Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7)(65)

With every ounce of energy I had left, I grabbed Derek’s hand. “Behind you.”





Chapter 30





Derek


I was so distraught from seeing Hayden covered in blood that I couldn’t think straight. So when she said, “Behind you,” I didn’t move fast enough. The blade sliced across my back as I ducked out of the way. Staring up at me with a murderous glare was that f*ckhead Jeremiah. Rage consumed me when I realized what was going on. He was the one who’d hurt Hayden. Now he was going to pay.

He lunged and tried to stab me with the knife, but I rolled away and kicked his legs out from under him. When he fell, he grunted in pain and I hoped like hell one of his legs had broken. I punched him in the face and he sliced me on the arm. Growling, I grabbed his wrist and slammed it on the ground over and over until I heard his bones break. The knife skidded across the floor and he panicked, his gaze darting from me to the door. I made the mistake of glancing over at Hayden, and he used that momentary lapse of judgment to get away. He punched me with his good hand and scrambled out from underneath me. I wanted to chase after him, to kill him for what he’d done. Instead, I rushed to Hayden’s side. “Baby, I’m here. Help is on the way.”

Her face had paled and she sucked in a breath. “Go get him, Derek. Don’t let him get away.”

“I don’t want to leave you. Not until I know you’ll be okay.”

She clenched her jaw, her voice raw. “Please…do it for me.”

My gut clenched; I knew that if I found him, I’d probably kill him. Nodding, I kissed her head, praying like hell she’d be okay until I got back. “Hang on, baby.”

I rushed out the back door and quickly looked around. It didn’t take long to find Jeremiah disappearing into the woods. All I could see was red and I took off after him. He ran with a limp, but he was faster than I would’ve thought. Knowing what the f*cker had done to Hayden and what his end goal had been made my blood boil. Teeth clenched, I pushed my body to the limits and caught up with him. I grabbed him around the neck and tackled him to the ground, the impact of the fall causing me to lose my breath.

“You son of a bitch,” I growled, slamming his head into the ground.

I punched him on the side of his face and watched his head snap to the side. Blood gushed out of his nose and he gasped for air, but I couldn’t stop. He had planned to take Hayden away from me.

Over and over, I punched him until a light flashed behind me. “McLaughlin, stop! Put your hands in the air and step away from him.” It was Jason Avery, my friend from the police department who’d investigated the accident that killed Brianna. My breaths came out in rapid pants and my heart raced. I did as he’d said and stepped aside slowly, my body shaking with rage. My hands were covered in Jeremiah’s blood as I lifted them in the air.

“He tried to kill Hayden,” I growled through clenched teeth. I turned around and faced Jason. There was another officer with him; I recognized him but couldn’t remember his name.

Jason motioned for me to move away while the other officer held a gun in Jeremiah’s direction. “An ambulance is on the way. Aylee is with Hayden right now. Go.” The handcuffing was probably going to come later. As I raced back through the woods, I saw the ambulance pull into the parking lot and the medics get out. I didn’t wait for them; I burst through the clinic door. Aylee was beside Hayden, applying pressure to her wounded arm. Aylee was Jason’s wife and a former FBI agent; she worked with him now.

Hayden glanced up at me and frowned when she looked at my hands. “What happened?”

I dropped down beside her, the weight of the situation finally hitting home. My eyes burned. If I hadn’t woken up when I did and come looking for her, I never would’ve gotten to her in time. “Unfortunately, the f*cker’s still alive,” I grumbled. I grabbed her icy-cold hand and kissed it, tears falling down my cheeks. I couldn’t have held them back even if I’d wanted to. The paramedics hurried in, a young woman and a middle-aged man, and I watched them bandage Hayden up and put her on the gurney. I followed them into the ambulance, where the woman tended to the wound on my back while I kept my gaze on Hayden.

She turned to me and smiled. “I love you.”

I held her good hand to my face, breathing her in. “I love you, too. I can’t believe I almost lost you tonight.”

Hayden shook her head. “You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”





Chapter 31





Hayden


I could hear voices all around me, but I couldn’t seem to wake up. My mom and dad were there, and so was Michael, but most important, Derek’s voice never seemed to leave me. Apparently, I spent two hours in the ER, where they put eighteen stitches in my arm. The sedative Jeremiah used on me—strong enough to put down a horse—had to work its way out of my system, and I had a throbbing headache, but luckily, there was no damage to my internal organs. What a sick bastard he turned out to be.

Judging by the sun shining in my face, I knew it had to be daytime. “What the hell are you doing? Shut the f*cking curtain,” Derek snapped. Groaning, I turned away from the bright light and opened my eyes, meeting Derek’s gaze. He jumped out of his seat and knelt down beside the hospital bed. “How do you feel?”