Protecting My Hart (Protectors Series Book 1) (39 page)

I have to talk to Hartley about this plan. As much as I fucking hate it. I do not want to send her back to JD but right now we can’t trace him and we need to get Ethan back. I head through the house to the bedroom. The room is empty so I check the bathroom. Empty.

“Hartley!” I call out. Silence. Then I see a note and my heart stops.

Slyde,

I love you with all my heart, always and forever. I’m sorry for what I said to you. I don’t blame you for any of this. It’s not your fault, and I will never forgive myself for making you think it was. I heard the phone call and I’m going to save our son. I have my phone but won’t answer. Track me. If something happens to me, I need you to know that I love you and I’m sorry. Please, please, fight as hard as you can, do whatever it takes to keep Ethan. Raise him well, he needs you. In my heart you have always been his Daddy. Please tell him every day that I love him and that I’m watching both of you. Thank you for saving my life and showing me more happiness than I have ever had before. 

Te amo, my hero.

Love always, Hartley

Fuck. Fuck. “FUCK!” I roar. Kash and Beamer burst into the room where I have begun pacing.

“What?”

“She’s fuckin’ gone. She went after Ethan. She’s gonna meet with JD. She left me a note saying that if she dies, to fight to keep Ethan. That he needs me.”

“What the hell? She just left?”

“Track her phone. She said she has it with her. Fuckin’ track it! Let’s go!”

I have no plan. None at all, but my son is in that building and I am going to save him. I turn my phone to silent and slip it into my pocket as I get out of the car. Hopefully Slyde has found my note and has tracked me. I test the door, not sure if it will be open or if this is the only way in or out, but it opens so I walk in carefully still not sure what to expect. It’s not very bright, and there are stacks of abandoned crates and furniture all over the place, making it hard to see around. I can hear muffled sounds so I pick up my pace and follow them. Suddenly, I reach a clearing and Ethan is in the middle tied to a chair, crying. My heart stops and races at the same time. He’s alive.

“Ethan!” I call out and run over to him.

“Mom…momm…momma…momma…” he chokes out.

“It’s OK, baby. Momma’s here. I love you and it’s going to be OK. I promise, Ethan. It’s going to be OK.” I kiss him, and try to hug him. I start to untie him, when I hear movement behind me. Standing to protect my son, I’m face to face with JD.

“You’re so stupid, Hartley. You could have just let me keep this little bastard and you might have actually lived.”

“I wouldn’t let you kill him then, what makes you think I’d let you keep him now?” I snap back at him.

SMACK! his hand flies across my face. “You belong to me, bitch!! You cost me huge when you fuckin’ vanished. You were set to be sold to my guy from Texas. No doubt you would have been sent to Mexico to be a sex slave. Then you had to get your pathetic-self pregnant and you fuckin’ vanished. I knew you were a slut. You deserved everything you got. How the fuck you ended up with Cardoane is still a mystery, I thought he had better taste. Looking back, I should have known. He was always too nice to you. I know you were fucking him for years. Hell, the little bastard looks like him. I know he ain’t mine. Made sure I’d never have this problem. You fucked ‘em all, so he could be anyone’s. Such a slut Hartley, you’re still nothing but trash. Never be anything but trash. Fuck, I could have made a fortune off you. Did Cardoane get you out of there all those years ago? No, I’m not thinking so. I’d sent him away by that point. I already know the answers. You left, snuck out the fuckin’ window. Then—” his lips curl into an evil smile “—You were found, trying to run and Mason told me how much fun he had sinking a cold metal blade into your body. I’m thinking that sounds like fun and we might try that. Interesting how it all worked out. You fuck Slyde, run from me. Mason finds you, stabs you. You still manage to have the kid. Mason mind fucks you for years, the whole time, you thinkin’ it’s me. Then he finds you with Cardoane and takes you, makes a deal with his brother and you end up back with me. Slyde saves your sorry ass. Plays me. I trusted that fucking traitor; he knew everything and he betrayed me! I make a deal with Mason to get free, beat the shit out of him, and now I get my revenge on you and Slyde. Neither of you get a happy ending. He cost me everything, so now I take you and the shit. He gets nothing! You will never see your son again. I win, Hartley. I always win. Always.”

The look in his eyes is wild and crazy. He has nothing to lose and that makes him more dangerous than he has ever been. “You said you’d let him go. You have me. Do what you want with me, but please, JD, let him go.” I beg and plead for my son’s life. I don’t care what happens to me. I know that I am going to die today, and I am OK with that, but my son—my miracle, my Ethan—needs to live and I will fight for him until my dying breath.

“No, Hartley. Neither one of you are leaving this building alive. Did you really think that I was just going to let that little shit walk out of here? That I was actually going to let Cardoane have any happiness at all? No fuckin’ way. You two cost me everything.”

JD turns away and I turn back to Ethan and finish untying the ropes. I yank them off my son to free him and we begin to run toward the door, but I’m stopped when a rough grip on my hair yanks me back. Ethan stops running and watches me.

“RUN, ETHAN! RUN, BABY! DON’T STOP RUNNING!” I scream and he does.

JD backhands me, causing me to fall to the ground. He’s now straddling me, his hand flying across my face multiple times. My head is slammed against the ground before JD turns me over; he’s now sitting on my back and pulls my hair up forcing me to look up.

“RUN, ETHAN!” I scream again and my head is slammed into the ground again. Ringing and loud noises, blurry noises, so much noise fills my ears. My eyes are fighting against the black edges forcing their way into my vision. I have to make sure Ethan gets out OK.

“You little bitch. You cost me everything, and now I will take away all you have.” He yanks my hair up again, “Watch as I kill the little bastard, then you’re next.”

“NO! Please no.” I beg.

BANG!
The shot rings out and echoes through me, through the air. Ethan falls to the ground and a loud, tortured, heart-wrenching, soul shattering scream fills my ears. I feel my head hit the concrete again and several more bangs mixed in with a lot of other noise fills the air around me.

This time there are no thoughts.

No faces or smiles.

There is nothing but darkness.

Nothing and darkness.

Nothing.

Darkness.

JD falls to the ground after multiple bullets enter his body. I am in a full sprint to the spot where Ethan is laying on the ground. Falling to my knees next to him, I pick him up, he is sobbing hard but he is alive, he’s breathing, and un-injured.

“Hey, buddy. I got you, Ethan. Daddy’s here, little man. You’re OK. I love you buddy. You’re OK, you’re safe, Ethan. You’re safe.” I reassure him over and over. His arms stay wrapped around my neck tightly while he cries and my heart starts to beat once again but very erratically. Kash and Beamer have raced past me to where Hartley is laying on the ground. She’s not moving and I can’t tell if she’s breathing. Standing, I rush over to them.

“Is she breathing?” I ask, panic filling my voice while I comfort my son, who continues to cry and shake in my arms.

“Yeah, she is. No bleeding, but she’s unconscious. We have to get her to the hospital.”

Just then I hear the ambulance. Mack leads the paramedics to us and they try to take Ethan who screams and holds tighter. They load Hartley onto the gurney and wheel her out. I follow and jump in with them, keeping Ethan wrapped tight. The whole ride to the hospital is a blur. I barely hear what the paramedics are talking about. I try to keep my focus on Ethan, telling him over and over that he is safe. When we reach the hospital, things still happen quickly. Hartley is rushed through the ER and taken back to trauma. I feel helpless. A nurse comes over to ask questions about what happened and I explain what happened to the best of my ability.

“I need you to examine my son. His name is Ethan Cardoane.”

“OK, let me just see if we have any records for him. I have an Ethan Cardoane born to a Hartley Cardoane.”

“Yes, that’s him.” I confirm she has the correct records.

“There is no information listed for his father.”

“Yeah I know, but I’m his dad. His mother was just taken back through trauma.”

“I’m sorry but I’m gonna have to take him back alone. You can’t accompany him. There is no proof you are his dad.”

“Fuck that!”

“Daddy, no! Don’t let them take me!” Ethan cries and clings tighter.

“I won’t, buddy.”

“Do a damn test. I know you have the rapid response ones.”

“Sir, I just can’t.”

“Listen here, my wife, his mother, is back in trauma after being beaten by a crazy asshole. My son here was kidnapped by the same crazy asshole. He’s terrified and I’m not leaving his side. Do the fuckin’ DNA test and give him an exam!”

“OK. Fine. Follow me.” she states.

“It’s going to be OK, buddy.” I reassure Ethan as we head back to the room. A new doctor comes over, Ethan stays in my lap and answers all the questions the doctor asks him. Thank god JD didn’t do anything to hurt Ethan too badly. He has some bruises, but he wasn’t beaten or tortured which is a fuckin’ miracle. The doctor explains to Ethan what he is going to do as far as the DNA test and Ethan just nods his head. They swab both our mouths and send it off. The doctor tells me they should have the results back in no longer than an hour.

We are in the waiting room of the ER. Mack walks over after getting off the phone.

“Well that was Jones. They have Mason in custody, he was beaten pretty badly, but they have the proof that he helped JD escape. He’s going to jail.”

“Thank fuck!” I let out and settle back into the chair. It’s about ten minutes later when a nurse comes out looking for me. I stand with a now sleeping Ethan still in my arms. “Mr. Cardoane. We have the results of the DNA test.” She hands me an envelope and walks away. I take it from her and hand it to Leia, who opens it and reads the results.