Chapter 4

• “What are we looking at?” Bear came bounding down the stairs. “What the fuck.” He came over and looked at the chain attached to the wall. Picking up the chain, he looked down at Noah, “watch this doesn’t fly out and smack her.”
• Noah jolted into action and quickly knelt on the cot, placing his back between her and the wall. If the chain went wild, it would hit him and not her. He looked down at the dark hair of the woman and wanted to reach out and touch it, do something, offer her a silent apology for failing her years before. He couldn’t believe she was still here in this house. They never stayed here long.
• “Okay, here we go. Just hope it’s not reinforced on the other side.” Bear’s voice was low and focused.
• Noah heard the wall give way to the force of the man standing beside him and then the chain clatter to the floor.
• “Three women and children coming out.” Konner’s voice startled him; Noah had forgotten what was happening outside of this space.
• “We’ll get the chain off once we’re outside.” Bear stepped back and then looked down at her, “can you walk?” He moved closer.
• Noah got off the cot and placed himself between her and the other male. “Go help outside.” He barked at him.
• Bear shrugged and turned without comment. “We’re going to need to get the chain off her ankle.” He said into the mic.
• “Bring her out, I’ll deal with it.” That was Deacon’s voice.
• Noah looked down to see those green eyes focused on him.
• “Wait, you’re taking me out of here?” She stood up and then winced in pain when the weight was on her ankle.
• Noah grabbed the chain off the floor and wrapped it over his arm, and then bent and scooped her up into his arms. His cat started moving inside him, in a way that made him think it was trying to get closer to her. He didn’t have time to figure it out, he had to get her out of here.
• She wrapped her arms around his neck, but still held herself stiff. “I can’t leave.” Her voice shook, “I have to know where Aspyn is.”
• He moved up the stairs, in an awkward way, they weren’t very wide. “The others are being brought out.”
• “Is she here? Did they find her?”
• The panic in her tone felt like razors slicing into him. He stopped at the top of the stairs, bracing himself with his shoulder, and hit the button on his earpiece. “Is one of them named Aspyn?” He asked and then started to walk through the house to the front door.
• “Just getting names now,” Kobie said in reply.
• “Doing the last sweep, looking for secret doors and shit.” Blair’s voice came over the mic.
• “No Aspyn.”
• Noah clenched his jaw, he didn’t know who Aspyn was, but he’d find her. Anyone that had helped her to get through this was now important to him. “What’s your name?” He’d almost forgotten that was one of the first things they were supposed to find out.
• “Emersyn.” She said quickly, “uh, Knox. Emersyn Knox.”
• The way she said it, he knew she hadn’t used her own last name in a long time.
• He turned to fit through the front door. “Emersyn Knox.” He said it over the mic.
• Deacon came jogging toward them as he went down the driveway. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.” He hunched down so he could look at the lock holding the chain around her ankle. “I can do that.” He motioned to the van where Shaelan stood. “Get her sitting and I’ll get this lock off.”
• ​Noah didn’t want to let go of her; he didn’t want the other males near her. His teeth were clenched so tight, it hurt as he forced his body to move to the van and set her in the doorway.
• “I want to start an IV as soon as you get that off.” Shaelan’s voice broke through and the state of her health took precedence over the war inside him. A war he didn’t know how to fight.
• Deacon turned to Gia, “I need something fine and...”
• “Oh, I know.” She turned and darted toward her van.
• Noah was crouched down beside her, still holding the weight of the chain in his hands. He picked up her foot and gently rested it on his knee. Emersyn was looking around at the others, clearly searching for this Aspyn.
• “The house is clear.” Blair’s said over the coms.
• He looked at her again, wanting to tell her, but he was afraid to with the panic on her face. Grinding his teeth, he kept his mouth shut. He wanted the chain off and her to at least be in Shaelan’s care before he told her Aspyn wasn’t here.
• “Okay, here we go.” Deacon knelt beside him and leaned over her foot.
• “That’s a handy skill.”
• Noah turned to see Calum smirking as he watched Deacon without pause pick the lock attaching the chain to her ankle.
• “It wasn’t until now.” Deacon said slowly as he focused on the lock.
• When the weight of the chain in his hand changed, Noah looked to see if she was free.
• “I need five minutes,” Shaelan said to no one in particular.
• Noah turned to see Creed was still perched on top of the house.