Page 55 of Defending A Promise
“What?” Riley yells as I grab her hand and drag her with me.
“Nicholas is at your parents’ house. Get in the truck.” I run around to the driver’s side as everyone jumps in their vehicles heading to the Ashford house.
Jax, Eli, and I beat the other police officers and detectives to Riley’s parent’s house as we all skid our tires into the driveway and onto the lawn. I turn to Riley as she’s about to get out of the truck. “No. You stay here.”
“I don’t fucking think so!” She jumps out of the truck and starts running for the front door.
Jax grabs her by the waist and pulls her behind my truck. “No. Riley. If you go running in there – you may get him killed.”
“You take the back. Dec and I’ll go in the front. Ready?” Eli says as we all pull out our weapons and check the chambers.
“Ready.”
“Go get my son, Declan. Bring him back to me.”
I kiss her lips, “Don’t move from here or I’ll handcuff you to the tailgate. Got it?” I threaten her.
“You’ve got two minutes. Then I’m right behind you,” she threatens right back to me.
“It won’t take that long,” Eli promises.
Jax circles behind the house as Eli and I position ourselves on either side of the front door. Jax clicks the mic two times telling us he’s in position.
I hold up my fingers, one, two, three. I kick in the door and go left as Eli goes right. The doorframe splinters into pieces as Jax bursts in through the back door.
“Police Department! Show me your hands!” We all yell in unison.
I see something that catches my eye down the hallway and the door to River’s old room slams closed.
I point with my weapon towards the door as Eli comes up behind me. As he crosses in front of my line of sight, I lower themuzzle to the ground, and we position ourselves again on either side of the bedroom door. Jax is clearing the rest of the house in case she’s not here alone.
“Police Department! Open the door and show me your hands!” I yell again.
A shot rings out and misses the both of us, putting a hole in the middle of the bedroom door.
“Roxanne, this is your last warning! Come out with your hands up!” Eli yells.
“Fuck you! He’s mine!” she yells back at us.
Eli kicks in the door and I go right as he goes left. Roxanne is sitting on the bed with Nicholas in her arms and he looks passed out. She’s got her head right along side of his with a gun to her temple.
“Get out or I’ll blow his brains out along with mine. I mean it. He’s mi…” A loud shot rings out and suddenly there’s blood all over the wall, bed, and Nicholas and a giant hole in the center of Roxanne’s forehead.
I look over at Eli, “You don’t fuck with my family.”
At that moment, we come to an understanding – she was a threat, and we eliminated that threat. End of story.
I holster my weapon and grab Nicholas. He feels like he’s on fire as I run through the house and out to the front lawn. Thankfully, the cavalry is here which includes EMS. Hudson and Kane have their stretcher out as I place Nicholas on it.
“Nicholas!” Riley cries out. “Oh god.” She covers her mouth with both hands.
“It’s not his blood.” I tell her as the relief overcomes her but it’s short lived.
As Kane gets the stretcher into the rescue unit Nicholas starts seizing. “He’s seizing!” he calls out.
“Get in. I’ll follow you.” I push Riley into the rescue unit and slam the doors, hitting it twice telling Hudson it’s safe to go. Iwatch the rescue unit, with their lights and sirens on, haul ass down the street and turn towards the hospital.
“Hayes!” Detective Kowalski calls after me as I’m climbing in my truck.
