Page 18 of Between Control and Chaos
“I don’t trust anyone else right now, Luca.”
“Fuck!” I slam my fist against the steering wheel. “Nico has Harper, I can’t let them get away.”
“We won’t. I’ve got Liam and Sophia en route to the compound to assist.”
I glance at Ashton. “That’s not good enough. You’re bringing in the two newest recruits to what—exactly?”
“Luca, understand that I’m as troubled by her abduction and betrayal as you are.”
“You never even liked Harper!” I shout through the phone. “You’re probably relieved your little problem has been taken care of.”
I hit the gas pedal harder, wanting to get to Moreno quickly so that we can continue to go find Harper.
“On the contrary, I find her quite … admirable. She’s certainly kept up her end of the bargain. Keeping our secret, which reminds me, we have a location on Harper.”
I huff under my breath. “I’m aware, Ashton told me a few minutes ago about the tracker you installed on her phone.”
“Yes, but we also know where Nico is taking her. Pick up Moreno, head to the hospital, and I’ll meet you there.”
“No. I can’t risk Nico getting too far ahead. I’ll drop off Moreno, but I can’t stop for a chitchat.” I grind and hit the gas harder.
“Up here!” Ashton tells me when he tracks the location on the phone. “He should be somewhere nearby.”
I slow the vehicle, keeping an eye on both the road and the grass nearby.
Ashton points several yards up ahead. “Over there!”
I flip the hazard lights on. They flash as I put the vehicle in park, and we hurry to get Moreno off the side of the road and into the backseat. We lay him down, his body motionless, but he’s still got a pulse.
I’m not sure whether he can hear us or not. He appears to be unconscious. His eyes are closed, he doesn’t so much as make a sound, but he’s alive, for now.
“Hang in there,” Ashton says to Moreno. “Nova will kill me if anything happens to you.”
Six
Nova
“Where is he?” I rush through the double doors, demanding to see my father. My mother is just a few short steps behind me, trying to keep pace, but I’m practically running to the front desk, demanding to know where they’ve taken my father.
The woman at the front desk is absolutely no help.
I want to lunge across the desk and strangle her. I swear she’s got her finger ready on the panic button, and I spin around when I hear my name.
“Nova!” Ashton’s voice is music to my ears. “We need a gurney!” He grunts as his arms are beneath my father’s and Luca has my dad’s legs, carrying him inside.
Luca is double parked outside the ambulance bay. There are nearby wheelchairs accessible, but I have a feeling Dad will fall right out of one in his unconscious state.
“Moreno!” Mom rushes to Dad’s aid, but there isn’t much she can do.
Hospital staff see the injury, the way Luca and Ashton are carrying my father inside, and they immediately grab a gurney, helping put him onto it before ushering him back behind the double doors, leaving us in the waiting room.
“We need one of you to give us his name and medical information,” a gentleman says, and Mom nods, following him.
Ashton glances from the double doors to me. For a moment, I think he might step forward, embrace me, tell me everything will be okay, and I’ll take comfort in those words.
But then I remember we’re not anything.
He’s not mine.
