Chapter 47

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

In the blink of an eye, Dare surveyed the scene before him. A man—Joel, he presumed—lay sprawled on the floor in a pool of dark blood. A few feet away, Ainsley lay on the floor next to the kitchen table, a second man suspended over her.

Wade.

Blood covered his torso, and fear stilled Dare’s heart as the man reached for her. Dare didn’t think twice. He leveled the pistol at the man and fired twice. His body jerked and his eyes flew wide with surprise as the rounds pierced his torso. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. For an interminable moment, he wavered in the air before slumping forward.

Ainsley shrieked as the man landed heavily on top of her, and Dare leaped around the table, reaching them in two long strides. Cam got there first, and he yanked Wade off her, dragging him to the side to check his pulse.

Dare pulled her into his arms, and she cried out as she struggled against him, her mind still processing whatever had happened. He relaxed his hold, using words instead to cut through her fear.

“Ainsley. Ainsley! It’s just me, honey. It’s Dare.” He knelt beside her and coaxed her closer. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to get you out of here.”

He met Cam’s gaze over her head, and the man gave a quick shake of his head before sprinting back toward the living room. Dare heard the radio crackle to life as Cam called in the incident, and he turned his focus back to Ainsley.

Her pants lay discarded on the floor, and her entire body was smeared with blood. What remained of her shirt was torn and bloody, leaving her torso completely exposed. He pulled the edges together and eased her into his arms, then carried her outside, away from the two dead men. She remained rigid in his arms, her face pale, her pulse beating rapidly under his touch. Her eyes were still wide and he gently rested her against the side of the house, recognizing the first signs of shock.

He spoke quietly as his hands skimmed over her, searching for the source of the blood. “Are you hurt, sweetheart?”

She shook her head, a note of hysteria tinging her voice. “Where’s Kinley? I need?—”

Cam hadn’t reappeared yet, which didn’t bode well. He hoped to hell Kinley was okay, but Ainsley had been through enough already. He didn’t want to worry her even more. “Cam is with her,” he said quietly. “He needs to be with her right now.”

She nodded a little and another shudder racked her body. Dare kissed the top of her head. “Stay here. I’ll going to get something to cover you up.”

Dare swiftly moved into the kitchen, skirting the mens bodies. His gaze dropped to a knife lying on the floor, the blade covered in dark blood. He glanced over at Wade, his eyes wide and vacant as he stared sightlessly at the ceiling.

From this angle, Dare could see the vicious slash at the base of the man’s neck. His jaw clenched as his glare skated over Joel’s prone form. God, how he wanted to make him suffer for everything he’d put Ainsley through. He’d tried to hurt her and had paid the ultimate price. Dare couldn’t even bring himself to be upset about it.

He moved into the living room, his gaze sweeping over Cam who knelt next to Kinley, one hand wrapped around hers, the other holding a blanket to her head.

“How is she?”

Cam barely glanced up at him. “Not good.”

Dare didn’t press for more. He grabbed another blanket and made his way back to Ainsley, whose eyes were closed, her head tilted to the side. He scooped her up, wrapping the blanket around her and settling her in his lap.

Ainsley lay against him, limp and exhausted, silent except for her shallow breathing, and he could practically feel the energy drain from her body. He knew the feeling, coming down from an adrenaline rush like that, but the sound of approaching sirens meant their ordeal was far from over.

He briefly closed his eyes, thanking every deity known to man that Ainsley was okay. Dipping his head, he spoke softly in her ear. “You still with me, honey?”

Her head bobbed in an infinitesimal nod and he kissed her temple. “The ambulance is here. They’re going to take you to the hospital.”

Her eyes popped open at his words and she clutched his arm. “No! I don’t want to go. Don’t let them take me.”

His heart broke at her desperate plea and he hugged her tight. “No one will ever take you away from me. I’ll never let that happen.” He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. “Never. You get me?”

After what felt like forever, she finally nodded.

He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. “You need to go to the hospital, sweetheart. But I’ll be right beside you, I promise.”

Dare mentally tracked the EMTs as they stepped inside and assessed the situation. Antonio appeared in the doorway a moment later, his gaze zeroing in on Ainsley where she was curled in Dare’s lap.

He cautiously squatted next to her and offered a small smile. “We need to stop meeting like this.”

Ainsley tried for a smile, but it fell flat. Antonio’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. “Any injuries?”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. How’s my sister?”

“My partners are getting her loaded up right now so we can get her to the hospital and check her out.”

He flicked a glance at Dare, imparting what he didn’t want to say in front of Ainsley. Kinley was in much worse shape than Ainsley, so they were taking care of her first.

He turned another soft smile on Ainsley. “While they get her taken care of, I’m going to take your vitals, okay?”

Dare reluctantly turned Ainsley over to him, staying close to keep her calm. Antonio spoke as he worked, his movements quick and efficient.

The deputies not working with Lindsey Gills’s search party showed up and began to secure the scene. Dare extricated himself from Ainsley long enough to speak with Forester. “I’m going to ride with her to the hospital, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

The deputy dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Take your time, boss. You should be with her right now.”

The next hour was a whirlwind of activity as they sped to the local hospital and both Ainsley and Kinley were admitted to the ER. Dare called Sawyer and Yvonne to fill them in on what had happened and let them know that he and Cam would be tied up at the hospital for a while.

Dare took a seat in the waiting room, his leg bouncing nervously, eyes darting every few seconds to the large grey double doors that opened into the emergency room. Next to him, Cam sat with his head in his hands.

Dare settled a hand on his shoulder. “She’s going to be okay.”

Cam shook his head, then leaned back and stared at the wall across from them. “It’s bad,” he whispered. “There was so much blood…”

Dare strove for confidence. “Head wounds always bleed like a bitch. They’ll make sure she gets the best care.”

“What if…?” Cam trailed off and glanced away.

Dare didn’t have the answer to that. All he could do was hope for the best.

Ainsley’s parents arrived, looking haggard but hopeful, and Dare quickly explained what happened. Charlene took a seat next to Cam and Dare watched as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. His chest tightened at the sight. He knew Cam was closer to Kinley than his own family, and if something happened to her… It would kill him.

Garrett Layne held a hand out to Dare, his expression a mixture of worry and gratitude. “Thank you for helping my girls.”

Dare slipped his palm into the other man’s for a firm shake. “My pleasure, sir.”

A striking blonde strolled in next, and Dare immediately recognized the youngest daughter, Brynlee. He’d only seen her a couple of times, but there was no denying she was part of the Layne family with her golden hair and cerulean eyes.

Worry pinched her features as she moved toward them and dropped into the seat next to her mother. “How are they?”

“We’re still waiting,” Charlene replied. “Hopefully it won’t be long now.”

Every time the door opened and a nurse called someone’s name, his patience frayed a little more. He was almost down to his last nerve.

Restless, needing to move, he paced the length of the room. Waiting was excruciating, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to relax until he could see Ainsley again for himself, and he knew Cam was ready to break down the doors to get to Kinley.

A quick glance down at his uniform smeared with Ainsley’s blood had his blood boiling again. He ran a hand over the dark brown stains, his anxiety ratcheting tenfold. He needed to see her, just for a second, just to make sure she really was okay.

He glanced at his watch and grimaced. Goddamn it. He needed to get back to Kinley’s house and relieve the others.

“You holding up okay?”

Dare glanced over at Garrett Layne. “I was hoping to see her by now.”

Mr. Layne nodded. “If you need to go, we’ll understand.”

He was torn. He hated to leave Ainsley here alone, but she had her family to wait with her until he got back.

“If it weren’t absolutely necessary…”

“I understand.” Mr. Layne dipped his head. “I’ll call you as soon as I hear something.”

Relief rushed through him. “Thank you, sir.”

“No need to thank me.” Garrett placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just get back to her when you can.”

“Yes, sir.” Dare excused himself then made his way over to Cam. He crouched next to him and spoke quietly. “I’m headed back to Kinley’s house. You can wait here, but if you need something to do…”

Cam jumped to his feet, eager to do something to keep his mind off the woman in the other room. “Let’s go.”

Dare nodded to Mr. Layne once more, then left the hospital, Cam at his side. They had a few loose ends to tie up, and he wanted to get it over with sooner rather than later so he could get back to the woman he loved.