Whispers in the Dark (KGI #4)(99)

Garrett got to him first and caught him before he could pitch forward.

Nathan pulled his hand away and stared down at the dark red that coated his entire palm.

“That son of a bitch stabbed me!”

CHAPTER 41

JOE and Donovan were just about to the front entrance when Swanny caught up to them from behind.

“Want me to take her?” Swanny asked.

“No, you go ahead with Donovan. Cover me and make damn sure P.J. knows we’re coming out,” Joe said tersely.

He hadn’t said a word about Shea’s condition, but the truth was, he was scared shitless. It was obvious she’d checked out. Her eyes were still open, but they were vacant and lifeless. Her vitals seemed normal. The lights were on but nobody was at home. Who the hell knew what all she’d endured this time?

“Get your asses into the trees,” P.J. said in an impatient voice. “My orders are to get you to the truck so you can haul ass out of here.”

They broke into a run, and Joe held Shea tighter against him so she didn’t flop like a rag doll. When they burst through the trees, P.J. rolled from her perch atop the rise where she’d taken position and fell in behind Joe to cover the rear.

“What’s her condition?” P.J. asked as they hurried back the way they’d come in.

“I don’t know,” Joe said shortly. “It’s not…good.”

“I’ll take a look when we get back to the SUV,” Donovan called back. “The important thing is she’s alive.”

Yeah, she was alive, but Joe wasn’t at all sure what that meant anymore. The longer she lay in his arms unmoving and unresponsive, the more dread gathered in his stomach. He didn’t want to think of what this would do to Nathan.

Nathan was finally coming around. He had fire in his gut again. He had purpose. The Nathan who’d come home from the hospital after recovering for weeks had been a stranger to Joe, and he hadn’t like it one bit.

He wanted his best friend back, and this could change everything.

Please, Shea. Come back to us. Nathan needs you. Show me you’re still in there somewhere. You’re safe now. They can’t hurt you anymore. I understand why you’ve gone away. But you can come back now. Come back for Nathan. He’s lost without you.

They broke into the small clearing where the SUVs were parked and still Shea hadn’t stirred in his arms. Donovan jerked open the back and motioned for Joe to lay her down. Joe was about to do just that when she went completely stiff in his arms.

She let out a cry of pain and seemed to ball in even tighter. Her breathing changed from the shallow, light respirations to fast, jerky bursts that seemed to tear out of her throat.

Joe sat her on the edge of the SUV, careful not to bump her head on the upright door.

“Oh Jesus,” Donovan breathed.

Joe followed Donovan’s gaze to see blood spreading rapidly over her side. “What the f**k? Van, she wasn’t hurt! I examined her myself. She wasn’t bleeding. I would have damn sure noticed that amount of blood.”

Shea’s eyes lost their glassy dullness. Her pupils dilated and sweat formed on her brow. Her fingers curled into tight little balls, and she bent over as if in unimaginable pain.

Joe caught her and then laid her gently on her uninjured side. He crawled over her, into the truck, and pushed at her shirt, looking for the source of the bleeding.

“Holy shit. She’s got a wound in her side, but I swear to you, Donovan, this wasn’t here before!”

Donovan pushed in beside him and then swore. “I can’t even move in here. Get her down. Lay her on the ground so I can see what I’m doing.”

Joe pulled her out. P.J. hurried in and helped him ease her down onto the ground. Swanny knelt beside Shea and gently pushed aside her hair in a gentle gesture that Joe found irritating. What the f**k was the man doing? She was going to bleed to death and he was worried about her hair?

“What’s happened to Nathan?” Swanny asked. “Talk to me, Shea. And listen. He wouldn’t want you to do this. He has people to help him. You can’t take this for him this time. Do you understand me? You’ll hurt him far more by doing this. You’re too weak to take this from him. Let him bear his own pain this time. I swear to you we’ll get him out. Do you hear me? Snap the f**k out of it and look at me, damn it!”

“Swanny, what the f**k?” P.J. demanded. “Get the hell away from her before I do it for you.”

Swanny ignored her and turned to Donovan. “Ask Sam what the hell just happened to Nathan. Do it. She’s taking his pain. She’s absorbing it just like she did before when he was being tortured. Only this time she doesn’t have the strength to do it.”

Fear grabbed Joe by the throat. Donovan went pale and he cupped his hand over the mouthpiece so the wind wouldn’t interfere.

“Sam, what the hell is happening in there? I need to know what’s going on with Nathan and I need to know yesterday. Our situation is critical.”

“Nathan’s down,” came Sam’s grim reply. “Took a knife to the side. Garrett’s trying to stop the bleeding now. We’re on our way with him now. What the f**k is going on with you?”

“Oh Christ,” Joe whispered. “How bad, Van? We need to know how bad.” He glanced at Shea as fear took a firmer hold. She’d give her life for Nathan. He knew it like he knew his own name. But Nathan’s life wouldn’t be worth shit without her, and her sacrifice wouldn’t mean a damn thing in the end. He couldn’t let this happen.