Page 15 of Her Tempting Protector

“I need you to pant. Like this.”

Carys panted like a dog, short staccato breaths.

“Now you try, Shada. You must try to not push while I wash up so that I can examine you, okay?”

The woman nodded and loosened her hand. Carys tore loose from her grip and went to where Faizah had extremely hot water and some of the antiseptic soap ready for her to wash with. She went back and examined Shada, who couldn’t help but push during one of her contractions. Her scream caused the child in Faizah’s care to increase the volume of their never-ending-scream and then they almost struggled their way out of Faizah’s arms. Carys blocked out the cacophony and focused on the job at hand.

In less than a minute, she was able to confirm two things—the baby was breech, and alive.

Okay.

Okay.

Next steps.

Carys took all the necessary steps before she examined Shada more thoroughly. She needed to see if there was any way possible. Any way possible at all, that she could turn the baby.

Please God, let that be possible.

When she felt the baby’s foot in the birth canal, she knew it was game over. Shada and her child would both die if she continued to push. Carys would have to operate in these deplorable circumstances. Pray God the other children don’t return while I’m cutting open their Mama’s belly.

* * *

“Why the hell isn’t she answering her satellite phone?”

“There’s a reason, and we’ll find out soon.”

Cullen didn’t know whether to punch his friend or to take comfort in Raiden’s calm words.

They’d just left the clinic where Carys had departed yesterday on a wild goose chase with some cranky old man. Dr. Nazer was in no condition to give a good accounting of what had occurred. He was too sick.

Thank God he and Raiden had her position locked in from her satellite phone. She was only seventeen kilometers from the clinic, but they were traveling on one of the most Godforsaken roads Cullen had ever been on. At least when he was in the Middle East they didn’t call trails like these roads—they just aimed you in a direction and you crossed over the desert, not bothering to try to follow in someone’s previous path. But here, they needed the road so that they didn’t end up in a ditch or driving the truck up a tree. What with it being the middle of the night and only the faintest impression of tire tracks to guide them, it was a crapshoot if they were even on the right path.

“Veer left,” Raiden pointed.

“What makes you think that’s the right way?”

“Trust me.”

Cullen pulled the steering wheel and forced the truck left. One of the things he’d learned to do in the four years he’d worked with Raiden Sato was to trust the man. He never had hunches that didn’t pan out. Fuck no, that was Cullen’s schtick.

“How far away now?” Cullen asked after his teeth settled back into his gums from the rough ride over the broken clay still trying to dry out from last month’s rainy season. At least it was better than getting stuck in the mud.

“According to the locator, we have another ten klicks.”

“Try calling her again,” Cullen ordered. Luckily, Raiden didn’t bat an eyelash at his harsh tone, just placed the call.

“Still no answer.”

“For the love of all things Holy, does she not understand that I’m an older brother and I get worried about the women in my life?”

Did Raiden just laugh?

“How are the demon twins?”

“They’re not twins, thank God. If they had the ability to switch places and talk in a secret language, I would have gone insane.”

Raiden didn’t immediately respond. Cullen wasn’t surprised—his words came out garbled because of the bumpy road—but he was pretty sure he heard a chuckle.