Page 142 of Avenging Azalea

“Naji?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Take him. I want him in The Triangle with anyone else left alive,” I ordered as Nathaniel and more of our men burst onto the scene.

With the threats secure, I turned my attention to Fawn. My Little Bird was still huddled on the ground, her eyes closed tight, her hands covering her ears as she shook.

I dropped down onto my knees beside her, but didn’t dare touch her.

“Fawn? It’s me, Titus.”

Her eyes fluttered open and locked on mine.

“Titus,” she breathed, voice barely a whisper.

That was all it took for me to pull her into my arms. She clung to my neck, trembling and breath stuttering as she broke into a sob.

“I’ve got you,” I choked, holding her so tight I could feel her heartbeat against my chest. “You’re safe now. You’re safe. I swear it. He’ll never touch you again.”

Fawn buried her face into the side of my neck as she continued to cry, the sound breaking something inside of me. I’d almost lost her. She was almost taken from me.

“I prayed you’d find me, but I thought…I thought I’d never see you again,” she said.

“No,” I whispered fiercely. “I will always come for you. I’ll burn this world down before I let anyone take you from me.”

I glanced up at Nathaniel and couldn’t thank him enough for pulling whatever strings he had to get the information to find Fawn. I’d forever be in his debt.

Fawn pulled back and touched her forehead to mine. My hands shook as I cradled her bruised face. Even in the dark, I could see the purple marks and dried blood. Every drop was another nail in all of their coffins. I didn’t give a fuck who was here. If they were still alive, then they would be tortured and die by my hand.

“Did they…did they…” I tried to get the words out, but they were clogged in my throat.

She shook her head. “No, I ran, covered myself in mud and hid. But then they found me and…it doesn’t matter, you made it before they could hurt me anymore.”

“Only because you were smart enough to escape and run. It gave us more time.” I kissed her lips softly. “I love you,” I said.

“I love you, too. Thank you for coming for me,” she said.

“Always,” I said as the dogs surrounded us and began poking at Fawn and licking any bare skin they could find.

“Hi, girls. I’m happy to see you, too. Homemade biscuits for all of you,” Fawn said, smiling as the dogs pressed closer, practically pushing me out of the way. “Oh God…Sheba. Please tell me she’s alive. She tried to protect me.”

Fawn’s face instantly turned terrified all over again, but for a totally different reason. She gripped my shirt as if willing me to tell her what she wanted to hear.

“Dr. Taylor took her into surgery, and as far as I know, she’s still in there. I haven’t heard anything different, but she’s a fighter, so I’m hopeful that she’s going to pull through,” I said, and Fawn immediately pushed herself up to her feet.

“Then we need to go. We have to be there when Sheba wakes up. What about Winston? Is he okay?”

“I didn’t see Winston. I don’t know.” Fawn’s face darkened. “Fawn, you were just through something horrible, we should get you home,” I said, standing.

But Fawn rolled out her shoulders and shook her head.

“No, Sheba can’t wake up in the clinic all alone without us. She needs us, and I have to find Winston,” Fawn said firmly, and I could tell there was no changing her mind. The corner of my mouth turned up.

I really wanted to take Fawn to the hospital to be checked out so I could bring her home and wrap her up in my arms. Locking us away from the world for the rest of our lives seemed like a good plan to me, but that wasn’t going to happen.

“Okay, we’ll go to the clinic,” I said, giving in against my better judgment.

Fawn grabbed my hand and linked our fingers together. My heart started beating again for the first time since Matt called to say she’d been taken.