Keep Me Safe (Slow Burn #1)(5)

“A few days at least,” Quinn replied. “She has multiple broken ribs and numerous contusions.” He winced as he said the next. “They need to make sure there’s no permanent internal damage and they want to rehydrate her and make sure she’s ready to be discharged before doing so.”

The three men went utterly silent when a soft moan escaped Tori’s lips. Her forehead furrowed and an expression of pain marred her face. She twisted restlessly and tears slid down her cheeks.

Caleb was there in an instant. “Tori, honey, it’s me, Caleb. You’re safe now. Beau and Quinn are here too.”

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open and then anguish and despair swamped her eyes, turning them to liquid aqua-colored pools. But worse was the shame crowding her eyes. It gutted Caleb that she would be ashamed of what she had no control of.

“Caleb,” she croaked.

He cupped his hand over her forehead and pushed back her hair in a soothing motion. “Yes, honey, it’s me.”

She licked her lips and swallowed, the medication slowing her and making her sluggish.

“How did you find me?” she whispered. “I thought no one would ever find me. That I’d die there. He told me I would die. He was going to kill me. God, if you hadn’t gotten there when you did. He was going to kill me and I prayed that he would.”

Her words ended in a sob and Quinn buried his face in his hands as Caleb hugged Tori gently to him. Beau stood at the end of the bed, his expression murderous, eyes filled with rage.

“I went to someone like you,” Caleb said gently, leaving off the part of Ramie being reluctant—with good reason—to help him. He’d never tell Tori that he’d forced Ramie’s compliance.

Tori’s brow furrowed and she stared up at him with a puzzled expression. “Someone like me?”

“Well, not exactly,” Caleb said, injecting a smile just for her. “After all, there’s only one you. But I went to Ramie St. Claire. She’s been helpful in finding missing persons before. I gave her your scarf and she was able to locate you.”

Tori looked stunned. Her mouth drooped open in astonishment and confusion wrinkled her brow. Then tears filled her eyes.

“If only she could have helped sooner,” Tori whispered.

Caleb swallowed and avoided the gazes of his brothers. No matter that he’d just told them what Ramie endured and why she refused, they were condemning her for not being available earlier.

“I owe her so much,” Tori choked out. “I’ll never be able to repay her. Can I at least thank her? When this is all over with and I go home?”

Caleb swallowed the knot in his throat and he wiped at a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “We can only try.”

“I’m scared,” Tori said, her voice cracking.

Her fingers dug into the thin sheet covering her, but Caleb could see how badly her hands were shaking.

Caleb gently pried the sheet from her fingers and then curled his hand around hers. “What are you afraid of, honey?”

Her grip tightened on his hand, her torn nails digging into his skin. “That he’ll come back for me.”

Her words fell ominously over the small room and his brothers glanced Caleb’s way, fury—and fear—evident in their gazes. Her kidnapper hadn’t been arrested. He was even now out there, free, possibly hunting his next victim. Or would he come after Tori since she was the one who got away?

“Listen to me,” Caleb said in a low voice. “I know you’re scared. God only knows you have the right to be. But me, Beau and Quinn are going to protect you. You’ll be under constant guard until this ass**le is found and arrested and he pays for what he did to you. I swear it on my life.”

“You can’t all put your lives and jobs on hold for me,” Tori said.

“The hell we can’t,” Beau clipped out. “You are our number-one priority, Tori. Nothing else is as important.”

“We won’t let that bastard near you,” Quinn said firmly. “And we’re going to use every available resource to find him and put him away for life.”

Tori didn’t look convinced but she nodded and then closed her eyes, the medication pulling her into its embrace.

Caleb kissed her forehead. “Get some rest, honey. We’ll be here when you wake up. You need to focus on getting better so we can take you home.”

FOUR

CALEB stood in the doorway of the cabin where he’d last seen Ramie, a grim expression marring his face. The cabin was completely empty. Abandoned and looking as though no one had ever been there. She’d left no stamp or fingerprint on the place. Nothing that signaled her presence. He dragged a hand through his hair and closed his eyes as frustration took hold.

He’d fulfilled his vow to Ramie—and himself—to return for her. But she was gone.

He couldn’t blame her. Didn’t fault her for running hard and fast. If he’d found her, who was to say others wouldn’t? And while before he’d considered her selfish, now he understood fully why she was no longer willing to put herself through the agony of finding missing people.

The question plaguing him was whether he should let it go and walk away, leave her to the peace she wanted. Or did he pursue her again, find her and atone for what he’d done?

He wasn’t the kind of man to ever give up. His entire life was a study in relentless pursuit of his goals.