Craving Cecilia (The Aces' Sons 6)

“She’s trying to get to Olive,” Lu said hoarsely, her tone one I hadn’t heard before. “Mark, stop. Just let her get to the baby.”

By the time I reached the bed, my knees felt bruised and my hands were red and dirty, but I didn’t even notice as I pulled Olive gently onto the floor with me. Scooting on my ass, I pressed us into the corner between the bed and the wall and let out a long breath of relief.

“Don’t,” my mom said to someone in the living room. She’d placed herself in the doorway, keeping everyone out. “I’ve seen this before.” Her voice broke. “If one of you steps inside that room, you won’t be coming out on your own two feet.”

“Ladybug?” my dad said in confusion.

“Callie almost shot Grease when he tried to get to her,” my mom said, her voice low. “You have no idea what a wounded animal will do when it’s cornered. Give her a minute to breathe.”

I lifted my head to look across the bed. My pistol was in my purse on the opposite side of the room. I calculated how long it would take me to get there and back while holding Olive and decided it was too risky. As long as we were quiet, we were safe in the corner. The minute we moved, we’d be in danger again.

Chapter 16

Mark

I stared at Farrah guarding the bedroom door. I could make it past her—I was fast and she wasn’t expecting it—but the minute I got inside, I knew Casper would be dragging me back out. He wouldn’t be pleased that I’d manhandled his wife or ignored her orders. I silently debated back and forth whether or not the drama would be worth it, and eventually came to the conclusion that it would make an already fucked up situation a hundred times worse.

I couldn’t believe the way Cecilia had snapped. One second, she was standing in my arms listening to me talk, and the next she’d been on the floor like she was dodging bullets. I’d never seen anything like it.

We’d done rescues before where the people were seriously fucked up. Tortured, brainwashed, the whole nine yards—but I’d never seen anyone snap the way Cecilia just had. I’d known it was coming, that eventually she’d hit her breaking point, but I still hadn’t been prepared for it.

“How long am I supposed to wait?” I asked Farrah flatly, watching Cecilia over her shoulder.

“Give her a minute,” she said stubbornly.

“Five,” I replied. “Five minutes, and then I’m going in there.”

Casper huffed.

“I’ll go through both of you if I have to,” I told him quietly. I respected the man, and I liked him, but there wasn’t a single person on the earth that would keep me away from Cecilia. Not even her parents.

“Didn’t see a thing,” Cam said as he came back in the house. “It’s quiet out there.”

“Don’t think she was respondin’ to a threat,” Casper said wearily. “Least not one anyone else can see.”

“I’m gonna need to check those stitches,” Forrest said apologetically. “She might have ripped a couple open.”

“I’ll check,” I told him, still watching CeeCee. My skin felt tight as I crossed my arms over my chest. It had to have been the longest five minutes of my life. “No one goes in there but me.”

“Wait a second,” Cam started to argue.

“Leave it,” Casper ordered. “If that was Trix in there, you’d be sayin’ the same damn thing.”

“Not the same, and you know it,” Cam shot back. “I didn’t leave Trix and completely fuck up her life.”

“You did plenty,” Casper replied calmly. “And if I remember right, you weren’t real pleased when Dragon put himself in the middle of that mess.”

“Dragon?” Eli whispered in disbelief. “I need a fucking nickname.”

“None of this is helping,” Farrah said in exasperation. She stepped to the side. “Go ahead,” she told me.

She’d barely gotten the words out before I was striding past her into the room. I slowed as I got closer to Cecilia, watching carefully as I crouched down in front of her.

“Hey,” I said softly. I wanted to pull her into my arms, but I had no idea how she’d react. “Cam checked outside. There’s no one there.”

Her eyes met mine and I jerked back like I’d been sucker punched. Fuck. The fear in her eyes was so overwhelming, it made me sick to my stomach. Dropping to my ass, I carefully scooted forward until my knees bracketed hers.

“You’re safe,” I said, cautiously smoothing her hair away from her face. “I’m right here, Cec. You and Olive are safe.”

There was no indication that she’d even heard me.

“You know, there’s a safe room behind the closet,” I said, sliding my hand to her shoulder. I rubbed her neck soothingly with the side of my thumb. It took everything inside me not to pull her toward me. “We can put you in there if you’d feel safer. If I know Poet, it’s probably got at least a chair in there for you to sit on.”