I set the phone to the side.
“Hang it up!” he urged, pressing the gun into my skin.
I shook my head. “No can do.”
“You weren’t supposed to be here. You fucking idiot, now look…” he sputtered angrily, and I realized it was Rodney who was holding me at gunpoint. Fucking Rodney, of all people. “Look at what you did. You made me shoot her. I didn’t want to shoot her. I wanted to take her, and you ruined that.”
The folded knife was in my palm, but I’d need to slide the blade free.
“So you wanted to take my girl, from the northern part of the orchard, and have me chase you so you could lay a trap?” I knew Killian was listening, and now I’d told him where to go.
Rodney shifted his feet behind me, but the gun remained against my spine.
“They knew you stepped in as president, I don’t know how.
They asked about Royce during one of our meet ups, we always shoot the shit, ya know.
I talked about how she wanted my job. They told me to dangle it in front of her with the ultimatum.
My guess is they were using her to push you guys into a corner, but I’m telling you this because I don’t want any more blood on my hands. I’m showing goodwill, okay?”
“Who is we, Rodney?” The blade slid out as I gripped the handle. I needed to keep him talking, though.
“How about a little trade? You tell me where you buried money for the Hernandez family, and I’ll tell you who hired the Devils to come after you.”
“Was it Max?” I asked, mostly to gauge his reaction, but I was also curious if he’d tell me.
“Who the fuck is Max?”
Well shit. I had assumed this would all lead back to the fucker, but I guess not. Someone had hired them, and whoever it was knew that I had stepped in as president.
There was an echo of a motorcycle that reverberated from behind us, which I had to assume would catch Rodney off guard enough that he’d get distracted.
I rotated my shoulder, while spinning around and plunged the knife as deeply as I could into whatever I could get to.
Rodney shot his gun, but the bullet hit a nearby tree.
He fell backward as my knife hit its mark in his stomach.
Panic had his eyes widening and his breaths coming in short.
I kicked the gun away as I stood over him.
The pummel of the blade stuck out from his gut. If I pulled it out, he might bleed out.
Unfortunately for him, I didn’t have a conscience about this sort of thing.
I’d be the villain in Royce’s story in every lifetime if it meant I was the one who hurt whoever hurt her.
Smiling down at Royce’s boss, I yanked the knife out of his stomach, ignoring his cries of pain, and then shoved it into his chest.
“You piece of shit. You scared her, you left bruises on her arms, and then you fucking shot her.” I pulled the blade out again and then sank it into another part of his chest. His screaming faded as his voice became hoarse.
There were footsteps drawing closer to us, along with a motorcycle. I knew Killian had arrived, and possibly Silas. I didn’t look up as I locked my gaze on Rodney’s terrified expression.
“If I had more time to torture you, I’d take it.” With one last tug of the knife, I sank it into his throat for the final blow.
“Jesus, Ford.” Killian came to a running stop next to me. He had a gun drawn, but quickly slid it into his back waistband when he realized Rodney was the only threat.
“No one else?” Silas suddenly appeared, also holding a gun loosely pointed at the ground.
I shook my head. “He was taking her to the Murdoch Devils, it was a trap.”
Wiping my brow with the back of my sleeve, I leveled Killian with a firm stare. “You were right. They wanted me to attack. It was all a big fucking elaborate plan.”
I sank to my knees again, gently pulling Royce into my arms. She groaned, but turned in to my neck as I carried her out of the grove.
Killian followed close behind us, his voice breaking as he asked. “Where did he hurt her?”
“Bullet grazed her arm, she injured her head…and he manhandled her pretty rough, she’s got bruises already appearing on her arms.”
“Son of a bitch.” Killian spat.
Silas grumbled next to us. “Now I can see why you stabbed him so many times.”
Our strides were quick as we tried to get back to cottage. Killian asked, “How did you know where she was?”
“Rook called me, told me her bike was at the cottage.”
Silas quirked an eyebrow at me. A bit of silver had lightened his always pitch-black hair. He had crows feet near his eyes and a few more wrinkles than I remembered, but the same pale blue eyes, and that permanently pissed off expression.
“But you didn’t go to the cottage.”
I shifted Royce in my arms so she was higher, and I felt her nose graze my throat.
“When Royce was little, there was a hickory tree she loved going to. It was her go-to hide-and-seek spot, where she snuck off to when she went missing at six. Where she wanted us to stargaze and have meetings. I had an inkling she’d gone there.
Found her phone, and my cut, and then I heard her yell. ”
Killian was silent, but Silas laughed. “You saved her life, Ford. And only you would have known those things about her. Guess it all worked out in the end. I made a bet when you were about seven that you’d be the one to end up with her.
Thought I’d lose that bet too, but then Killian came up with that crazy plan to have Connor propose, and I knew that was the end of them. ”
I wasn’t sure what to say to all that. I didn’t care that there were people who bet on me ending up with her just as long as I did. Killian let out a small laugh. “Hey, I was desperate at the time. Ford was supposed to leave.”
Silas clapped me on the back as we approached two bikes and Killian’s truck.
“Well, it’s a fucking good thing you decided to stay.”
Yeah, now if I could just convince Royce of that.