My phone rings. “Doc, what’s up? Something wrong?”
“I need you to get to the hospital.” Dread fills my bones, wondering who in the riders has been hurt.
“Who’s hurt?”
“Beast is on his way to get you.” I leave the field and head to the front of the house and just as I pop off the ATV, Beast’s there, waiting for me.
Something isn’t right and my gut is telling me something’s wrong. “That was fast. What’s up?”
“Let’s go. Doc needs your help.” That’s nuts because I’m no damn physician, so there has to be another reason.
“Bullshit, something’s going on; tell me.”
“Do you recognize her?” He shows me his phone and it’s my Phoenix. Her hair has red highlights throughout, but it’s the obvious faded bruises on her face that draw my attention.
“What the hell?” I snarl,
“They found her two months ago without any identification on the side of the road, beaten and dehydrated. They got her to a hospital, but she doesn’t know who she is. Since she was running from someone the cops pulled her prints and came up with a PI who had been reported missing by her boss, but it wasn’t the name of the girl you were looking for.”
“What name was on the prints?”
“An Anabella Montez.”
“Do you think that’s the alias she was using while she was running?”
“Her real name is Phoenix Renee Carnigal Ryan, but I know her PI prints were labeled Angel Ryan. We know because we ran them back when she disappeared the first time.”
“Then she woke up and called out Raymond, but she didn’t know who she was. Doc told Cyber he could use his help, and he asked for a picture. As soon as it popped up, he called.”
“She’s alive. I need to find out who did this to her.”
Beast hands me a handkerchief and it’s then that I realize I’m crying. “It’s okay. I understand. Just remember, she might not remember you or anything. Give her time.”
“You say that like it’s fucking easy. I’ve done nothing but give her time. Too much time. I should have never stopped looking for her. Son of a bitch.” I slam my hands on his dashboard.
“It’s cool. Let it out now. I’m going to use all my powers inside the DA’s office to pull some strings and see what I can glean about her past, especially her former coworkers. I’ve learned those are the fuckers you have to watch out for the most.”
“That’s for sure.” My heart’s racing out of control as we inch closer to the hospital. Every second that ticks by seems too damn long.
Once we arrive, I’m met with Doc and Boomer. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought you could use some support.”
“What’s going on? What are you guys keeping from me?”
“She’s about six months pregnant.”
“I’m going to be a father.”
“Are you sure?” I nearly clock Boomer in the face when Beast has my biceps gripped tightly.
“I’m just asking. She could have been taken by her captor.”
“The baby’s mine. I don’t give a shit.” And I don’t. I’ll kill the bastard that did it, but I know even now I can’t turn my back on her.
“Raymond, my darling, you’re finally here.” She greets me as soon as I enter the room.
“Phoenix, I’ve missed you, baby.”
“They keep calling me that but my name is Angel.”
“Sweetheart, what happened to you?”
“I don’t know.” She sighs, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m sleepy.” She falls asleep quickly and I turn to Doc.
“What the hell is going on?”
“She probably has retrograde amnesia from the blows to the head. Thankfully, she protected the baby as best as she could because without proper medical care right away they both would have been dead.”
“Where was she found?”
“She was roaming outside in the farmland between here and Dallas. A worker found her and called for assistance.”
“And she’s been here for how long?”
“Two months. We had no idea that she was the woman you were looking for. I swear if I’d known I would have contacted you, but the Dallas PD labeled her a Jane Doe for her safety.”
“Thanks, Doc. I’ll stay with her.”
“Of course.”
“I’m Detective Mirabel; I need to speak with Ms. Ryan.”
I stand and turn toward the female detective, feeling my wrath grow. When she looks dead at me with suspicion. “Who are you, sir?”
“I’m her fiancé. I’ve been looking for her for six fucking months. Now you better have some leads on what happened to her or get out of here because she needs her rest and I haven’t seen her in so damn long.”
“I’ll come back later.” She looks at the cop at the door. “Keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I mentally flip her off and then turn my focus back to where it belongs, my angel. She needed me and I wasn’t there. I press my head to her mattress and pray for her to get better. A terrible dream haunts me as I picture all the bad things that could have happened or did. Then the soft whisper of her voice reaches my ears, waking me.