Page 129 of Knight’s Dominion

Her lids grew heavy, and she struggled to keep her eyes open, just a little longer...

CHAPTER 36

Chaos landed on the roof of the hospital. Jack was waiting for him.

“This way,” Jack called.

They ran for the elevator. Chaos couldn't take his eyes off her, off the blood coming from her mouth, how so very still she was. How all color had drained from her. God, she looked blue, her breathing erratic. Her face was swollen, bruises already darkening. Grace was almost unrecognizable.

The skin around her wrists and ankles was raw and bleeding. Someone had tied her up, had beaten her while she was unable to defend herself.

He would kill whoever had done that to her. He would make them scream in pain.

Grace coughed and cried out. More blood leaked from her mouth, soaking into his shirt, into her pale blond hair. He couldn't think. The fear had all but paralyzed him.

He was losing her before he’d truly had her.

He was losing Grace.

She would die never knowing how much he truly loved her. He’d told her, but words meant shit. He’d wanted a lifetime to show her.

The elevator opened and Jack raced into the emergency room, Chaos hot on his heels. There was another female there waiting. “Put her on the gurney.”

Chaos didn’t want to release her, but forced himself, knowing this was something he couldn’t do for her. He couldn’t save her.

“Stand back, give us room,” Jack barked out.

Chaos had never felt more helpless in his life. He couldn't leave the room, couldn’t leave her, so he stood in the corner as they worked on her, shoving tubes down her throat and needles in her arms. He knew it had to be done, but he couldn't stop the growl every time they poked and prodded her, when they cut off her clothes.

Jack cursed viciously, and when Chaos moved closer, he could see why. Her body was covered in bruises—her back, stomach, and ribs had taken the worst of it.

"Is she going to live?" Chaos choked out.

“She has several broken ribs and a punctured lung. There’s more going on in there, but I’ll need to open her up to figure it out.”

“Fucking tell me, is she going to live?”

Jack met his gaze, full of sympathy. "I don't know."

They forced Chaos to wait outside while they opened her up.

Hours passed and still nothing. He paced the halls, going out of his mind, barely holding on to his demon. It wanted to find her, was fighting to get to her, to break free and take her home. Chaos shouldn’t be here like this, around all the humans in this place, but there was no fucking way he was leaving. Here he could feel her, he could feel that she was still alive.

Kryos had called. As they’d suspected, Vince had been full of shit. He’d known exactly where Grace was being held. He’d been handing over demi to the enemy, betraying his own kind for the promise of power. Chaos was going to put the fucker down for what he did. He knew Grace cared for Vince, or at least she had before he'd tried to deliver her to a soul-sucking demon. But he couldn’t let him live, not after what he’d done.

He glanced up at the clock. The hands were still moving, but right then, it seemed like time was standing still.

Gunner strode down the hall toward him. "Thought you could use some company." He held up a bag. "And Eve packed some things she thought Grace might need while she’s here.”

"Thanks.” He hadn't talked for the last few hours and his voice sounded like shit.

Gunner leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “How you doing?"

Chaos met his brother’s gaze. “Don’t care about me. Just her. Only her.”

“She’s going to be okay. Any minute they'll wheel her through that door.”

Gunner was right.