“I’m nearly there. Hold on.”
Ink’s truck bounced along the worn track. The road had disappeared about five minutes ago, turning into this track. Stone was driving so he could concentrate on talking to Betsy. Behind them, Spike drove his truck.
“All right, brown eyes, I’m nearly there. Keep an eye out for my lights.”
“I’m ready.” Her voice was growing faint and it worried him. A couple of times he’d been certain she’d fallen off to sleep. She’d told him she’d just closed her eyes. He was worried about her injuries. And the fact that she was out in the cold when she was still ill.
“I…I see lights.”
Stone parked the truck and Ink jumped out. “Betsy!”
Where was she? Then he saw her. She stumbled out from the shadows. She was moving slowly, painfully. Her arm was hanging at her side.
But she was there. She was alive.
Relief flooded him and he strode forward. He hesitated before he grabbed her. She slumped against him.
He caught her up, even as she let out a cry of pain.
“Brown eyes. Jesus. Fuck. Jesus.” He couldn’t get any other words past his lips. He leaned down and brushed his lips over her head. Then he drew her carefully back, supporting her with his hands on her hips. “Brown eyes…” his voice cracked. Fuck.
“I’m all right,” she said. “Now that you’re here, I’m all right.”
Reyes walked forward and wrapped a jacket around her. “Let’s get her out of here. I’ve called Hack, told him to meet us at your place. Figured she’d feel most comfortable there. But we can go to the compound if you’d rather.”
“I want to go home,” she whispered.
“Guys that took her are dead,” Ink explained, gently swinging her up into his arms and starting towards the truck. It was pouring down now. He needed to get her dry. He set her in the backseat. She reached for him with a cry.
“I’m coming, brown eyes.” He turned to Reyes. “Apparently the Fox rescued her and took them out.”
Reyes scowled. “Want me and Spike to go searching for them?”
Ink shook his head. “No way of knowing where the bodies are. No doubt Fox is taking care of things. I just want to get Betsy home and taken care of.”
Reyes patted his back as Ink climbed into the truck. He drew her against his chest as Stone turned the heater up.
She let out a gasping whimper as they moved over a rough piece of ground. Stone slowed down.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he muttered.
“It’s okay.”
“Damn it, I should have brought blankets.” He held his hand to her forehead. “You’re burning up. Fuck! Maybe we should head straight to the hospital rather than meeting Hack at my place.”
“No please, no hospital.”
He clenched his teeth together.
“Please, Daddy,” she whispered. “I can’t cope with other people and all their questions right now. Please. I’m okay, Daddy. I maybe have a slight concussion and probably someone needs to clean this up. But I’m not dying.”
“Show me.”
Betsy took a deep, calming breath as Ink drew off the two jackets that were over her. He turned the light on his phone on so he could see as he pulled gently at the material around the wound and she let out a gasp. Unable to stop herself, she glanced at her shoulder, blanching as she saw that the material was caught up in dried, crusted blood. Along with a whole lot of dirt.
“This needs tending, brown eyes,” he said soothingly, all hint of temper had faded from his voice. She wasn’t fooled. She knew he was riding the edge. He was hiding it for her.