“Yes, but we can’t talk about it now. Are the kids safe?”

“Yes, we’re in the Escalade, headed to Rock Hollow. Cricket and Hunter are meeting me there.”

“Good. Keep those kids safe. Don’t stop for anyone. Understand me?”

“Yes, of course. If Rock Hollow isn’t safe enough, we’ll keep going.”

“I love you, Mac. We’re going to get through this.”

“I love you too, Linc. And I know we will. We’re Riscoffs.”

I hang up with her, wondering how the hell I’m going to tell her that Harrison isn’t our full brother, and then decide it doesn’t matter right now.

I wouldn’t care if McKinley wasn’t my full sister. Although, given that she looks exactly like our paternal grandmother, I’d find that hard to believe.

Regardless, there’ll be plenty of time to worry about this later when everyone I love is safe and accounted for—and right now, I have no fucking clue where Whitney is.

I charge into the stream of people rushing out the front of the hospital and look everywhere I can for her black hair. I rush from one group to another, asking if anyone has seen her, but no one has.

Where the hell are you, Whitney? I won’t fucking lose you now.

Fifty-One

Whitney

I fight the wave of blackness that washes over me, but Harrison hit me hard. I keep blinking and try to focus, but I can’t.

Suddenly, I’m shoved forward and my hips ram into something metal. My feet are picked up off the floor, and I land facedown on something soft. A gurney?

Wheels squeak as we start to move. No, not move. Roll.

What the hell? Where is he taking me?

“What are you . . .” I try to roll over, but my body doesn’t want to cooperate, and my brain stumbles when I speak.

“Shut the fuck up, whore. My brother never should’ve fucking touched your skank ass.”

His words echo, and there’s no sound from any other hospital staff or patients. Where is he taking me?

When he pushes the gurney around a corner, I finally manage to roll over and struggle to sit up. The hallway we’re in is completely empty.

This area must have already been evacuated?

Before I can come to any conclusions, Harrison stops to land another solid blow to my temple. Again, white stars burst in my field of vision, but I know I can’t give in to the darkness that’s trying to take me under.

If I pass out, I’m going to die. I know it.

And that’s not going to fucking happen. I bite down on my lower lip, and the jolt of pain keeps my eyes open.

I’m not dying today. I have too much to live for. Lincoln and our life and our future.

Something cold closes over my wrist with a metallic click. The sound repeats, but it’s metal on metal the second time.

Handcuffs.

I jerk against the metal, but my hand is trapped.

He handcuffed me to a gurney. Fucking hell.