What the fuck was holding onto her?
Fucking A! She was killing herself right before his very eyes. “Keeley! Stop it!” E commanded. She stilled, but something told him there was more going on than met the eye. E began to let his senses take over. A cold he didn’t notice before surrounded his sister-in-law. There was some kind of barrier around her that left a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Even knew he was fighting something not of this world.
Hell was not taking Keeley Kincaid.
Not on his watch.
He clutched her tiny body and tugged with all his strength. They toppled over as she screamed. From pain? From whatever had a hold of her? Shit!
“You need help?”
E’s gaze shot up to Mitch. “Yes.” He could feel something pulling her and held on tighter.
Mitch got on the other side of her and attempted to pick Keeley up. He quickly found himself on his ass. “What the hell?”
E leaned into her. “Tell him to let go,” he demanded.
Keeley was yelling, “E, help me!” when she suddenly heard what he just said. The monster was pulling at her with brutality. Such agony was messing with her effort, but she knew not to give in. With everything she had left, she articulated, “Let. Me. Go!” Her voice was full of authority.
An earsplitting howl made her want to bury her head underneath something, anything. “Noooooooooooooo!”
She felt the hands leave her body, then she watched in abstract horror as the ground opened up and swallowed the thing that was there just a second ago.
How was that possible?
Keeley attempted to focus, shaking her head to clear her vision. There was nothing but a blackness that consumed everything around her. God, no! She couldn’t live like this?! A bloodcurdling scream surfaced just before she lost consciousness.
What the ever-loving-fuck? “Keeley! My God, Mitch, what’s wrong with her?”
“Seizure. Lay her here.” He patted the ground before him.
E complied, worry knitting his brow. “Why?”
“I don’t know, man.”
Mitch watched with trained eyes, ensuring Keeley didn’t choke, as her body did what it needed to do. Once the convulsions stopped, he checked her vitals, then placed her in the recovery position. He met E’s concerned gaze. “My educated guess is that she hit her head too hard.”
“Let’s get her to a hospital.”
“Affirmative.” Mitch got up and went to get more help.
E kept stroking Keeley’s hair. “You hang in there, sweetheart. Help is coming. I’m right here. No one is going to hurt you.” He silently prayed for angels to surround his sister-in-law. E knew this war wasn’t over, and she needed an army to help.
In the ambulance he called the troops. His brothers would come through no questions asked. He had to admit they were all in for a fight. But first, they needed to know Keeley was all right. As much as he hated to, he let his beloved wife know where they were taking her sister. E couldn’t help but smile at the resolve in Lacey’s voice, “We’ll make sure she knows she’s not alone. That we love her.”
E acknowledged that battle lines were just drawn on that street. Fine with him. But he needed to know, where the hell was Tar? What happened?
Mitch told Even the whole sordid tale while Keeley was being checked. E stood and paced before spinning back around. “How could you let her work both investigations?”
“Look,” Mitch’s hands came up in front of him, “I didn’t know she was undercover with Leith, initially.”
“But you did learn of it.”
“Yes.”
E’s fists doubled-up at his sides. “And you were…under orders?” he ground out.
“Affirmative.”
E turned to punch the wall but instead came in contact with Nik. “Whooooooooa!” Nik huffed out.
Horrified, E’s gaze shot to his brother’s. “Fuck. Nik, are you okay?”
The deep rumble told him Nikko was just fine but was confirmed with, “I’m not a wuss.”
“No. You’re not.” E half-smiled. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
“‘S all good, little brother.”
E bobbed his head as he headed toward the door with purpose.
“Where you off to?” Nik inquired.
“I’m going to find Tar,” he growled.
Mitch’s wide-eyed gaze met Nik’s. “Should he go alone?”
Nik smirked. “I do believe Tarius McNeil is about to have a come to Jesus talkin’ to.”
Mitch nodded. “Yeah, probably best we leave them alone for that discussion.”
“Copy that. How about you bring me up to speed as we wait?”