Sacred Vow (Angels Halo MC Next Gen #5) - Terri Anne Browning Page 0,41
over Nova’s hair. “I think she already knows,” I murmured. “Don’t worry. I’ve got her.”
“Thank you,” he breathed before the phone went silent.
Ben burst through the doors only a few moments later, followed by two of his deputies. All three of them had their guns drawn, but when they saw us, they quickly lowered them.
The sheriff rushed forward, his eyes taking in everything all at once. “Ambulance,” he ordered the other two men. His eyes still glued to Nova and me, he bent and checked the pulse of the guy who didn’t have a knife sticking from his neck. “And the medical examiner.” Straightening, Ben crossed the remaining distance between us and carefully pulled Nova into his arms.
She blinked up at him a few times before focusing on his face. “Hi,” she said in a small voice.
Cradling her head in one of his huge hands, he wrapped the other around her and rocked her against him. “Thank Christ you’re okay,” he breathed.
She jerked back from him. “I’m getting blood all over you.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time one of you Hannigans got me covered in blood,” he grumbled. Bending, he picked her up in his arms just as more sirens filled the air. “River, sweetheart, call Raven. Tell her to have Flick and Jet meet us at the hospital.”
Fifteen
Maverick
I burst into the emergency room that was already overflowing with my MC brothers and family, my eyes flying around in search of River.
I’d barely gotten her text that she might be late opening the shop before sirens had been flying past my apartment. Not two minutes later, more sirens had alerted me to an ambulance, but I hadn’t thought much of it.
Not until River texted me ten minutes later that she was on her way to the hospital and not to worry. How the fuck was I supposed to not worry when she said shit like that? I’d broken the speed limit getting to the hospital, but there was no sign of her anywhere.
“Mav!” I turned at the sound of my sister’s voice to see Mila standing by the nurses station. She took one look at me, saw how desperate I was, and gave me a nod. “She’s in the back with Nova,” she said, waving me toward the door that would take me back to the exam rooms.
The nurse she’d just been speaking to opened the door for me, and I sprinted down the hall until I saw Uncle Bash and Aunt Raven. They stood beside Ben, who was speaking to them in low tones. Behind them, my dad was standing in front of a triage door, his arms crossed over his chest, his face blank but his eyes wild.
He was who I ran to. Who I knew would tell me the truth. When his eyes landed on me, he dropped his arms and reached one out to grasp my shoulder, steadying me. “She’s okay,” he said in a low voice. “It was Nova who was attacked. River wasn’t even touched.”
“You’re sure? She…” I scrubbed my hands through my hair, biting back the words that had nearly spilled out. She had only just lost our baby a few days before. She was still recovering. She could have been in pain and wouldn’t have told anyone, because she wouldn’t want them to worry about her.
“She’s fine, son,” he said, his hand squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”
I nodded, knowing he would always give it to me straight, no matter what. Taking a deep breath to try to calm my racing heart, I glanced at the door behind him. “Is Nova okay?”
He glanced at the door then over at Ben. “Doc is in there now. Her parents are with her, and so is River. It was that fucking Colombian rival of Vitucci’s.”
“They came after Nova to make a statement?”
He shrugged. “That’s the way it looks.”
“Fuck,” I muttered and turned to stand beside him.
As I did, the ambulance bay doors opened, and River’s parents came in. “Raven.” Colt grabbed his sister’s elbow, turning her to face him. “Where is she?”
She gave him a quick hug before stepping back. “She’s fine, Colt. Nothing happened to River, I swear.”
“Then why the fuck is she in the emergency room?” he demanded.
Raven glanced at Aunt Kelli, who lifted her brows in question. “Ramirez’s men came for Nova. River was going to give Nova a ride home, but when she went to the library to see if she was ready, she found Nova had been attacked.”