Acts of Mercy: A Stepbrother Romance (Men of WRATH Book 5)
Acts of Mercy: Part 2 – Chapter 31

Five minutes before…

My body vibrates with rage, and it’s a damn miracle I’m holding back.

We’ve rented the room next to the one where the tracker is located, and thanks to our wall listening device, we could hear and record every single depraved word Lynora spat out for the last fifteen minutes.

This entire time I’ve been thinking that our baby was a product of incest when in reality it’s just a baby conceived out of love.

That fucking bitch has caused me pain like I’ve never known, and I’ll be damned if I don’t make her pay.

Lynora speaks, her voice grating on me like nails on a chalkboard. “For one, you wouldn’t want to do anything which could bring your baby harm… And refusing me, Alyssa, would definitely bring harm to your baby.”

My heart catches in my throat, my vision going red.

The rest of the words spoken are a muffled blur as I nod my head to Sam, letting him know it’s time to break down the door to the adjoining room. The time for action is now.

With one brutal thrust, the flimsy lock breaks and the door goes flying open.

On the ground, my beautiful woman lies tied up and frightened. A sight I never want to see again for as long as I live.

Gun cocked, I lunge for her while shifting my gaze to Lynora.
A loud pop reverberates through the room, and a scream from my angel pierces my heart. Without a second thought, I unload on the monster who’s shot my world to hell.

For her sake, she better pray Alyssa doesn’t leave me. Or so help me god, the next bullet to hit her won’t simply be debilitating. It’ll be lethal.

Sam rushes behind Lynora, pulling the gun from her side and securing her arms in cuffs. I only focus my attention on Alyssa and our unborn child once I’m assured the psycho isn’t a threat anymore.

Looking at my woman, I see red. But it’s not from anger, though I feel that in spades. No, there’s blood pooling beneath her and she’s passed out cold.

Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck.

“Her leg! She’s been shot in the leg.” My words come out more of a howl than an actual sentence, but it sets the room into action. The medic we’d called in for this retrieval rushes over, kneeling down by Alyssa before getting to work.

I close my eyes, suck in a deep breath, and pray. Never have I prayed like I am now, grateful to have the medical expertise that’s routine in all of our jobs.

But this isn’t just any job. It’s my entire fucking world.

God, please save her. Don’t let her die. I can’t walk this earth without her.

“Looks like the bullet nicked an artery. I need to get her on the stretcher and to my van where I have my lighting and surgical kit.”

Looking around the room, I see why he wouldn’t want to perform the procedure here. This is the furthest from sterile. But from experience on the field I know how sensitive this situation really is. She needs to remain steady and we need to move fast, or she’ll bleed out and I’ll lose her forever.

That won’t do. “Sam, Torrence, let’s move.”

Sam hands off a pale-as-fuck Lynora to one of his men before he helps us get Alyssa on a stretcher, the medic continuously applying pressure to her wound until we make it all the way to the car. “Hang on baby, we’ve got you.”

She needs to pull through. There’s no other option. Not one in which I don’t tear down the world with my own bloody hands.

Alyssa

“Water. I need water.” My mouth is dry and feels like it’s full of sawdust.

“Shhhh. Baby.” Hudson’s deep voice cuts through my mental fog, pushing me to open my heavy lids. “Drink this.”

He brings a straw to my lips, and I take a grateful pull before taking in my surroundings. We’re back at home, inside of Hudson’s bedroom. The bedroom I’d been sleeping in the past week, with the exception of last night.

A pang of sorrow hits me, realizing Hudson’s been suffering under the assumption that we’re blood. “Hudson, we’re not… my mother…”

His hand comes up, fingers brushing gently against my lips and halting my words. “I know, baby. We heard everything she told you in that hotel room. Got it all on tape.”

My eyes widen at this realization. I’m glad he knows the truth now, but what does that mean for us, for my mother, or for James?

As if hearing my thoughts, Hudson explains. “That’s why we aren’t in a hospital room. With our last name, they would blast this across every news article across the nation. We’re keeping everything close to the vest, and an officer is coming later to take your statement and pick up whatever evidence we have. As for my dad, not sure what he’ll want to do with Lynora once he gets here.”

I feel the color drain from my face, my extremities going rigid. “He’s not going to kill her, is he?”

Hudson’s face pulls into a soft smile. “My sweet girl. Even when your own mother kidnaps you and threatens your life, you still take up for her safety. You’re too good for her. She doesn’t deserve your kindness.”

My eyes tingle, realizing his words make sense, but I’m unable to feel any other way. I know my mother is a bitch, but she’s still my mother. “I don’t want her in our lives, but that doesn’t mean I wish her dead either.”

“Don’t worry, Little Red. My dad won’t kill her, but that’s not to say she won’t feel like dying once she’s left penniless, her name ruined for our entire social circle to see. I doubt she’ll be a threat to us behind bars and in an orange jumpsuit.”

I shudder, knowing what a shunning of that proportion will do to her. That’s what she’s always lived for. Status. And now that she’ll forever be denied that… well, to her, I’m sure it’s as good as leaving her dead. A fate worse than the life that awaits her in prison.

My hands fling to my stomach, clutching my abdomen protectively. Our baby. What did all of this do to our baby?
My eyes water, the promise of tears making them burn. I have so many questions, but my lips cannot form the words to the one question that has the power to ruin me.

Hudson’s hands cover my own and he gladly puts me out of my misery, saying the words I so desperately want to hear. “The baby is fine. We had an O.B. come in while you were out, and we heard the baby’s heartbeat. He’s fine. Not distressed at all.”

His eyes glisten with moisture before flitting to the bag of blood attached to my arm and then back to me. A dull ache settles in my heart at the idea of not having shared that moment with him, but the knowledge that our child is okay is enough to soothe the sting.

“Blood loss is more dangerous because of your current state. As it is, your body’s own instinct is to give our baby precedence with its delivery of the precious life-giving liquid. This means that you’re even more depleted after the type of loss that you sustained.”

I suck in a sharp breath, waiting for bad news to arrive. “Does that mean… are you sure the baby is okay?”

“Yes. I’m thankful we had the medic on standby, and he was fully prepared for this type of situation. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t scared out of my mind until we were given the all-clear, but I want you to know that it’s all going to be okay. For you and for our baby.”

The back of my lids burn as I feel warm liquid trickle down the front of my face. “I’m so sorry. So sorry for my crazy mother and everything she’s put your family through.”

“Don’t. Don’t apologize for that woman’s actions. Yes, she’s crazy as all get out. And yes, she wronged us all in many ways. But had she not done everything she’s guilty of, she wouldn’t have brought you to me. I wouldn’t be holding you here. The knowledge and hope for our future would be nothing but a deep longing. I’d live life empty, devoid of true happiness, not knowing that somewhere out there lived the key to my fulfillment.”

“Hudson.” I lift my shoulders off the bed, trying to reach his mouth, kiss those lips that just uttered the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.

“No, baby. You need to rest.” His hands press me back down to the bed. “We can’t have you pulling the stitches the doc put in. I’m not willing to risk your life for a quick fuck. We’ll have plenty of time for that later.” His eyes heat and his chest heaves. I know the man wants me and the fact that he’s willing to put his own desires off in order to ensure my safety endears me to him that much more.

“I love you, Hudson.” Bringing his hand to my lips, I press a kiss to his open palm.

“I love you too, Little Red. And if you let me, I’ll love you until the day I die.” Lowering himself from the bed and down onto one knee, he takes out a Little Red box, my eyes going wide at what’s playing out before me. “I was going to wait until you were fully healed, but I can’t wait another goddamned second.”

Tears resume their path down my face, and I let out a choked sob. “Oh my god, Hudson.”

He lets out a shaky breath, like he’s nervous, like there’d be a chance in hell I’d say no. “I’d been planning this for a while, and after everything we’ve been through, I think it’s safe to say that there’s nothing that could ever keep me away.” He chuckles bitterly. “Hell, even if what Lynora had concocted was true, I’d still replace a way. Even if I never touched you for the rest of my life, I’d still replace a way to keep you by my side.”

I whisper words of relief, “But it’s not true. None if it was true.”

“Thank fuck, because I need you in every capacity. I need to love you every which way humanly possible. You’re my world, baby. My fucking universe. I don’t want to live another day without calling you mine. My wife, my soul, the mother of our children.” With a free hand he cups the back of my head, bringing our foreheads together. “Alyssa Rogers, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“Yes. Yes. Oh my god, yes.” My lips fumble over his, salty tears mingling with our kiss as we meld our mouths into one. “I love you so damn much, Hudson. I need you. Forever and always.”

He bites my bottom lip, sucking it in before releasing it with a pop. “Forever and always, Little Red.” He takes the ring out of the box and my breath hitches.

It’s absolutely stunning. I can’t tear my eyes away from the cushion cut diamond settled on a delicate antique band as Hudson slides it over my ring finger before bringing it to his lips, placing a delicate kiss to my hand. “Forever and always.”