46. Theo

As we tear through the winding roads, racing to get to Eva before it's too late, the engine"s roar punctuates the tense silence within the car. My hands grip the steering wheel with a white-knuckled intensity, every nerve in my body electrified with urgency.

Ryder and Oliver sit beside me, their faces etched with a mixture of the same determination and fear mirrored in my own. We share a common purpose—to rescue Eva from Declan's clutches, but the uncertainty gnaws at my insides like a ravenous beast.

My mind races with a barrage of questions, each more harrowing than the last. Has Declan harmed her? Is she safe? And what about the baby? Panic threatens to consume me whole, but I force myself to maintain a fa?ade of composure.

Outside the window, the darkness stretches endlessly, a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me. If we can't find Eva at the cabin, I don't know what I'm going to do. She has to be there.

"She's there," Ryder says, as if reading my thoughts. "We're going to find her, and we're going to get her back, Theo."

"Let us take care of Declan," Oliver says, the road speeding past us as we push the car to its limits.

"We can handle him. You get Eva," Ryder agrees. "She needs someone to get her out of there. You've already done so much for our family today. Let us help you."

"Yeah, you stood up to the DeLuccis for us all and fought side-by-side with us," Oliver points out. "If you hadn't gotten everyone rallied together, the DeLuccis would have taken over the territory and killed us all."

I feel a little better, but even still, as we pull up to the secluded cabin, the tension in the air is palpable.

Readying ourselves for the oncoming fight, we jump out of the car and approach the cabin, ready for whatever awaits us inside.

I take the lead, my jaw clenched in determination. As I burst through the door, Declan is standing in the center of the room, a sinister smile on his lips. The cabin is dimly lit for early afternoon and smells dusty, as though no one has been here in a long time. I can see now why Declan chose this place.

"You"re too late," Declan sneers, his voice dripping with contempt. "I"ve already won. I killed Marcus, and now I"ll finish what I started by killing you."

My eyes narrow, fists clenched at my sides. "You"re a coward, Declan. Attacking a pregnant woman? You"re lower than I even thought possible."

Declan chuckles darkly, raising a gun in his hand. "You should have stayed out of my way. Your precious girlfriend is already dead, boys."

My heart sinks like a stone in my chest, a wave of despair crashing over me. In a blind rage, I lunge at Declan, my fists raining down on him with ferocious intensity. But then, I hear something that stops me dead in my tracks.

Muffled screams coming from the bedroom.

My eyes widen in disbelief, my mind racing with a newfound hope. I break free from Declan"s grasp and rush toward the bedroom, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Eva!" I shout, my voice raw with desperation. "Eva, are you in there?"

As I throw open the door, relief floods through me like a tidal wave. There she is, bound and gagged but alive, her eyes wide with fear and desperation.

My chest tightens with emotion as I rush to her side, frantically working to free her from her restraints. "Hang on, Eva," I whisper, my voice choked with emotion. "We"re getting out of here."

I scoop her up in my arms, holding her to my chest as the sound of Declan fighting Ryder and Oliver in the next room reaches our ears.

Eva hugs tightly onto me, a moan escaping her. I look down, concerned she's injured, but her brow is damp with sweat and she looks as pale as a ghost.

"Eva, are you alright?" I ask, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Theo, help," she cries out, grabbing at my shirt. "The baby, she's coming!"

"It's too early!" I say, my eyes widening with real panic. "It's like… a month early!"

"I felt the pain start when Declan took me away," she says, panting through a contraction. "But I thought it was false labor. That can happen."

"How do you know it's labor, then?" I press, trying to keep my composure.

"My water broke," she admits. My eyes widen.

"We need to get you to the hospital," I tell her. "Urgently. I don't even know if there is one out here. We're so far from the city."

"Get Oliver," Eva huffs out. "He knows who my doctor is. He's been to my appointments."

I leave Eva on the bed and peek my head out of the room to see that Declan is still holding his own against Ryder and Oliver.

"Oliver!" I yell, drawing his attention away. Ryder steps in to block a punch from Declan, and Oliver rushes over to us.

"Eva is in labor," I explain in a rush. "We need to get her to the hospital."

"Call my doctor," Eva says, arching her back as another contraction hits.

"Shit!" Oliver exclaims. "Okay, just sit tight, baby. We'll take care of everything."

"Ryder," I call out. "We can't do this right now. Eva is in labor!"

Declan lunges for Ryder, but Ryder dodges him and sidesteps, swinging his fist out to connect with Declan's cheek. The man stumbles backward, letting out a grunt of pain.

"Fucking hell," Ryder curses. "Now, of all times?"

"It's not my fault your daughter is ready to see you guys," Eva protests, laughing weakly before tensing again.

Declan uses the opportunity to escape, rushing past Ryder and out the door of the cabin. Ryder moves to go after him, but I grab him by the wrist. "We have to let him go," I say.

Ryder exhales, anger bleeding out of him as he stares after Declan's retreating form. "Okay," he says, resigned. "Let's get Eva and go."

I rush back to the room and pick Eva up again, carrying her out to the car.

The tension in the car is palpable as we speed away from the cabin, the urgency of the situation clear to us all. Eva sits in the backseat, her face contorted with pain as she grips my hand tightly, fingers like a vise.

"You can do this," I urge, my voice laced with concern. "Don't let our baby come out while Ryder is driving, or she'll be a little road maniac." Eva gives me a wet laugh, then tightens her grip again as another contraction hits.

Ryder"s hands tighten around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white with the strain. "Have we discussed names yet?" he asks, trying to help distract Eva. "Declan is right out the window, for the record."

Oliver sits on the other side of Eva, propping her up and massaging her back. "How about Courtney?" he offers. Eva makes a face. "Elsa?"

"You're terrible at this," I tell him. "How about Alice or Grace?"

"Is she fifty years old already?" Ryder says, sarcasm cutting through the tension.

We do our best to keep up a steady stream of banter about girl names as we race through the winding roads, the city lights twinkling in the distance like beacons of hope. But with each passing moment, the fear gnaws at the edges of my mind, threatening to consume me.

Will we make it on time? We're so far away. What happens if we have to stop so Eva can push? But finally, we pull up to the hospital entrance, and relief floods through me like a tidal wave. We rush Eva inside, the medical staff springing into action to tend to her.

I stand there, watching helplessly as they wheel Eva away. A single thought consumes my mind—please, let them both be okay.

Ryder and Oliver stand with me, wearing identical looks of concern and apprehension. "Someone needs to go be with her," Ryder mutters.

"I've got this," Oliver insists. "You need to get Aunt Bridget, and you" —he looks at me— "find Daniel. See if there's still a chance that we can track Declan."

"But…" I protest, and Oliver shakes his head.

"Even with how close together her contractions were, labor can still take a while. It's better for Eva if we don't all crowd the room with her right now. I'll call you the second there's any new information to be had. Go!"

Realizing he's right, I head out, Ryder following behind me.

"Eva will be okay now," Ryder tells me, noticing the way I'm clenching my jaw as we get into the car. "You look like you're about to snap the steering wheel in half. We have jobs to do. Now let's focus and get this done. We need to keep our minds off things for now. Oliver promised he'll tell us if there's anything to know."

Once I drop Ryder off at Shadowvale, I take off back into the city to talk to Daniel. If I can't be there to physically comfort and protect Eva while she labors, I can certainly protect her by taking down the scumbag who tried to end her life.

A sense of determination drives me forward. This may be our toughest challenge yet, and my energy may be flagging, but I'll stop at nothing to ensure the safety of my family.