Love Resisted (Entwined Hearts #2) (23 page)

My eyes close. I don't fight the inevitable anymore, I have no fight left in me.

Finally, I give up.

I sit back and stretch my neck. Pulling the towel around my shoulders and watching Dane sparring by himself. He’s in the ring, and he’s completely engrossed in what he’s doing. I always thought Con was something special, and he is when it comes to kickboxing. Dane though, he’s phenomenal and not just with kickboxing. He looks like he has mastered all the martial arts if his movements are anything to go by. He looks dangerous like he means business.

I take in the rest of the room and nearly everyone is watching him. All as amazed as me. It’s a good job we researched and found this boxing gym before we came here. This place is slightly off the grid, and you wouldn’t find it if you weren’t especially looking for it. My eye catches movement and I see Con is jogging over from the other side of the gym where he was finishing his workout. He reaches me with a frown on his face and shakes his hand which holds his mobile phone.

“Have you heard from Soph?” he asks. I draw in my eyebrows at his question.

“Why would I?” I answer confused. I stand up wondering what the hell is going on.

“I don’t know.” He shakes his head, turning to walk away and mumbling to himself, but I can’t hear him. I grab his arm and pull him back.

“What’s going on, Con?” I can hear the worry in my voice and I vaguely notice Dane drawing up to a stop next to us. I didn’t even realise he’d gotten out of the ring.

“It’s probably nothing,” he mutters.

“No Con, don’t say that. You know the shit that’s happening at the moment. Anything could mean something, so fill us in. Now,” I demand suddenly feeling like my body has become wired and my insides are filled with panic. On the outside though. Solid. I
have
to be solid.

“I’m probably overly worrying, you know since Pea was in the hospital. It’s just she’s been waking up early and when I left this morning she was in bed awake. She mentioned that she was getting up soon and I said I’d call her before I left the gym to see what she wanted me to bring in for breakfast. I’ve called her, but she hasn’t answered.”

I look at his phone and then back to him as Dane says, “When did you call her last and have you tried more than once?” his voice commands complete authority.

Con snaps his head to Dane. “I’ve tried three times over the last forty-five minutes,” Con answers and I see Dane’s body straighten as I turn shouting, “We’re leaving now!” I start jogging toward the door, only slowing to grab my bag as I pass it. I find my phone in my inside pocket and check it. No call from Soph. While jogging to the car, I dial her number. The phone rings and I stop as I get into the car park realising we came in Dane’s car. Spinning round I nearly run into Con who’s right behind me. Dane unlocks the car and as I’m sliding into it Soph’s answerphone picks up. My heart is drumming in my chest as I listen to her sweet, silky voice.

I dial the number again.

Still no answer.

“Fuck,” I roar just as Dane peels out of the car park.

“Saul?” Con asks and I hold my head in my hands.

“Something’s happened,” I say quietly.

“What’s happened?” Con almost shouts his desperation not hidden at all.

“I don’t know. I mean, Soph didn’t answer.” I see his shoulders sag at my response. “It’s just I can feel that something’s wrong. Dane, brother…
please,
” I whisper the last bit as we lock eyes in the interior mirror and he pushes the car faster.

Dane swings the car into the driveway and the first thing I see is a lone police car and two coppers getting out and slowly walking to the door. I throw my door open and run, full speed, toward the front door. I vaguely hear the policeman yell something, and I’m aware that Con is behind me, but I have tunnel vision. I punch the code into the door panel and the moment I hear it unlock, I ram it open and rush inside.

“Soph, Soph,” I shout at the same time Con shouts for Pea. We split up. It’s not like the house is massive, but it has more than one room. Con disappears into the kitchen while I stride into the lounge.

Then it happens.

My world falls apart.

I’m almost in a daze, like it’s an out of body experience as I roar, “Soph.” I run and slide down next to her lifeless body on the floor, slipping in the pool of blood amassing next to her. I glance over to Pea and notice that she too is laying limp, but Con has appeared and now has her in his arms, her eyes are fluttering, the concern for her is the blood all down her legs. My attention snaps back to Soph as I hear Dane talking to a cop and the other one is radioing for help.

I lay down next to Soph and look at her closed eyes and her beautiful face, covered in bruises and blood. I’m aware that one of the policemen kneels at Soph’s other side and is checking her pulse while talking into his radio. I can’t make out what he’s saying, my brain is fucked.

I stroke her face and place my mouth next to her ear. “Soph, baby. Please don’t leave me. You’re everything I’ve waited for my whole life. You’re my reward for all the fucked up shit that came before. I’d endure… Every. Single. Thing. Everything, all over again to have you, even for a moment. But I don’t think I’d survive losing you, baby. I can’t…” my voice catches and tails off as a sob erupts from my throat. I hear the faraway sound of sirens and the next moment the house goes crazy. Police and paramedics are everywhere. I rush to the ambulance with Soph. A cop tries to stop me, but I ignore him and thankfully Dane steps in. I assume Con does the same with Pea, but I really have no idea as my whole energy is trained on Soph. I fly into the ambulance with the paramedic, who looks at me, blood covering my top.

Soph’s blood.

“I’m her fiancé,” I manage to get out of my scratchy throat while trying desperately to rein my emotions in.

“You want a drink, brother?” I jump at Dane’s words and his hand on my shoulder.

“A whiskey wouldn’t go amiss,” I answer with a fake smile, knowing that’s not gonna happen while we’re still at the hospital. Dane just nods and walks away. He’s been reticent since he arrived, although he has been on the phone quite a bit. Con sits next to me as we both quietly contemplate what our futures hold. We’ve been here for what feels like ages. I’m getting sick of being in hospitals, and what’s worse, is from the small amount of information I’ve been told by Dane, this was Patrick’s doing.

No shit!
But the sick fuck has gotten away, again.

I need to be calm, I need to be solid. If anything happens to Soph.
Shit.
My whole life will be about killing him. Nothing will get in my way. I’d have nothing that could hurt me anymore, not if I lose her.

I look up and watch a doctor moving toward us. I squash down the small flutter of hope that raises its head in my chest.

“Who’s here for Pearson Amberry,” the doctor asks looking between us and I feel my chest constrict knowing I’ve yet to hear anything about Soph.

“Me, I’m her fiancé,” Con answers jumping up. I stand and put my hand on his shoulder, to try and give him strength. The doctor nods and glances to me. “You can talk in front of him, he’s her brother,” Con answers with a lie. “Okay, well, Ms. Amberry suffered a placental abruption. I understand you told the receptionist that she has had a partial abruption recently?” he asks looking at Con.

“Yeah, she was okay though. She was just told not to overdo it.”

The doctor nods at Con’s answer. “I’m afraid this time it was more serious. Pearson lost a lot of blood. We had to give her a blood transfusion, then we had to deliver the baby by caesarean section.” He stops, looking at Con like he’s trying to gauge how Con is taking in the information.

“Is Pea, okay?” Con asks and the Doctor tilts his head, confusion crossing his face. “Pearson,” I explain and he glances at me with a nod then looks back at Con.

“We will have to monitor her, but all the signs are looking good that Ms. Amberry will make a full recovery,” he replies.

“The baby?” Con whispers.

“We had to deliver her,” the doctor tells him and Con cuts him off.

“Her?” he asks his eyes wide and tear-filled.

“Yes, you didn’t know?” the doctor asks softly and Con shakes his head no.

“Okay, well, she’s been taken to the Special Care Baby Unit and I know Ms. Amberry is insistent that she visits as soon as is possible, but I want to leave it a few hours before we move her. So, if you would like to visit her you can and then you could go and visit your daughter,” the doctor tells Con.

“Is the baby okay?” Con asks.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have those answers. My immediate responsibility was to Ms. Amberry. The baby was whisked away by the special care team. I’ll take you to Ms. Amberry now.”

Con turns to me and I see the sadness in his eyes swimming with the tears.

“It’ll be okay, Con. They’ll both be okay.”

Con nods. “Let me know as soon as you find out about Soph,” he replies. I can feel my lips thin and I dip my head in answer, not being able to bring myself to speak as the tightness in my chest gets worse the longer it is that I don’t know what’s happened to Soph. I sit back down and lay my head back closing my eyes, wishing I could go back twenty-four hours, hoping I could save her. Like she’s saved me. Wishing I could be her hero. Knowing there’s a chance nothing will ever be the same again.

Six hours. Six fucking hours. Dane came back about five minutes after Con left, he had a coffee, with whiskey in it for me. Right at that moment I wanted to hug my brother like a pussy. Instead, I downed the drink burning my throat in the process. I didn’t care, it just proved that I was still alive. I just wasn’t sure right then whether that was a good or bad thing.