The Rescue

EMMA

Twenty-five days have passed since we were taken. Hope feels like a distant memory.

I’ve noticed blood in my underwear. It’s probably from that bastard’s kick. He must have hurt something inside me, and now I’m slowly bleeding out.

We haven’t had food or water in what feels like forever.

Dean tried to ask me about what happened in the office that day, but I didn’t tell him. We’re all conserving our energy, staying silent, enduring the relentless sun.

The cages haven’t been opened since that terrible day. We haven’t seen the man who saved me since then either.

I lie on my side, eyes closed, feeling defeated.

LEVI

Alex, Blaine, Diablo, and I have finally made it to Iran. I go over the rescue plan again, emphasizing that Emma is our top priority, then Dean, and then the other two guys if we have time.

I haven’t spoken to Diablo since I walked in on him fucking Lauren. I can’t even look at him. I want to kill him.

I could maybe forgive the drinking, even the cocaine, but not him being balls deep in Lauren’s pussy while Emma is missing. We were all searching for Emma, and he was fucking another woman.

We plan to rescue them in the early morning when security is lighter. We’re set to hit the camp in four hours, at exactly three a.m.

“Alright guys, now that we’re all clear on the plan, I suggest you get some sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.”

Everyone leaves except Diablo.

“I know I fucked up, Levi, but please don’t tell her. I thought I’d lost her forever. It was my way of coping,” Diablo pleads.

“Fuck you, Diablo. We all kept hope alive, except you. You claim to love her, but you’re fucking around while she’s god knows where.

“We don’t know what she’s been through, and you go and fuck Lauren, the one person she hates more than anyone else in the world.

“I’m telling you this once and only once. After we rescue her, you have twenty-four hours to tell her what you did—or I will. Got it?” I say, my voice filled with anger.

“Levi, please. I thought I’d lost the love of my life.”

“Fuck you! You have twenty-four hours or I tell her.”

“You’ll break her heart, Levi, if you tell her. Please don’t. I promise I’ll make it up to her.”

“No! Twenty-four hours. And then I’ll fuck you up myself after I’ve told her.”

I turn and walk away before I do something I’ll regret.

Who the hell does he think he is? None of us ever lost hope. We spent every waking moment trying to find her while he drank, did drugs, and fucked Lauren. I won’t let him hurt her like that. Not again.

DEAN

Something definitely happened when Emma was in the office. She won’t look at me or talk to me. She’s been asleep for hours. She must feel as hopeless as the rest of us.

Suddenly, we’re jolted awake by the sound of gunfire. The noise of grenades exploding, machine guns firing, and missiles landing seems to come from all directions.

I see someone dressed in black open Emma’s cage, lift her up like a bride, and run off with her. I can’t tell who it is.

Then I see Diablo’s eyes through a black ski mask. He opens my cage, cuts the ties binding my hands and feet, and does the same for the other two cages.

He comes back to me.

“Who’s in charge? I want to kill the motherfucker who took the love of my life from me.”

Too weak to speak, I point to the office. Diablo sprints over, throws open the door, and I hear several gunshots before he comes back.

“Can you walk?”

I shake my head. I’m too weak, and my legs won’t cooperate. Diablo helps me up, and we make our way to a small truck hidden among some trees.

I see Emma lying inside with my two men. Blaine is in the driver’s seat, with Alex next to him. Levi helps me in, Diablo jumps in, and Blaine speeds off.

My last thought before I pass out is, thank god we’re rescued and Emma is safe.

EMMA

I slowly open my eyes. I hear a lot of beeping. I must be in a hospital. Finally, my eyes fully open, and I see Diablo sleeping in a chair, his head resting on the bed.

We’ve been rescued, thank god.

Diablo stirs, opening his eyes. His green eyes meet my blue ones.

“Baby, you’re finally awake.”

“Thirsty,” is all I can manage. He holds a cup of cold water with a straw to my lips, and I drink until I’m not thirsty anymore.

“Is everyone okay?” I ask.

“Yes, baby. Everyone is safe. I’m so glad we found you. If it wasn’t for Levi’s determination, we wouldn’t have made it.”

“Diablo, why won’t you look at me? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Let me get the doctor.”

“Diablo,” I whisper. My voice is still raspy, and my throat hurts.

“Let me get the doctor, baby, so he can explain.”

He’s gone for only five minutes before he comes back with the doctor, followed by Levi, Alex, and Blaine.

“Now, gentlemen, I need to speak to my patient privately. Could you all please leave?” the doctor says.

“No, I want them here; if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. Just tell me what the fuck is wrong with me, now.” I try to sound firm, despite my raspy voice.

“You’re okay. You’ve got a couple of broken ribs, a bunch of bruises, and you’re dehydrated and underfed. But you’ll recover fully.

“But…” His voice trails off as he glances around at the men in the room, avoiding my gaze.

“Just spit it out. What the hell is wrong?” I’m past the point of patience. I thought he said it was just bruises and broken ribs.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Taylor. The baby didn’t survive,” he murmurs. I can barely hear him.

“Baby? What the hell are you talking about? I wasn’t pregnant. I had an IUD.”

“I don’t know what to say. You were about five weeks pregnant. Did you get kicked in the stomach before this?”

“Yes,” I admit hesitantly. “I was in a… fight with some guys who kicked me in the stomach over and over.” The night I fought Mason and his men, naturally.

“I suppose the implant must have been dislodged during that fight because you were five weeks pregnant.”

Suddenly, everything clicks into place. The nausea, the vomiting, the blood on my pants. I lost the baby the day that bastard tried to rape me.

Tears start to fall. I can’t believe it. I was carrying Diablo’s baby, and I lost it, a tiny innocent life growing inside me. Someone literally kicked my baby to death.

I start to sob and scream. The doctor has no choice but to give me a strong sedative to calm me down.

“I’ll check on you later,” the doctor says before leaving.

I’m crying uncontrollably. Diablo tries to comfort me, but it’s no use. I feel like I’ve let him down. I lost our baby, our baby that was conceived out of love.

Levi roughly pushes Diablo away from me, pulling me into his arms, trying to soothe me.

“Ems, I’m so sorry, I really am. And you know we all would have been proud dads. I’m sorry it turned out this way. Can you tell us what happened?”

The sedative starts to work, calming me down a bit. I move back onto the bed and tell them everything that happened, including the near-rape and the beating that caused the miscarriage.

When I finish, Alex and Blaine each give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, promising to check on me in an hour or so.

Levi stays standing by my feet while Diablo sits in the chair, tears streaming down his face.

“I’m sorry, babe. I’m so sorry I lost our baby.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Levi says.

“Yes, it was. If I hadn’t gone on this mission our baby would still be alive.”

Levi shakes his head, looking at Diablo.

“I told you, you have twenty-four hours Diablo. The countdown has started,” he growls.

With that, Levi gives me a long hug, assuring me once more it wasn’t my fault before gently kissing me on the lips—something he never does.

“I’ll see you soon, Ems.”

He shoots Diablo a deadly glare, then leaves my hospital room.

What does Levi mean by ‘the countdown has started’? I wonder.

“Babe, talk to me. What did he mean by ‘the countdown has started’?”

Diablo looks at me, guilt written all over his face.

“What did you do, Diablo?”

He doesn’t answer.

It’s all too much. I lose it.

“What the fuck did you do, Diablo?” I scream at the top of my lungs.