Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

ROURK

When I kick in the door, there's a flash of dark hair and then I see the glint of a knife. Somehow I manage to block the arm as it swings in my direction, and that's when Karmen sees it's me.

"Daddy," she sobs, and the knife clatters to the floor as she leaps into my arms.

I hold her close as she wraps her arms and legs around me, and I bury my face in her neck. "It's okay. I'm here. I've got you," I whisper and then look into her eyes. "We need to get you out of here. Can you walk?"

She quickly nods as she wipes away the tears. "He's got a gun."

"Stay behind me," I tell her and pull her close.

Maxim comes around the corner, and he has his gun pointed toward the front of the building. "He went that way."

"I need to get her out of here," I say, but Karmen is already shaking her head.

"I'm not leaving here without you," she says, and I'm torn between telling her to run outside and taking care of Andrew.

A woman wails from the front of the building and then there's a loud crash. That makes the decision for us, and we go running toward the sounds. When we get to the main part of the warehouse, I see Andrew holding a metal pipe above his head and Karmen's mother slumped on the concrete floor. Blood is spreading out around her head, but her eyes are wide and staring into the distance. Even from here, I can see the life is draining out of her to the point that she can't be saved.

Karmen gasps at the sight, and Andrew turns in our direction. As soon as he realizes what's happening, he drops the pipe. It clatters to the ground, and he reaches into the waistband of his pants right as I turn my gun on him.

I manage to get off two shots in his chest before he can pull his gun out. He stumbles back and then coughs, sending blood down the front of his shirt. In the distance, there are sirens, and I know that Detective Webb and her team are close.

Andrew falls to his knees yet he still reaches in the direction of Karmen as I walk over toward him and raise my gun.

"My-my precio?—"

The bullet between his eyes stops him from saying anything more as he falls over dead. "Good riddance," I say before I kick him in the balls for good measure. It's too bad I can't drag it out a little longer, but I knew I needed to have it finished before the cops showed up.

"Rourk?" I hear Karmen's soft voice say, and I turn to see her watching all of this.

I'm terrified of how she'll see me after this, but to my relief, she runs straight into my arms. This time when I hold on to her, I don't let go. The danger is over, and she's safe.

"I love you so much," I tell her as I wrap her in my arms. "I couldn't let anything happen to you. I had to make sure he would never hurt you again."

"I love you too," she sobs as I kiss away her tears. "Thank you for saving me."

"You good?" Maxim says, and I look up at him.

"Thanks for helping save my girl," I tell him, and he shrugs like it's no big deal.

"Anytime." With that, he goes to the front entrance and opens it up.

I can hear the sirens of the vehicles as they pull up, and I look into Karmen's eyes. "They are going to ask you a lot of questions about what happened here. I need you to be brave for me. Okay?"

"Okay," she agrees and glances at the bodies. "I'll tell them how he ran at you and you had no choice but to shoot him."

"That's my good girl," I say and kiss her forehead. "As soon as this is over, I'm taking you home, and then I'm never going to let you go."

"I think I like the sound of that," she says, and she puts her face against my neck. "Especially the part about going home with you."

"That's what I was doing before all this happened. Before you were taken."

"What?" she asks, looking confused.

"I was getting all the paperwork in order with the lawyer. I put your name on my house and had him add you to all my bank accounts. I wanted to set up our lives so that when you left the asylum, you could live with me. My plan was to come get you and take you home. Then all this happened."

"And you saved me," she says.

"You're mine, Karmen, and I'm never letting you go." I brush my lips against hers, and we're lost in the kiss when I hear the police enter the building.