Everyone turned to see my man pacing the desert floor, scowling. Anger radiated from his every pore as I approached.
“They let her take my daughter?” he barked. “She doesn’t have any parental rights!”
Oh, no. Oh, no. This was not good.
I put my hand to Kyson’s shoulder and found his body so hot it warmed the center of my palm immediately.
“Did you check my house?” he bit out. “Fuck!” he thundered. “Call the fucking police. She’s kidnapped my daughter. I’m on my way! Get Dad’s boys out...now!” He hung up the phone and whirled around. He lifted his head to the sky, the veins in his neck bulging frighteningly as he roared at the top of his lungs.
I whimpered and reached for him, but he put his hands behind his head then folded his body over his waist, panting. His body oozed a furious rage the likes of which I’d never known.
Lincoln was to his side in a nanosecond.
“Speak to me,” he demanded. “Pull it together, bro, and speak to me.” He put his hand on Kyson’s back.
Kyson stood up, his eyes tortured, his facial expression ravaged.
Lincoln cupped both sides of Kyson’s neck, forcing him to be steady. “Calm down and tell us what’s going on.”
Kyson’s gaze flicked to me, and my heart ripped into a million pieces, tears hitting the backs of my eyes and falling down my cheeks. I knew it was bad with that single look.
Toko wrapped an arm around my shoulders and stood strong next to me.
“Veronica ransacked my house. Found Hope’s birth certificate and went to the school. She presented her ID and the certificate as proof that she’s Hope’s mother to a new admin in the office they hired last week. She told them she was picking her up for a dentist appointment. The aide let her take my daughter before Mom could get there, even though she wasn’t on the approved list! She’s gone, Linc. Not at my house. Not at the school. She took my baby.” His words left his mouth as though they were ripped straight from the depths of hell.
“Let’s roll.” Lincoln pointed to his truck.
“I need to call her, try to get her to see reason. Reach her somehow,” he muttered.
I stepped in front of him and put my hands to his chest. “We’ll get her back, baby.”
He stared into my eyes for a full minute. I gave all my strength, love and conviction so that he could soak it up and turn it into the drive to get his daughter back.
Kyson clenched his teeth and nodded.
“Are you safe to drive? You’re pretty upset, honey. I’m happy to take the wheel,” I offered.
He shook his head and firmed his jaw. Then he inhaled in and out three times slowly. I watched as his demeanor softened and the tension in his shoulders, arms and face relaxed. “Nah, I’m good. Let’s go.”
“Call us when you know what’s going on!” Suda Kaye called out, Camden holding her in his arms.
Toko watched as we four jumped into the two separate vehicles. He closed his eyes, put his hands together in front of his chest and dipped his head in prayer.
I closed my eyes and prayed right along with him.
* * *
“Try it again,” Kyson growled out, his eyes glued to the road ahead, his foot heavy on the pedal going eighty-five. Being pulled over for a ticket was the last thing we needed, but I was in no position to demand he slow down. In fact, I was fine with him going faster if it meant we’d be closer to finding Hope.
I picked up his cell phone and hit Redial on the last number Veronica had called from, keeping the phone on speaker so he could hear. It went to voice mail. He’d already filled it with increasingly angrier messages until it was full. Every few minutes, he would demand I’d call again.
It was as if we were in our own circle of hell. He drove. I dialed. We listened to the sound of the robotic voice telling us the mailbox was full. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
We were an hour and a half outside Pueblo when his phone rang from an unknown number.
“Answer it,” he clipped, and I clicked the green button. “Turner,” he growled.
“Is this Kyson Turner? Emergency contact for a Veronica and Hope Turner?”
My entire body went ice cold and I shivered in my seat. Dread coated my nerve endings and a fear unlike any other stifled the air in the car.
“Yes,” he grated.
“I’m a nurse calling from Denver Health. I’m sorry to inform you that your daughter, Hope, and your wife, Veronica, have been in a very bad accident.”
Kyson’s nostrils flared and his voice was tight and reedy when he responded, “Are they okay?”
“I think it’s best if we discuss that when you get here, Mr. Turner.”
“Is my daughter okay?” His words were calm and clear, but I heard the ravaged need behind them.
The nurse took on a professional tone when she answered, “She’s in surgery now. Should be out in an hour and we’ll know more of her prognosis. She sustained several injuries in the car accident that have us concerned. One being a compound fracture of her right arm. The good news is, she was wearing her seat belt...” Her words fell away. “I’m sorry to say, Mr. Turner, but your wife...”
“Ex-wife,” came out of his mouth as though it were covered in acid. “She kidnapped my daughter from school today. I don’t give a fuck about her unless you’re about to tell me she’s been arrested by the authorities,” he ground out, then clicked the blinker and took the exit heading toward downtown Denver.
Thankfully, we were closer to Denver than Pueblo.
“I think it’s best if we discuss this in person,” the nurse stated.
“We’ll be there in twenty. Please call this number if there are any updates about my daughter.” He reached over and clicked the button to end the call.
I put my hand over his and he gripped my hand so hard I winced at the pain but didn’t let go.
“She’s going to be okay. She’s alive with a broken arm being fixed up. Let’s focus on that, okay? Now, breathe with me.” I inhaled for four beats and he followed. Then I exhaled and he did the same.
The entire rest of the way to the hospital we breathed together, holding hands and praying that Hope would be okay.
* * *
We entered the waiting area for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where Kyson’s dad told us they were waiting. Turned out that Razor and his brethren had ridden out the moment Kyson’s mom told him about Veronica taking Hope. They caught up with her an hour outside Denver and a car chase ensued. Half of the club, consisting of fifteen motorcycles, to one beat-up car.