The nail gun rattles in her grasp, but she closes her eyes and lowers it to the floor. I slide it out of the way, falling to my ass and pulling her onto my lap.
Her body shakes in mine while Finn walks over to us, pulling his pocketknife out and flipping it open. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” I dig my fingers between her cheek and the tape, pulling it off her skin the best I can—it’s on there pretty tight—and Finn slides the blade down it, cutting it away.
I yank it off as quick as I can, making her cry out, but some gets stuck in her hair. She sucks in a breath followed by a sob. I rip what’s left off and push all the wet and matted hair from her face before grabbing her hands for Finn to cut that as well. She immediately wraps them around my neck once they’re free.
“Someone find me a blanket,” I bark out to anyone who is listening. Lowering my voice, I begin to rock her back and forth. “Shh.” I run my hand down her bare back, and my teeth grind over the fact that she’s fucking naked. My eyes catch sight of her shredded shirt, shorts, and underwear on the floor. I hold her trembling body tighter to me. “You’re okay, princess. I got you. You’re safe.”
“Here.” Alex comes over and drapes one across her body. I stand, lifting her into my arms.
“Colt?” I hear Finn call out behind me as I exit the house.
I spin around with her in my arms, giving him my attention.
His eyes go to Raylee hanging on to me for dear life with her face shoved into my chest before they meet mine. Coming face-to-face with me, he lowers his voice. “What do you want to do with Mike?”
“He was lying.” I saw the way she looked at him when he said he just got home and found them here. I don’t know why he would lie when he knows she knows the truth, but I’m going to find out. “Drive him in his car to the Cathedral. We’ll take care of him afterward.”
He nods. “Got it.” Then turns and goes back inside.
I walk to the back of the Escalade SUV just as Alex exits the house. “Open this for me, please,” I ask, nodding to the back hatch.
He rushes over and opens it up. I crawl in with her and stretch out my legs with her now on my lap, wanting to give her as much room as possible.
“Here, I grabbed her a water.” He places it down next to me since my hands are full and closes the hatch. Once he jumps in the driver’s seat, the vehicle comes to life and then starts backing up. “Jenks and Finn are making Mike help clean up and take care of Nate.”
She flinches in my arms at the mention of his name while she continues to softly cry.
He goes on, “Then they’re going to bring Mike to the Cathedral.”
I nod, letting him know I’m listening, but I really don’t give a fuck. I know my friends will make sure everything is taken care of.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
COLTON
I MAKE MY way down the spiraling staircase and into the basement at the Cathedral with Alex on my ass. Tyson is already here along with Gavin, the doctor.
“She passed out on the way,” I tell them, laying her unconscious body on a metal table. Her bloody face falls to the side. “I couldn’t get her to wake up.” Raising my hands, I shove my hair from my forehead, letting out a nervous breath.
She was sobbing one second, then out the next. I felt her body go slack in my arms, and I kept checking for a pulse, afraid she had died on me.
Alex called Tyson on the drive to fill them in on what we knew so the doctor knew what to expect.
Gavin points over to a tray and orders Tyson to grab something for him. After Tyson hands it off, I watch Gavin start an IV in her arm.
“I-I don’t know …”
“Take a breath.” Tyson grabs my shoulders and pulls me back from the table. Placing his face in front of mine. “You brought her to get help. Now let her get the help, okay?”
I nod, stepping away from him, and his hands fall from my shoulders. I clench my fists while I watch Gavin open her eyes, flashing a light in them. He pulls the blanket down, exposing the top part of her body to the room. I haven’t had a chance to look at her. She had her knees to her chest when we found her and then she was wrapped in a blanket on the way here. But she’s got a bruise across her chest. “What is that from?” I ask, wondering out loud.