After the Storm (12 page)

“We’ll find her, Travis,” Swanny assured. “Now what I want you to do is come back to Donovan’s truck with me so you can hold Cammie while we search.”

Travis started to protest, but Donovan shut him down.

“Cammie needs you. She’s scared out of her mind and she needs a familiar face with her. She doesn’t need to be out in this. She’s sick. Joe is my brother, and Swanny works with us. They’re the best. We’ll find Eve. I swear it.”

Finally Travis nodded his agreement.

“I’m going to send Swanny with you and Cammie to the truck. Is that all right?” Donovan asked.

Travis nodded, but Cammie stiffened in Donovan’s arms and to Donovan’s surprise she threw her arms around Donovan’s neck and held on for dear life.

“I want you,” she said plaintively.

Donovan pressed a kiss to her matted hair. “Don’t you want me to find Eve? She doesn’t know Joe or Swanny. I don’t want her to be frightened. Wouldn’t you rather I be the one to find her?”

Cammie seemed to consider this a moment, her thumb sliding firmly back into her mouth. Then she nodded slowly, but her gaze was latched cautiously onto Swanny, taking in the jagged scar that covered half his face.

“I’m not as mean as I look, honey,” Swanny said with a half smile. “Some bad people did this to me, which is why we don’t want any bad people to get you or your brother and sister. We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen, okay?”

“Does it hurt?” Cammie blurted.

Swanny reached tentatively for her, taking her from Donovan. Cammie was shaking, but she didn’t utter a protest as she was transferred from Donovan’s hold to Swanny’s.

“No, sweetheart, it doesn’t hurt. Not now. Now come on. Let’s get Travis into the truck. He’s hurting too. And he’ll feel much better once you and he are safe.”

“Will Trav be okay?”

Swanny nodded and injected a cheerful note into his voice. “Absolutely. In a day or two he’ll be right as rain.”

“Can you make it?” Joe asked Travis.

Travis nodded resolutely. “You just find Eve. She’s out there somewhere. I won’t leave her.”

Joe clapped a hand on his shoulder and pushed him in the direction Swanny was heading with Cammie. “We’ll find her.”

As soon as Swanny disappeared down the road to where Donovan’s truck was parked, Donovan turned to Joe. “Spread out. Don’t leave an inch of ground uncovered.”

“Thank God it’s starting to get light,” Joe muttered. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Donovan nodded. “If we don’t find her immediately, I’ll call in the others.”

“We might be recovering a body, Van,” Joe said quietly.

“She’s alive,” Donovan said fiercely. “She’s a fighter. I don’t see her going down that easily.”

Joe looked as though he wanted to argue, but perhaps he saw the resolution in his brother’s face. He shrugged and then started in the opposite direction, his flashlight bouncing over every single inch of ground.

“Eve!” Donovan called. “Eve, can you hear me?”

Joe picked up the call, shouting Eve’s name as they searched the immediate area around where the trailer used to stand. Donovan picked through rubble from the trailer. Twisted metal from the roof. Pieces of the walls. Glass from shattered windows. Pieces of carpet. Drapes.

His flashlight bounced over the mattress from the bed when he saw one side of it lifted from the ground. It didn’t lie flush like the other side did. His pulse kicked up and he dropped to his knees, lifting the corner of the heavy, waterlogged mattress.

“Joe!” he shouted. “Over here. I need your help!”

Joe sprinted over and bent down next to his brother. To-gether they lifted the heavy mattress and tossed it over on its side. There underneath, curled into a protective ball, was Eve.

“Holy shit,” Joe murmured.

With shaking hands, Donovan reached to feel for a pulse at her neck. He was so relieved to find the faint, erratic patter that he damn near lost it. He had to get it together. His brother would think he’d lost his mind, but then all his brothers already knew he was in way over his head with Eve and her siblings.

“Eve. Eve,” he said in a louder tone. “Wake up, sweetheart. I need to see how badly you’re injured.”

“I should call an ambulance,” Joe said grimly. “Travis is hurt too. Looks like he could have busted some ribs.”

Donovan shook his head, and Joe looked at him in surprise.

“No. I can’t do that. I won’t betray their trust.”

“What the fuck, man? They need medical attention!”

Donovan stubbornly resisted as he stroked Eve’s cheek, trying to rouse her from unconsciousness. “They have no money, no means to go to a hospital. It was why I was bringing Maren out today to check on Cammie. And they’re scared shitless. I don’t know of who. Yet. But I’ll find out. And when I do, then we can tackle whatever the hell it is that’s had them running for God only knows how long.”

“So what the hell do we do then?” Joe asked in exasperation.

“We have an infirmary in the compound. Sam just had X-ray equipment set up for Maren last month. It’s fully stocked and we can call Maren to come over there and check them all out.”

“And what if they need a CT scan or something more involved?” Joe persisted.

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Donovan said calmly. “Now help me get Eve up. We need to not jostle her more than necessary. I don’t have a C collar with me, so we’re going to have to be damn careful in case she has a spinal injury or any internal bleeding.”

CHAPTER 13

EVE
swam to consciousness, her mind muddled, her thoughts filled with panic and pain. She felt herself being swept upward, and for a moment she thought she was in the grip of the tornado. Again.

“No!” she protested, struggling, though she knew it was useless. She had no power against the force of the storm.

“Shhh, Eve, it’s me, Donovan. You’ll be all right. I’ve got you now.”

The soothing voice broke through her panic, and calm descended. But then Travis and Cammie came screaming to the surface. Her eyes flew open to see Donovan’s face outlined by the pale light of dawn. There was determination—and worry—etched into his handsome features. How had he gotten here? Where was she?

“Travis. Cammie,” she choked out. Oh God. Where were they? Had she lost them to the storm?

Donovan’s grip tightened around her, and she realized he was carrying her. But where?

“They’re fine, Eve. My brother has them in my truck. We’re going to take you somewhere you can all get the care you need.”

“No,” she whispered. “Please. We can’t. Let me go. We have to go. Oh God, my suitcase. Where is it?”

Donovan frowned and stopped walking, still cradling her against his chest. Then with a shake of his head, he resumed again, muttering something underneath his breath she couldn’t decipher.

She found herself carefully placed in the extra cab of a truck. To her relief, Travis and Cammie were next to her.

“Lean on me, Evie,” Travis said, worry evident in his voice.

She sagged gratefully against her brother’s shoulder, and he wrapped his free arm around her. His other was curled securely around Cammie. Eve opened her eyes to see both Travis and Cammie staring anxiously at her.

“I’m okay,” she said hastily, not wanting to frighten them even more than they already were. “What about you?”

“Fine,” Travis said quickly.

“He’s not fine,” Donovan said bluntly.

Eve swung her gaze over to see Donovan standing in the doorway. She glanced back at Travis, taking in the pallor of his skin.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

Travis flushed, not looking happy that Donovan had contradicted him.

“He’s hurt,” Donovan explained. “May have some broken ribs. I’m going to take you all back to my place. We have an infirmary on site, and the doctor I told you about yesterday will come there to check you all out.”

His tone brooked no argument and his features were set in stone.

“My suitcase,” she said in a quivery voice. “I need that suitcase. It has everything in it.”

Donovan turned to one of the other men standing outside the truck, and a moment later he held up a waterlogged suitcase. “This yours?”

Relief hit her hard. It was the suitcase that had their clothing and her mother’s jewelry in it. The food they could do without. But the jewelry represented their only hope of supporting themselves for the coming weeks.

And now that they’d suffered yet another setback, who knew when they’d be able to move on?

“Yes,” she murmured.

Donovan didn’t look happy over that fact, but he remained silent. He tossed the suitcase into the bed of the truck and then handed his keys to one of the men standing behind him.

“You drive and let Swanny ride shotgun. I’ll cram in here with Eve.”

The man took the keys with a nod and walked around to the driver’s side. The other man got into the passenger seat, and it was then that Eve saw the deep scar that puckered the entire side of one cheek. She winced in sympathy. It had obviously been a serious injury.

“Scoot over as close to Travis as you can sit comfortably,” Donovan said in a gentle tone. “Cammie, sweetheart, can you sit on my lap so you don’t hurt your brother’s ribs?”

“She’s fine,” Travis said hastily.

“You’re hurting,” Donovan said quietly. “There’s no need. I can hold Cammie.”

He reached for her and to Eve’s surprise, she went willingly, her legs dragging over Eve’s lap as Donovan lifted her. He settled her onto his lap and then reached over to carefully engage Eve’s seat belt. Then he secured his own, making certain that Cammie was strapped against his chest.

“Who are they?” Eve asked in a low tone as she gazed up at the driver and passenger.

“The one driving is my brother Joe. Swanny is the other. You can trust them, Eve.”

If only it were that easy. She couldn’t afford to trust anyone. But she kept silent on that account. No sense arguing. She had to figure a way out of her current mess. Her whole idea of avoiding Donovan and the doctor was one huge epic fail. Now even more people knew of her and her siblings. It was hard to keep her despair from overwhelming her. How long before they were discovered? Being exposed to so many people was like a ticking time bomb. She couldn’t stay lucky forever. Sooner or later, Walt would find them.

“Why were you leaving, Eve?” Donovan asked quietly.

She yanked her head toward him, sure that guilt was plastered all over her face. She’d never been adept at hiding her feelings.

“It was time to go,” she said simply.

A slight frown thinned his lips. “I was bringing a doctor out to see Cammie. Why would you leave before then?”

Her shoulders sagged and she dropped her gaze, but she could still feel his boring into her. Could feel the weight of his stare and the judgment behind it. He thought she was an idiot. That she hadn’t wanted her sister to get help.

“The more people we are exposed to, the greater the risk,” she said so she wouldn’t be overheard by the occupants of the front seat. “I can’t risk Cammie and Travis that way. I
won’t
.”

Donovan sighed and then surprised her by reaching for her hand. He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed. Warmth traveled all the way up her arm and into her chest. His touch was comforting. Like sunshine on a cold day. He made her think crazy things. Worse, he made her
hope
.

“Listen to me, Eve. And listen well. I’m going to help you. I’m going to protect you and Cammie and Travis. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I realize you don’t trust me. Yet. But I’m going to prove to you that not everyone in the world is out to get you.”

“You don’t understand,” Eve said, her voice rising as she grew more upset. “You risk a lot by becoming involved. And I could never forgive myself if helping me caused you trouble. I know you probably think I’m exaggerating, but Donovan, I’m not! You can’t fix this for us.
Nobody
can.”

Her voice ended in a defeated sob. Just hearing the fatalistic words brought home the hopelessness of her situation. She dragged her hand from Donovan’s and buried her face in both palms.

She hated to break down in front of Cammie and Travis. They needed her to be strong, to be their rock. But she’d gone too long without cracking and now every fear, every desolate thought came pouring out.

“Don’t cry, Evie.”

Cammie’s sweet, concerned voice filtered through Eve’s quiet sobs. Travis’s arm went around Eve, hugging her tightly. Then Cammie pushed forward, wrapping her slender arms around Eve’s neck and squeezing.

“I love you,” Cammie whispered against her ear.

“Oh darling, I love you too,” Eve choked out, ashamed of her outburst.

“He said he’d help us,” Travis whispered. “Maybe we should . . .”

He broke off and glanced at Donovan with uncertainty in his eyes.

“Maybe we should let him.”

“Your brother is a smart man,” Donovan said.

Eve pulled her head up and looked at Cammie’s sweet face and then over to her brother to see him staring intently at her, purpose glittering in his brown eyes.

“Listen to him, Eve,” Donovan prompted. “The three of you need help. You can’t continue to run yourselves ragged. At some point you have to take a stand. Stop running and face whatever it is head on. I’ll help you if you let me.”

“But you don’t know what you’re up against,” she whispered. “God, don’t you think I’d love to have help? Do you think I want this kind of life for Cammie and Trav? I’d do anything in the world to give them the kind of life they’re entitled to. They deserve better than this. Better than I can provide.”

“You’re doing fine,” Travis said fiercely. “You’ve done everything to protect us, Evie. You talk about what our lives should be like, but what about your own? You don’t deserve this. You’ve never deserved this. You should have a life too and not fear going to jail because of me and Cammie.”

Eve stared stricken at him, at what he’d said for the others to hear. Regret immediately clouded his eyes and he lowered his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Evie. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Whatever it is, I can help,” Donovan said, seemingly unfazed by Travis’s admission. “There’s a lot you don’t understand about me and the connections I have. Helping people is what me and my brothers and our teams do.”

Eve stared at him in puzzlement. “You’re right, I don’t understand.”

Donovan touched her cheek, stroking it with gentle fingertips. He traced a line down the curve to her jaw, warmth and compassion in his eyes. “Just give me a chance, Eve. That’s all I’m asking. Right now what you need is medical attention. A place to sleep where you don’t have to worry about being rained on. Food to eat. And you need to feel safe. I can do all those things for you if you just give me a chance. I don’t expect you to believe me overnight. But for now, trust me. Okay?”

Shocked at how simple he made it sound, all she could do was nod wordlessly. Satisfaction simmered in his eyes and he pulled his hand away, leaving her feeling bereft of his touch. As long as he touched her, she did feel safe, as insane as it sounded. But she absolutely believed this man when he told her no one would hurt her or her brother and sister. She just hoped to hell she didn’t regret her decision. And that Cammie and Travis didn’t pay for her mistakes.

Several minutes later, they pulled up to a huge gate. Joe reached up to push a button and the gate began to swing open. Travis and Cammie both stared in awe as they drove inside the fenced area.

It looked like a combat zone or at the very least a high-security military base. There was a landing strip and a hangar that housed two jets. There was also a helicopter parked on the pad. To the right there was a firing range and to the left a large building with no windows.

Then they got to the houses that dotted the landscape. There were five houses spread out, all lining the cliffs that overlooked the lake. Eve glanced uneasily at Travis as they exchanged wide-eyed stares. Had they jumped from the frying pan straight into the fire? Had she resigned them all to a prison there was no escape from? She couldn’t imagine that they could just walk out of such a heavily fortified
fortress
.

“What is this place?” Eve whispered.

“Home,” Donovan replied. “It’s home.”

She sent him a puzzled look. “
Home?
Who in the world lives in a place like this?”

“We do,” Joe said with an amused grin.

She looked up to see him watching her in the rearview mirror.

“Well, not me, at least not yet,” he continued. “Swanny and I still bunk in my oldest brother’s old place, but if my brothers get their way, I’ll be building a house here soon.”

Donovan grunted his agreement.

“I’m so lost,” Eve murmured. “Who
are
you people?”

“We’re people who help other people in trouble,” Swanny said, swiveling in his seat to look at Eve and her siblings. His expression was serious, but his eyes were soft and friendly, contradicting the harsh look given to him by the scar that raked across one side of his face.

His words should have reassured Eve. Because she and her brother and sister were definitely in trouble and they definitely needed help. But the words
didn’t
reassure her. They just made her more nervous about the man in whom she’d placed her and her siblings’ trust.

As if sensing her unease, Donovan reached for her hand again, curling his fingers around hers. Familiar warmth spread up her arm. She loved his touch. It was something she could become addicted to. Just a brief moment when she felt that all was well and that Walt didn’t exist. It was a stupid thought and one that could get her killed if she didn’t snap out of it.

There was no safe harbor from Walt. There never would be. She had to remember that.

“It’s going to be okay, Eve. I swear it.”

The quiet vow shook her to her core. He sounded absolute. How could anyone make such a promise? Especially when they had no idea what they were up against?

For the first time, Eve’s confidence faltered. Her confidence that her situation was hopeless. Donovan made her believe—made her
want
to believe—that he could protect her and keep her brother and sister safe. Was she a fool to get sucked into this? But would she be an even bigger fool to turn away such a huge gift? Was she doing Cammie and Travis a disservice by not at least seeing where this took them?

She glanced anxiously at Travis, looking for any sign that he shared her same fears. But what she saw took her breath away and made the decision for her. Hope. She saw hope in her brother’s eyes. Saw the same glimmer in Cammie’s. A look of awe, as though Donovan were a knight in shining armor, a savior from the months of desperation and constant worry that their past would catch up to them. And there was the fact that Cammie, who was terrified of
all
men, was curled trustingly against Donovan’s chest, her head resting just below his chin.

“Okay,” she whispered, the simple word catching in her throat.

Oh God, don’t let her be making the wrong decision.

Satisfaction glinted in Donovan’s eyes. His fingers tightened around hers as he gave them a squeeze.

The truck pulled up to a large house that looked brand-new. Everything was shiny, the paint fresh, the landscaping immaculate. There was no evidence here that a deadly tornado had ripped through just hours before. The only sign was two fallen tree branches at the corner of the house and a few scattered smaller limbs.

Joe hopped out of the truck, as did Swanny. Donovan handed Cammie out to Swanny after reassuring her that he would take her back as soon as he helped Eve out and then climbed out himself.