“Zoe, is she…” Her hands flew to her mouth, unable to finish the sentence. It seemed like an eternity until Dante said the magical words.
“She’s unharmed.”
All the air fled Harlow’s body and she burst into tears, instinctively turning into Sawyer’s arms. He held her tight until someone tapped her on the shoulder and handed her the phone. She wiped her nose and put it to her ear.
“Zoe? Oh God, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Harlow,” Zoe said, sounding upbeat for someone who had been kidnapped. “I wasn’t hurt at all. Kai saved my life.”
Harlow owed him her life for saving her sister.
“Did the man…” She didn’t know how to ask if he’d touched her.
“Kai got me away from him before he could do anything to me. But Harlow, there was another girl.”
“Oh no. Is she okay?”
“I honestly don’t know. She’s in bad shape.”
“Where are you now? I’ll come get you.”
“I don’t know. The sheriff found us. He’s bringing us back.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Harlow?”
“Yes?”
“On a scale of one to ten, how mad are Mom and Dad?”
Eleven…at Harlow. “They’re not mad, sweetie. They’ve been worried sick about you.”
“Still, I snuck out and ditched my protection. They have to be pissed.”
That was Harlow’s cross to bear. “Don’t you even worry about it. I promise you, they aren’t mad. I need to go tell them you’re safe.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“Love you too, Zoe.”
She struggled to keep her composure as she handed the phone back to Dante. Then she spun around and buried her face in Sawyer’s chest again as sobs racked her body. They were tears of happiness. Joy. Zoe was okay. Unhurt. The man hadn’t touched her little sister. She needed to go tell her mom and dad. They were in another conference room. But it felt so good to be wrapped in Sawyer’s arms, plastered against his hard body. One hand rubbed up and down her back, offering his support. She never wanted to leave his comforting embrace. But duty called. She lifted her head to look up at him.
“I need to go tell my parents.”
Sawyer’s hand cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. She couldn’t look away from his blue eyes. People were cheering and celebrating around them but it felt as if they were in their own world. Too soon, he pulled his hand away and guided her out of the room. She was grateful for his support. She knocked on the door of the room her parents had commandeered and it swung open. When her mom saw her, she jumped from her seat. “Harlow?”
“Zoe called, Mom, she’s okay.”
Her mom burst into tears and threw her arms around her. She sobbed, much like Harlow had done earlier. Her mom’s tears set hers off again. Her dad wrapped his arms around them both.
“Where is she?” he asked gruffly.
“They’re with a sheriff. He’s bringing them in. I need to get back and find out the details.”
“We’ll be right there,” her mom said, wiping the tears from her face as she composed herself.
Sawyer led her out of the room with one hand on her back. The relief she felt made her giddy with happiness. She felt like turning cartwheels down the hall. They passed a small nook and Harlow pushed Sawyer inside.
“What—”
She attacked his lips before he could say anything else. She gasped at first contact, sparks shooting from where their mouths joined. He might’ve been blindsided, but he recovered quickly. She meant for the kiss to be a lighthearted one of happiness. He turned it into something else entirely. His hands cupped either side of her face and the kiss turned hot, heavy, insistent. His tongue plundered and searched, driving her wild with need. He backed her up against the wall and there was no mistaking his desire for her when he rocked his hips against her. One hand gripped her thigh and wrapped it around his waist as he ground against her. Stars burst behind her eyes. She was so close to exploding and he was only kissing her. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if he got her naked.
Her hands roamed the solid width of his chest. Wow. He was packed with muscle. She bet he sported an impressive six-pack. She was just about to rip his shirt off to find out when he pulled away. Her leg dropped to the ground.
“Be right there.”
She blinked up at him, her hazy brain trying to process what had happened. One minute, she’d been on the brink of ecstasy, the next, it felt like someone had ripped the rug out from under her. They were both breathing heavily.
His hands still framed her face. One thumb traced her bottom lip. “That was Logan. They’re headed out to meet Kai and Zoe. We need to go.”
“I didn’t hear a phone ring.”
He tapped his ear. “Earpiece.” He brushed one more kiss across her lips, grabbed her hand and led her back to the room, her noodle-like legs struggling to keep pace. How he could act as if the world hadn’t just tipped on its axis, she’d never know. The conference room was now abuzz with happy chatter and people scrambling to gather their possessions.
“There you are, Harlow,” Dante grabbed her for a hug. “They’re okay.” When he stepped back, she gasped. His smile was wide and genuine. He’d been handsome when his face had been ravaged with worry and fear but now, dear God, he was breathtaking. Sawyer’s hand tightened on hers. She sent him a sheepish smile. Sorry, it said. He just shook his head. Don’t worry, you’re not alone…all women fall at Dante’s feet, his return gaze answered. Unaware of their silent communication, Dante said. “You can ride with my family if you’d like. We’re heading out now.”
“Yes, please. Can Sawyer come, too?” She glanced at him. “I didn’t mean to speak for you…that is if you want to come?”
In more ways than one, his smirk said. He turned to Dante. “If there’s room?”
“Plenty.”
“Daddy, let’s go!” Gracie demanded, dragging out the word ‘daddy’. “I need to see Kai.”
Dante picked up his daughter. “We’re Oscar Mike, baby.”
Harlow turned her confused gaze to Sawyer. “Who’s Oscar Mike?”
“Military jargon for on the move.”
“Ah. Then let’s Oscar Mike the heck out of here.”
#
The sheriff ended the call with Kai’s dad and stashed his phone. Kai felt like an elephant had been lifted from his shoulders after speaking with his dad. It was all he could do to not bawl like a baby when he heard his dad’s voice, but he was ten now. Nine-year-olds could get away with tears, but not ten-year-olds. Heck, he was practically a teenager.
“Come-on, let’s get you guys home.”
Kai glanced over at the kidnapper. The sheriff had tossed the brown blanket over his body. “What about him?”
“I’ve radioed in his location. I’ll bring responders back after I get you to your families.”
“Do you know who he is?” Kai had watched him scan the man’s fingerprints into his phone.
“Not yet.”
He felt bad that he couldn’t give the sheriff the location of the cabin. There was no way for him to judge how far they’d walked or which direction. He padded over to Zoe and Jane…no, not Jane. Autumn. He crouched down. “Are you ready to go home, Autumn?” Nothing. No response. Not even the blink of eyes.
“I’ll carry her out,” the sheriff said. He reached for Autumn but she lurched away and curled in a ball.
Kai’s heart broke a little more. She was so traumatized, she might never recover. “I’ve got her.” He reached for Autumn and she didn’t flinch. Once he had her arranged on his back and strapped on, they followed the sheriff out of the woods. They had to skirt the lake but Kai’s steps were light, knowing they were safe. The sheriff had given them each a protein bar he had stashed in his backpack, so he had plenty of energy.
After they had walked a few miles, the sheriff threw out his hands stopping them.
Kai peeked around them to see a large group of people. Dad! Mom! They hadn’t spotted them yet. It looked like his dad’s entire office was here. His dad’s coworkers were his friends, too. His bud Dorian was there and oh gosh, Dan and Luke. They weren’t back in Bloomington getting hitched. Logan, Alex, Sawyer, Reed…“Holy shitakes. Is that…?”
“My God,” the sheriff uttered. “It’s the President of the United States.”
Zoe pushed past them, her arms wide. “Grandma!”
Chapter Nine
Kai couldn’t believe the freaking President of the United States was Zoe’s grandma. She hadn’t told him. They were both soon forgotten as his dad rushed up to him and wrapped his thick arms around both him and Autumn and picked them up. There were tears in his dad’s eyes and shitakes, his started welling, too. His dad was talking softly to Autumn. She hadn’t flinched, so maybe she would be okay after all. His mom and Gracie ran up to them, followed by the others. Autumn did flinch then.
“We need to give them some room,” his dad said and everyone stepped back except for his mom and sister. Two paramedics approached with a stretcher. His dad unlatched the belts but when he removed them, Autumn refused to let go. One of the paramedics reached for her and she let out a keening wail.
“Why don’t you ride with us,” the other paramedic said.
“Good idea,” his traitor of a dad agreed. Shitakes, he hated hospitals. “He can have his arm examined.”
“Dad, it’s just a scratch.” One that burned now that he thought about it and he was thinking about it since his mom had lifted his sleeve to probe the wound. Fine. He’d suck it up for Autumn’s sake. He started to head to the open doors of the waiting ambulance but an obstacle stood in his way…or more specifically, was attached to his leg like an anchor. He reached down and ruffled Gracie’s hair. Her cheeks were wet and gosh dang it, his eyes teared up again. “I’m okay, Gracie.”
She nodded, her eyes scrunched up as they dripped like a faucet. He glanced at his mom and hers were pouring, too. He had to get out of here before he bawled like a baby.
“I’m riding along, too,” his dad said in a voice that brooked no argument.
“You can come but the rest of you can meet us at the hospital.”
His dad helped Kai climb into the ambulance with Autumn on his back. Once he was seated, one of the paramedics took out a shot. She glanced at Autumn and then Kai. With a wink, she said, “I need to give both of you a shot since you’ve been in the woods.” She pretended to give him one first, and then she swabbed Autumn’s arm and slid the needle in. Autumn didn’t make a peep. Within a few minutes, her grip slackened and the paramedic eased her to the gurney.
“What did you give her?”
“Just a mild sedative. I need to get her hooked up to an IV. She’s malnourished and probably dehydrated.”
“I gave her food and water.”
When the paramedic put a hand on his arm and said, “I wasn’t criticizing you,” he realized his tone had been a bit defensive. “This is long-term damage. You saved her life.”
Now that Autumn was off his back, his dad pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug. He was going to ask the doctor to examine his eyes because the darn things were leaking again.
“You scared me to death.” It sounded like his dad was talking with a mouth full of gravel.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I couldn’t let the man take her.”
“I know, and that’s why you make it impossible to be mad at you. I’m so proud of you.”
They pulled up to the hospital and the ambulance doors opened. Autumn was wheeled out and briskly whisked away. Kai wanted to follow so she wouldn’t be alone but a nurse guided him and his dad to a room where a doctor came in and examined his arm. “Just a flesh wound,” the doctor pronounced. “No stitches needed, but I want to clean it up and reapply butterfly bandages.” He made quick work of the injury and then departed as a nurse handed him a stack of blue scrubs and flip-flops. “Thought you might want to change.”
“Yes, please.”
He ripped off the man’s shirt and pulled on the scrubs. The pants were next and he sighed, feeling much better, though he really wanted to take a long, hot shower. As he slid his feet into the flip flops, he asked, “How’s Autumn?”
“I’m not sure,” the nurse said with a caring smile. “The doctors are with her now.”
His dad stood and gripped his shoulder. “The waiting room is full of people who want to see you, your mom being on the top of that list.”
Kai thanked the nurse and headed to the waiting room. As soon as he pushed open the doors, lights exploded and he threw up his hands to block his eyes. His dad gripped his shoulders and pulled him back against him. People were yelling his name. A microphone was thrust in front of his face.
“Did you know you were saving the president’s granddaughter?”
“How does it feel to be a hero?”
“If we lifted your shirt, would we find Superman’s logo?”
“That’s enough.” Kendall Buckley-Demarchis said to the reporters as Olivia Larrson shooed the crowd back. “Let him be with his family first. He’ll give a statement later.”
He would? He gulped.
A commotion by the doors had everyone turning around. Several men in suits and sunglasses entered, followed by none other than the President. The reporters fled him faster than pigs at feeding time. Soon he was enveloped in more bone-crunching hugs. He was afraid Dorian Demarchis was going to crack a rib. Dan Bradley tossed him up in the air like he was a toddler. Sean and Tiff sandwiched him in a hug. He couldn’t stop the smile. He hoped no one noticed his defective eyes as they continued to leak like a faucet.
“Mom, I’m fine.”
Taylor shuddered. “I know.” But she didn’t let him go.
A woman he didn’t know approached. She was super-pretty, even with a red nose and splotchy cheeks. She made a beeline for him and his eyes widened when she scooped him from his mom’s arms. He just thought Dorian squeezed hard. This woman was a freakin’ anaconda.
“Thank you for saving my sister. I am forever in your debt.”
This must be Harlow, Zoe’s older sister. She’d talked so much about her, he felt like he knew her. Zoe idolized her sister and wanted to be just like her. Funny how he knew about that but she neglected to mention her grandma, the most influential woman in the universe.
As if he conjured her, the crowd parted—due to the giant men parting them—and the president walked up to him. The cameras followed and Kai swallowed. What did you say to the leader of the free world?
Epilogue
The double weddings of Kaitlyn Colton and Dan Bradley and Luke Colton and Layla Brooks were held a week later than planned, on the banks of Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana, with the President of the United States serving as the officiant.
Little white lights hung from the trees and flowers scented the air. It looked like an enchanted fairy land. Even the Secret Service personnel stationed around the area didn’t distract from the magical atmosphere.
Always beautiful, Kaitlyn was positively radiant in her lacy white dress and Layla was stunning in her designer gown. Luke couldn’t stop smiling and Kai had never seen Dan happier.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife…and husband and wife,” President Duquesne said. Luke pulled Layla in for a kiss while Dan dramatically draped Kaitlyn over his arm to kiss her. The crowd cheered. Kai wrinkled his nose.
Everything that had happened since he jumped into the back of Bud Brown’s truck—that was the kidnapper’s real name—seem surreal. First getting Zoe away and then finding Autumn. The trek in the woods only to be caught by the kidnapper. Autumn killing him. The trip to the hospital and then meeting the president. Kai couldn’t believe she had not only hugged him tight, but she’d given him her personal cell phone number and told him to call her if he ever needed anything. The President!
Zoe’s family had tried to pay COBRA Securities for bringing her home safely, but Luke and
Logan had vehemently refused. Instead, they had established a college fund for him, which his parents tried to refuse, but they wouldn’t be deterred. Then he got to ride on Air Force One.
He thought the attention had been overwhelming after Gracie’s ordeal, but it was nothing compared to this time. He’d been bombarded by interview requests and in the last few days, he’d flown to both New York City and Los Angeles to do rounds of talk shows and interviews. He tried to tell Kendall and Olivia he didn’t want the publicity. He hadn’t done anything special. They wouldn’t be deterred, either.
Zoe, along with her grandmother and parents, had appeared in many interviews with him. He’d even sat through a professional photo shoot and was going to appear on magazine covers. Sheesh. To top it off…while Dan and Kaitlyn and Luke and Layla headed off for their tropical honeymoons, he and his family would be boarding a plane bound for the nation’s capital. The President was going to give him some kind of honor he’d receive at the White House. He didn’t get it.
He’d sincerely apologized to the couples for delaying their weddings, but they couldn’t be happier. “How many people can say they were married by the first female president of the United States?” Kaitlyn had said with pride.
During all the hoopla, Kai worried about Autumn. She was in bad shape and they didn’t know if she would recover. He didn’t know specifics besides dehydration and malnutrition. His parents had spoken with the doctor and Kai knew the details of what she’d endured were horrific, but they wouldn’t tell him. They thought he was too young. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t guess. Heck, his thoughts were probably worse than what she’d actually endured…at least he prayed they were for her sake.
Autumn’s grandparents had been her guardians when she was taken, but they were now dead. Kai didn’t want her to be all alone in the world and he asked his dad if they could adopt her. He knew it was a major request since she would need extensive care and therapy. He later found out Zoe had done the same thing with her parents. Before any decisions could be made, an aunt had come forward to claim her. She was still in the hospital and would be for a while. Kai had visited several times and planned on keeping up with her progress. He’d also visit when he could.
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