Chapter 5

• Calum waved his hand in a circle telling him to do a circle of the area and check that it was still clear. “We’ll get the others loaded up.” He turned on his heel and went to the van behind them.
• “Emersyn,” Shaelan said in a soft voice, “I want to put an IV in, you’re very dehydrated.”
• Emersyn’s head snapped around to look at her. “I can’t—leave.” She shook her head, “I have to be here when he comes back...” She gave Noah a panicked look.
• He stood up slowly, “we’ll...”
• She jumped out of the van and hobbled toward Blair as he came out of the house. “Where is she?” She screamed at him, her voice cracking. “What have you done with her?” She reached him and threw herself at him.
• Blair caught her and held her, looking down at her with shock on his face.
• “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Emersyn pulled from his grasp and slid down him to drop at his feet. Grasping his pant leg, she sobbed, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” She looked up at him, “I’m trying. I really am.”
• The chain slid from Noah’s hand as he got up. No one else was moving. Blair looked around at everyone, a gobsmacked expression on his face. Noah started toward her slowly, not wanting to startle her.
• Blair bent forward, placing his hand on her shoulder, “Hey, it’s okay,” he crooned, “we’ll find her.”
• Emersyn jerked back like he’d hit her, and she scrambled to her feet. “You’re not him.” She put her hand over her mouth, a high pitch wailing coming from her throat. “Oh my god, you’re not him.” She spun, meeting Noah’s concerned look as he came up beside her, “how am I going to find her if I leave?”
• Noah looked at Blair, his expression said to fix this. If he had a clue, he would have gladly. “Emersyn, we’ll find your friend...”
• “My friend?” She gasped, “Aspyn is my daughter.” She jerked her head around and looked at Blair again, “I thought you were her father, I’m sorry.” She put her hand over her forehead, “I haven’t slept, I just,” she motioned to him, “in this light you look like him.”
• Noah watched all the color drain from Blair’s face. He looked from him to Calum who was moving toward them from the other side. Noah’s chest hurt, he felt lightheaded as the pieces fit together slowly in his head. His cat went from wary, to unsure then rage. She had a child. Someone had touched what was theirs.
• Gia and Shaelan rushed by him to reach Emersyn.
• “We’ll find her.” Gia said as she placed a hand on her shoulder, “trust me, these men will find her.”
• Emersyn looked at her and then to Shaelan, who was nodding and putting her arm around her for support.
• “We’ll find your daughter,” Shaelan said in a soft tone as her eyes flicked to her mate, telling him he had a new mission.
• The tears rolled down Emersyn’s cheeks, making her green eyes glisten like emerald gems. Noah sucked in air when he realized he’d been holding his breath. He watched the women lead her back to the van and help her inside it.
• “Fuck.” Blair hissed out a breath. “Lindon,” he said in a whisper.
• “Yeah,” Calum confirmed and then just stood there.
• Noah spun on his heel. He went over to the van and looked inside as he picked up the chain. Shaelan was putting the IV in Emersyn’s arm as Gia spoke to her in a quiet reassuring tone. Spinning on his heel, he walked to the other van that Webb and Sloane were standing beside. He meant to hand him the chain to stow in the vehicle, but as he reached it something inside him cracked wide open and he lifted the chain and brought it down on the van like he was wielding a whip. The sound of it hitting the metal only made his anger more intense as he did it again and again.
• “Hey,” Strong hands stopped his arm in mid-air.
• The fury blinding him cleared and he looked to see Blair yanking the chain from his hand.
• “It’s good, bud, we got her out.” He nodded, a wary look on his face.
• Noah jerked his arm out of his grip and stepped back, raising both hands in the air so he wouldn’t hit him or anything else. “It’s not good, Blair.” Noah shook his head, “not in any way.” He pointed to the van the women were in, “she’s, my mate.” He whispered it, momentarily shocked to say it out loud for the first time, he pointed to his chest, “these scars, these reminders,” he gave Calum a warning look to stay back, “I got these when I failed her years ago, when I tried to free her from this,” he slapped his hand toward the house, “vile place.” Each syllable was spat. “I. Failed. Her.” His voice cracked, “and now,” he looked at the men standing around him like they were going to try to subdue him, “I have to find her daughter that your dead brother fathered,” he huffed out a breath so fast his chest felt concaved, “against her will.” He whispered the last words and then just stood there looking at the van that she was inside. The expressions on the faces of those standing nowhere near him told him he had just broadcast that through his mic for all to hear. Panting, he stepped back. When his back hit the van, he slid down it to crouch on the ground. Dropping his head into his hands, he tried to remember how to breathe. His throat felt raw, his chest sent pains through his entire body. He was shaking so hard he couldn’t move.
• Someone peeled his hands from his face and held his look with fierce determination. It was Kobie squatting in front of him. She held his look with a level expression. “I can’t even grasp what you’ve been through,” she said in a hushed tone, “are going through.” She released his wrists and gave him a hard look, “but right now,” she pointed to the van, “she doesn’t need to see this.” Her soft tone changed, “right now, she needs to find strength in those around her.” She leaned back from him further, “you need to get up. Go to her and be her strength.” She nodded her head slowly.
• Noah sucked in a breath and nodded his head quickly, internally chastising himself to get his ass off the pavement and stand up. Calum walked away, his phone against his ear. Straightening to his full height, Noah took a deep breath and then nodded down at Kobie. He glanced at Blair, wanting to give him an apologetic look, but couldn’t find the emotion to do it. Bear held out a bottle of water to him, he took it and looked down at it. “Where would your brother take her?” He opened it and drank it down fast.
• “I don’t know, but we’ll find out.” Blair looked at Calum, then turned back to him. “He’s probably filing Devin in,” rubbing his hand through his hair, he sighed, “I guess questioning those that ran with Lindon would be a good place to start.”
• Noah crushed the empty bottle in his hand and held it out to Bear. “They better do that fast.” He turned to the van Emersyn was in, “before I do it.” With long strides, he walked to the van.
• “Change of plans.” Calum’s voice came through the earpiece. “Noah, Blair, and I will be going to a safe house, everyone else proceeds with original plans.”
• “Only Knox I can find in the registry isn’t in a local clan.” Illias’ voice sounded in Noah’s ear. “I’m just packing up. I’ll dig more after I move and get back to you.”
• Noah looked inside the van to see Emersyn leaning back in the seat, her eyes closed. Her black hair was hanging limp and unwashed around her face, the evidence of her lack of care and sleep was clear by the hallow darkened rings around her eyes, but despite that, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He climbed in quietly and sat on the seat the furthest from her.
• “She’ll be okay for now, until we get to the house,” Shaelan told him quietly, compassion bleeding from the expression on her face. “I’ll see you there.” She got out of the van and closed the door.
• The front doors opened, and Gia and Deacon climbed in at the same time. Gia adjusted the mirror and looked at him through it. Noah jerked his chin letting her know he had himself under control now.
• “All right, let’s get to the house,” she said in a light tone, “and get Emersyn a nice hot bath, and clean clothes.”
• Emersyn opened her eyes and looked at her, but she didn’t say a word in response. Turning her head, her gaze connected with him. There were no words he could speak to reassure her that her life was somehow better, that the past was gone, so he just held her look and hoped that she could understand, somehow, that he wouldn’t rest until her daughter was back in her arms and Tomas and all those responsible for the torments she’d suffered were erased from the planet’s population.