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She was dying inside. Amber was such a good baby. She never cried unless she was cold or hungry. She loved to watch the world; she loved to watch her mother. The few times Rachel had defied Jonas's orde
rs and brought Amber to the office, the baby had always seemed mesmerized by his voice. She listened. She watched. And now she was alone, without warmth or comfort.
"I can't stand it, Jonas." Her stomach cramped with pain, both from the blow she had received earlier, as well as the knowledge that her child was hungry and cold. Confused. Frightened. "Please, Jonas, don't let them hurt her."
"No one is going to hurt her." He stepped to the SUV and deposited her in the backseat.
Chimera jumped in the other side as Jonas slid in beside Rachel, cushioning her between them as Dane took the wheel and Lawe rode shotgun.
"Weapons." Lawe turned, an opened bag at his feet as he pushed the weapons to Jonas.
Rachel watched, terror building inside her as she saw more than the lethal laser and explosive ammo-contained weapons Jonas strapped on.
She saw a small army preparing for battle, and her child, her three-month-old baby, so defenseless, so tiny, was going to be smack in the middle of the war.
"Jonas, please." She couldn't breathe. Her chest tightened with panic, with a sense of terror so overwhelming it threatened to cut the air from her lungs.
His head turned, those eerie silver eyes flashing with living rage as he stared back at her.
"I put that child's life above my own," he suddenly stated, the growl in his voice a horrible thing to hear now. This was the animal she had heard whispers of: the Breed, whom so many feared.
Looking down, she watched as he quickly checked his weapon, his statement reverberating through her head. Jonas placed too many people above himself, she had often thought. He was a manipulator, he was calculating, but there was nothing cold, nothing cruel about him other than his demeanor.
"How many are there?" Dane Vanderale's tone was harder, if possible, and colder. Rachel hadn't imagined anyone could be harder and colder than Jonas, but Dane had him beat.
"There are four. Phillip Brandenmore is with them."
Silence filled the vehicle for long moments.
"Lawe is in place," Rule stated into the silence. "There are four men inside. Brandenmore has the child in a carrier next to him."
"He's prepared to take the baby with him," Dane stated.
"Shut the fuck up, Dane," Jonas snarled, and Rachel knew Jonas understood the implications of the report.
Rachel felt herself shaking from the inside out. She knew enough of the Breed history, the labs and the scientists to know that her baby would become no more than a research project.
Pain tore through her abdomen at the thought. A sob tightened in her throat, nearly choking her.
"Look at me." The harsh sound of Jonas's voice had her gaze lifting to him. "No one will hurt that child. Do you hear me?"
"Jonas." Dane's voice was warning. "Let's concentrate on doing what we can."
Don't make promises that couldn't be kept. She heard the underlying message as Jonas held her gaze, his eyes terrifying as the color shifted and swirled.
"No one will hurt that child." His eyes raked over her, his expression turning savage as he reached out, a single finger whispering over the bruise on her face. "And they'll die for this."
The bruises on her face were an affront to the animal crouched and snarling within him. He could feel the beast, the savage wildness that he had always fought threatened to rise to the fore.
This was his mate. No matter that he hadn't claimed her. No matter that he had no intentions of taking her. She was his, and God help the ones who had dared to lay a hand on her.
He could smell the scent of her blood, her pain. Even now, her body was drawn tight with the physical agony that raced through her system.
"Call Sanctuary," he ordered Chimera. "Have the heli-jet waiting close to fly us home. I want Ely and the medical staff prepared and ready for us to fly in."
Chimera gave a quick nod of her head.
"Lawe, Dane, give the order." Dane glanced back at Jonas in the rearview mirror. "The child's life is priority," he ordered them. "Nothing else matters."
