Rugged Daddy

“You know what we want,” Boss said. “A life for a life.”

“You took my brother’s life. I didn’t take one of yours. Doesn’t sound like we’re even to me.”

“Your brother took our money, so we took his life. That was even. But you decided to lash out against our family, and no one gets away with that. You beat him within an inch of his life, so you owe us one in return.”

I furrowed my brow as my vision began to clear. “Boss” started chuckling, a disgusting sound I’d never rid myself of. I tried to move ag

ain, and the man pressed the gun deeper into my skin, causing me to whimper.

“Get the fuck away from her, she’s got nothing to do with this,” Cameron said.

“You might not have killed my guy, but you did a number on him. He was in the hospital for months. Needed a great deal of reconstructive surgery. I guess that’s why you don’t recognize the man holding the gun to your girlfriend.”

My blood froze as Cameron looked over at me. I watched his face fall and his eyes harden.

“You,” Cameron said.

“Me,” the man behind me said with a smile.

“You don’t want a life for a life, then,” Cameron said. “You want to make an example out of me.”

“What can I say?” Boss said. “Can I do it now, boss?” the man behind me asked.

He pressed the gun so far into my neck, I began to choke. My forehead fell to the ground and tears streamed down my cheeks. I refused to cry out loud. I refused to give them the satisfaction. But I was so scared, and I had no idea if my child was okay, and I didn't know if they were going to kill Cameron or me or both of us.

I had no idea how he was so calm and collected.

Too many beats of silence passed, and I grew worried. But then, cracks filled the air. Crunches rained down on my ears, and I heard something dropping to the ground. The gun moved from my neck, and a gunshot rang out before the man stepped over me. I shivered with fear as I dared to peek out from beyond the dirt I’d buried myself into.

And what I saw was incredible.

Cameron, all by himself, took on every single one of those men. He dodged the bullets the guy was shooting at him while dislocating shoulders and breaking ribs. He thrust the heel of his palm up into the nose of the man he’d beaten up that night years earlier, and I watched the man fall to the ground with his hands on his face. Cameron kicked the gun off to the side before jamming his elbow into Boss, relieving him of air to breathe before Cameron kneed him in his face. He walked around the black car and dragged someone out of it, and I watched a gun clatter to the ground. They fought and struggled behind the open door before I saw Cameron ram the man’s face into the corner of it, dropping him to the ground as well.

All of them were unconscious in a matter of a few minutes. Cameron strode over to me.

“Heather. Are you all right?”

He helped me up as I stumbled into his arms.

“I’m okay,” I said, coughing. “I’m okay.”

“Are you hurt?” His hands roamed my body as I looked up into his face.

“No,” I said. “Thanks to you, I’m not hurt.”

Then, I caught movement behind his body. “Cameron, look out!”

He shoved me into his truck and slammed the door before a gunshot rang out. I screamed in holy terror as I curled myself up into a ball. I knew he was shot. I just knew they’d killed him.

Then I heard someone scream. “Put your hands where I can see them and get on the ground. On the ground! Now! Drop the weapon!”

I heard the truck door open as a familiar pair of hands fell to my legs. I felt myself being tugged to the edge of the seat, and I fell into Cameron’s strong embrace. He held me close, shielding my body with his as we used the truck to take cover. I fisted his shirt and buried my face into his neck as he talked low into my ear to try and drown out the firefight.

“Hudson’s here. SWAT’s here. Everything’s going to be okay. They can’t hurt us any longer. We’re fine. You’re fine. And once we get you back to the doctor, I’m sure our child will be fine too. You were so brave for me, Heather. I’m so proud of you. Don’t open your eyes. Don’t look. It’s almost over.”

The shooting stopped and footsteps fell toward the truck. A fear unlike anything I’d ever experience filled my body. My mind spun out of control. I fisted the fabric of Cameron’s shirt so hard, I couldn't feel my fingers. My head hurt from the crying, and my throat hurt from all the dust I had inhaled. My lungs spasmed to get the dirt up, and my body wouldn’t stop shaking.

I no longer had control of anything. My body could no longer handle the stress, and the last thing I remembered was Cameron murmuring a phrase in my ear I’d wanted to hear him say from the beginning.