Page 34 of Securing His Family

As if he could see what she was thinking, Patrick touched his pocket where she knew he’d put the gun.

“Get in,” he repeated. “Don’t make me ask you again. Especially if you want your daughter to live.”

Lauren got in the car.

ChapterFourteen

Reed was aware of people talking around him. Calling his name and him wanting to answer but unable to. Hands touching and probing. Him groaning in pain as they touched his leg and then the blessed blackness was back. In the darkness he could feel no pain, but his mind was telling him he needed to fight it. To wake up because someone needed him. There was something important he needed to say, to do, but the heaviness around him wouldn’t let him.

Eventually his awareness began to return. Slivers of pain became more prominent. The weight that had been pressing down on him lifting until he felt like he could breathe easier, even though it hurt.

He shifted and groaned as the movement sent a shaft of fire along his side. “Take it easy, Reed.”

Steve.

He recognized his boss’s voice and willed his eyes to open—they did, but just enough to let a little bit of light in and to see the outline of his boss. “What?” He licked his dry lips. A second later a paper straw rested against his mouth and he took a tiny sip, knowing instinctively that any more wouldn’t be a good idea. It was enough. “What. Happened?”

“How much do you remember?”

Reed’s brain was foggy. Yet there was still the urgency that he needed to say something. Do something. Be with someone. His brain wasn’t letting him know that information. “Not much.”

“You were shot in the leg and the stomach. The bullet in the leg went clean through. The other nicked your kidney and spleen. They were able to get the bullet out. You’re going to be sore for a while but will make a full recovery.”

His addled brain took all that in, but still something was missing. “Who?” he asked, knowing that Steve would know what he was asking.

“Patrick.”

That was all it took for the cloud to clear away and for everything to come back in startling clarity. The kisses he and Lauren had shared. The anticipation of the drive back to his house knowing that he was going to be able to explore her body. The anger at himself for being so caught up with his feelings for Lauren that he didn’tfeelthe danger behind him. Then everything went hazy again. But Lauren crying his name echoed in his brain, as if she was standing right beside him calling out to him.

“Where’s Lauren?” he demanded, although not sounding too forceful considering he was still drugged up to the eyeballs.

Silence met his question and he knew without Steve having to say anything, that Patrick had her. Of course he did, the asshole shot him in his own driveway. There was no way Patrick was going to let Lauren get away. Not after Patrick had eliminated the only person with any skills to prevent it.

“He took her,” Steve said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get there quick enough. I saw Patrick turn up and was on my way to you. I arrived too late to stop him.”

One thing Reed knew about his boss was that he took any failures hard, and the fact that he hadn’t got to his house in time to prevent any of it no doubt sat heavy with Steve.

“Pretty sure if you hadn’t got to me when you did, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Again Steve’s silence confirmed it without words.

“Charlee?” he asked, hoping that Steve had gotten a message to Andy in time for him to grab the girl and put her somewhere safe.

“With Lauren.”

“Fuck! I need to get out of here.” Reed tried to remove the blanket’s covering him but his arm wasn’t obeying his mind.

Tiredness pervaded every one of his pores. He tried to fight it but he’d exerted too much energy talking. The darkness tempted him again, and he couldn’t ignore the call. He’d close his eyes for a few minutes. Let his body regroup and then when he woke again he’d get up and save Lauren, because a life without her wasn’t one he wanted to live.

* * *

Sunlight batted gently against his eyelids, as if encouraging him to wake up. Reed took a couple of seconds to mentally test his body. To see how it was feeling. He knew what he needed to do. He had to get up and find Lauren and Charlee.

How long had he been out?

“Eight hours.”

His eyes flicked open at the sound of a feminine voice. For a moment he thought it was Lauren, but she didn’t have the same sweet tone that belonged to Lauren. “Hey Tabby,” he croaked. “Guess I said that out loud, huh?”

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