Songbird (A Sinclair Story #1)

by Jaymin Eve

“Yeah, there’s no way that any government department would be there,” Nathan said. “But there’s definitely a message here from Denise’s number.”

  Charles’ car flew through the streets. He ignored red lights and stop signs. Luckily the traffic was really light at this time of day. Screeching around the corner, he had to slow as they reached the industrial buildings.

  “There,” Nathan shouted, pointing to where he could see his Range Rover. His pulse was racing. The doors were wide open and there was no sign of Melodee or Jewel inside. Charles came to a grinding halt and the boys were out of the car in that same instant.

  “Call the police and an ambulance,” Nathan bit out. He could see two large men broken and bleeding on the ground. “I’m going to find Melodee and Jewel.” He left Charles, who was already on the phone barking orders.

  He took off running, following a fresh trail of blood visible on the icy ground. It had started at Jewel’s door of the car. The burning iciness of fear was trickling up from Nathan’s gut as he tried to figure out why Melodee had been sent here and ambushed. Those two men had obviously not taken her, but there must have been someone else. The blood was only a light stream but it led him to a red Mustang. It was empty. He then scanned the area, finally noticing tire tracks that had torn up the icy ground, just behind the Mustang. They led all the way toward the edge of the industrial area. The road and moving cars came into view and Nathan realized he’d done a full circle and was back near the highway. He was about to turn around when he noticed a puddle of blood, the red contrasting to the dreary winter day.

  “No!” he bellowed as he ran, recognizing the limp figure bleeding her precious blood all over the ground. He dropped down beside her.

  “Dee, baby, please wake up.” Tears filled his eyes as he begged her to open those beautiful sapphire eyes.

  He pressed his hand to her freezing skin. He found a faint pulse in her neck and a moment of hope shot through him. She wasn’t dead yet and she was a damn fighter. He knew it was bad to move her, but he couldn’t wait for the EMT’s to find them, he had to get her to the ambulance now. She was covered in cuts and bruises, but the wounds on her side seemed to be leaking the most blood. Luckily, the cold had slowed the flow. He tore off his undershirt and ripped it into sections long enough to bind the open cuts he could see.

  As he leaned closer, shifting aside her torn clothing, he shook his head. “Is that a fucking bullet wound?”

  Someone had shot his precious Melodee. A rage that he had never known before flooded through him and he knew he would kill for this woman, in a heartbeat. And he would also die for her, because he could not live in a world where she was gone. She’d crashed into his life and had turned it upside down. She couldn’t be taken from him now.

  Once her visible wounds were bound, he gently lifted her into his arms. She felt like nothing, as if a breeze would rip her from him and scatter her into the winds. He started to run, doing his best not to hurt her. He could hear the sirens. It sounded as if he was going to make it back to Charles at the same time as the emergency services. He dashed around the corner, holding his heart in his arms.

  “Melodee Lee, don’t you fucking die on me. Come on, baby, wake up and kick my ass for saying fuck.” He continued to talk to her, even though he couldn’t stop to even check if she was still alive.

  “Nate!” he heard Charles bellow. His brother’s face fell as he caught sight of Melodee. “Dee ... shit … is she still alive?”

  Nathan halted next to him. Two ambulances and three cop cars flew into view, screaming in a line toward them.

  “I don’t know,” Nathan choked out. “I think she’s been shot.”

  The ambulance stopped right next to them. Two men dived out of the doors and one ran to him, while the other pulled a stretcher from the back.

  “What happened?” the first asked.

  “My girlfriend was attacked.” Nathan laid her gently onto the wheeled bed. “I found her over there and she’s covered in cuts – and a bullet wound, I’m guessing.”

  The two emergency services men had drips and monitors hooked on to her within seconds. She was then in the back of the ambulance, and Nathan was climbing in after her.

  “I’ll fill in the police and get the search started,” Charles said. “You keep our girl alive.”

  “Immediate family only,” the first, gruffer man warned.

  “I’m her family,” Nathan said darkly. “And if you stop me from leaving with her, you’re going to need an ambulance.”

  The man stared at him for a moment, before nodding his consent.

  They were halfway to the hospital when the monitors went crazy, Melodee’s heart had stopped beating. Nathan almost punched out the wall of the van in his panicked rage, but the medic managed to shock her and start her heart again. Blood was hooked up now and Nathan realized he didn’t even know her blood type or if she had any allergies. The moment she was awake, all that shit was going to be rectified, she’d be filling out a damn book with every single piece of information about her.

  The ambulance pulled into the emergency entrance and Melodee was rushed off. Nathan was stopped at the second set of flapping doors by a man with short black hair, glasses and wearing green scrubs. Nathan growled, seconds from leveling this person.

  “Look, you might be Nathan Sinclair and one of my favorite players,” the nervous male said, “but you can’t come any further. This is the surgery floor.”

  Nathan managed to stop himself from punching the person who was just doing his job. Instead he tried to find the charm he was well known for.

  “My girlfriend was just wheeled into surgery, can you keep me updated? There are season tickets to the games in it if you do.” He decided to use what he could to his advantage. “And I want her to have the best damned surgeon in the city. Can you make it happen?”

  “You’re Nathan Sinclair. For you I’ll do what I can.”

  The man dashed through the doors, and Nathan dragged himself away from Melodee and sat in a waiting chair. He was the only one in here at the moment, which was probably safe considering his current mood. Unable to sit, he was back on his feet and pacing back and forward.

  Pulling out his phone, he dialed the one person with the power to move mountains.

  “Nate?” Lincoln sounded surprised. “Is everything okay?”

  “No.” Nathan almost broke down again. He cleared his throat. “Melodee was attacked and Jewel is missing. I need to know that Dee has the best doctor in the world, and we need search parties to find my baby.”

  “Give me two minutes,” his father said, and the phone disconnected.

  Nathan dropped his head into his hands, trying not to think of Melodee behind those doors, being cut into as strangers worked to save her life. And Jewel, where was his baby? Who was going to fucking die for hurting his family?

  His phone rang. Lifting his head, he answered it and brought it to his ear.

  His father spoke without preamble. “A hundred of this city’s finest are out searching for Jewel right now, and I’ve sent the private jet for Dr. Olmstead. He is the best general surgeon in this country and he’ll be here in twenty minutes. He has phoned for an update on Melodee. Right now she’s critical and they’re working to stabilize her. We’ll fix this, Nate. Melodee seems like a strong girl. She’ll make it, I have faith.”

  “I’m going to marry her,” Nathan said, his voice hoarse.

  “Well, then she’ll be a Sinclair, and we’re mean bastards and never die.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Nathan said. His father had never been a bad man, and sometimes he was actually the real dad every boy deserved.

  “Keep me updated, I’ll be down at the hospital soon.” Lincoln disconnected the call.

  Nathan moved forward as the doctor with the glasses pushed back through the doors.

  “She’s still alive,” he said straight up, knowing this would be Nathan’s most pressing concern. “She has multiple injuries, including two gunshot wounds. They�
��re stabilizing her now and prepping her for surgery. I’ll be back with an update soon.”

  He turned to leave, stopping just before he pushed the swinging doors.

  “Oh, and you’ll be happy to know that Dr. Olmstead has taken a special interest in your girlfriend. He’s a legend, man, one of the best doctors in the world. She couldn’t be in better hands.”

  Nathan nodded. “Thank you. Wait, what’s your name?”

  “Chris,” the doctor said as he left. The barred doors swung behind him, leaving Nathan with nothing and no one to take his mind off his fear. He dropped into a chair to settle in for the longest wait of his life.

  “Nate.”

  His eyes flicked to the doorway. All of his brothers were standing there.

  “We just came to check on Melodee and see if you wanted us to stay with you or get back out there and search for Jewel.” Luke moved forward and gave his brother a hug. “Shit, man, I’m so sorry.”

  “Dee’s in surgery right now, I don’t know anything else,” Nathan said. “And I need you to find my baby girl. I can’t leave Melodee, she’s been alone her entire life and I won’t leave her again. But I need to know you three will find Jewel.”

  “We’re on it, and I’ll personally kill any fucker who gets in my way.” Matthew’s muscles were bunched as he marched out the door, Charles and Luke right behind him. No one messed with the Sinclairs.

  Charles met Nathan’s eyes. “Keep us updated.” With one last nod, they were gone.

  Twenty minutes later, Chris came out to him again. “She’s just gone into surgery. It’s going to be a long wait. I can call you with updates, if you want to go home.”

  Nathan gave him his best attempt at a grin. “They’ll have to pry my cold dead body from this chair. I will be here when she wakes up.”

  “I never doubted it.” Chris left him again.

  Nathan stretched out his long legs, still in his workout gear. His phone rang, he slid the green button without even looking at the name.

  “Speak to me,” he said.

  “Nate, baby, where are you?” a female voice crackled over the line. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

  Nathan’s feet hit the floor; he sat up straight in his chair. He checked the phone. The number was registering as Denise from CPS.

  Shit.

  He’d forgotten it had been her phone which lured Melodee into the ambush. But he was pretty sure this wasn’t Denise speaking. In fact he had a very good idea who he was talking with.

  He lowered his voice, working to keep the cold, hard hatred from shining through. “Where are you? I’ll come find you now.”

  She giggled. “We’re at the place where your name will be immortalized for eternity.”

  The call went dead. Nathan swore and barely stopped himself from smashing his phone into the wall. He dialed Charles.

  “What’s happening?” he asked his brother.

  “They found that child protective services lady knocked out next to her car at work. So far they’re scouring all the obvious areas for Jewel.”

  “I just got a phone call from Leanna, she has Jewel.” Nathan bit out. “I know I said I wouldn’t leave Melodee, but she’ll kill me if I let anything happen to our little girl. I’m going to find her.”

  “We’re with you, where are you heading?”

  “She said she was waiting where my name would be immortalized forever.”

  Charles swore. “The basketball stadium. Your name is all over that place.”

  Nathan nodded. “Yep, I was thinking that. I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.”

  He strode over to the double doors and banged on them twice. A woman came running, slamming them open.

  “Is everything alright?” Her dark brown eyes lit up with concern as she scanned the room first, before running her eyes up and down Nathan.

  “My girlfriend, Melodee Lee, is in surgery right now,” Nathan explained in hurried bursts, “but I have to go get our daughter. Can you get Chris, the young doctor, to text me updates.”

  He handed her his business card with his cell number. She looked down at it.

  “No problem, Nathan. Great game last week.” She winked and slid back in behind the doors.

  Nathan shook his head. He’d mentioned his girlfriend and daughter and still she thought he was flirting with her. Sometimes he hated the reputation that came with sports. Everyone thought he was shallow and a cheater, when there was nothing further from the truth.

  He caught a taxi to the school, having forgotten that his car was part of a police investigation right now. He tipped the driver and jumped out, dashing across the grounds until he reached the basketball courts. Most people would walk straight in the front door, but he knew a back entrance, and that’s the one he’d use to take her by surprise. He sprinted around the back, and behind hedges he parted a branch to find the door. Three shadows emerged around him, and he just about dropped Charles before he realized it was his brothers.

  No one spoke, they just stayed at Nathan’s back and followed him as he crept along the long hallway that led past the locker room and out onto the court. The tension between the brothers had them practically vibrating, their muscles bunched and expressions grim. Nathan paused just before the lit up area, and with one deep breath he dived around the corner. His heart sank, dismay and disappointment raging through him. There was no one here but the freshman training. To be certain, they checked all of the rooms in the hall and lockers, but there was definitely no one hiding out in the stadium.

  “Where else?” Matthew was always the practical one. “Where else will your name be immortalized forever?”

  “The chick sounded fully insane,” Nathan said, “so it’s probably nothing we expect.”

  “What about the cemetery?” Charles said. “If she’s that messed up, she probably loves hanging with the dead.”

  The four brothers looked at each other for a moment. And together they sprinted for the doors.

  They took one car, and Matthew had his foot to the floor the entire time, ignoring all road rules. It was dark now, and Nathan was just praying they got to Jewel in time. The car slowed on the edge of Syracuse’s main cemetery. Matthew pulled in behind some trees and killed the engine.

  “I’ll head straight at her,” Nathan said as they climbed out. “You fan out to the sides.”

  “I have no doubts that this creepy bitch would be in a cemetery,” Luke said. “Oh well, we might find a nice grave to put her in once Nate’s finished with her.”

  Nathan didn’t hesitate, he marched straight into the center of the graves, weaving around plots and headstones. He had a brief thought for Doug, but there was no time right now for mourning. As he passed through the older section of the graves, he was starting to wonder if they had the wrong place again, and then a baby’s scream ripped through the silence. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Jack – the detective would bring the police – and then he ran. He ran to save his baby girl, and his Melodee, because he knew she would not want to live if they lost Jewel.

  The screams led the way, and as he got closer he could hear Leanna talking.

  “Shut up, kid, your daddy will be here soon and he doesn’t want to hear you bellowing.”

  Nathan burst into the small alcove where Leanna, the woman who’d gone from nuisance to attempted murderer, was crouched in front of the baby seat. Jewel looked unharmed, but she was red-faced and miserable.

  “Leanna.” Nathan drew her attention to him, and as she straightened he noticed the gun in her hand.

  That was the fucking weapon that had shot Melodee. This woman might have taken away the person he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. His temper was flaming by the time she strolled up to him, rolling her hips like she was sexy. He wanted to laugh in her face. She was the ugliest bitch he had ever seen, and the moment she came closer he was going to break his rule about hitting females. Leanna was a special case.

  “I knew you couldn’t stay away for too l
ong.” She grinned, the gun hanging at her side. “Especially when I had our little girl here. She misses her daddy.”

  Nathan didn’t say anything, he let her continue closer, all the while waiting for the perfect moment. A shadow rose up over Jewel and the little girl lowered her shrieks to mild sobs when she noticed her uncle Charles’ face. He picked up the seat and disappeared into the shadows. Nathan breathed a relieved sigh; at least Jewel was safe. Now just to decide whether to stall psycho until the police arrived, or beat the shit out of her and pretend she tripped and fell. The choice was taken from him though when Matthew charged out of a bush to her right and tackled her to the ground. He straddled her, and using his bulk pinned her arms and legs down.

  “If you make a move bitch, I’ll kill you,” Matthew snarled at her. “It would be so easy and no one would find your body.”

  She shrieked, twisting from side to side.

  “Nathan save me, please, baby,” she sobbed.

  “It’s in your best interest to never speak directly to me again,” he said, the low timbre of his voice echoing around the eerie graveyard. “You need help, Leanna, and I’m going to do my best to make sure you’re locked away forever.” He leaned his face really close to her. “And you better start praying Melodee doesn’t die, because if she does you won’t make it to jail. There’s not a place on Earth you can hide from me.”

  Voices surrounded them as men burst into view from all directions. The police had arrived. While they were taking statements and reading Leanna her rights before cuffing her, Nathan’s phone beeped. He pulled it free to read the text.

  Melodee’s still in surgery, so far she’s staying strong. Will be at least another few hours. Chris.

  Charles emerged in the clearing again, Jewel cuddled in his arms happily drinking a bottle. Nathan had a moment to wonder where it came from, maybe one of his brothers had grabbed Jewel’s baby bag.

  “Here’s your girl,” he said, handing her over to Nathan.

  Despite the cold fear for Melodee in his gut, he knew true joy at seeing Jewel safe. Her beautiful blue eyes lit up as she stared up at him and started to gurgle around her bottle.