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"I’ve got you," Cole whispered, his voice choked It sounded like he had tears, but she was nearly unconscious now

"Blood All over you," she ive a fuck," he said fiercely "I’ you the hell out of here You needto grasp his shirt to gain his attention But there was so with one of her hands, and in the other she still gripped the knife she’d plunged into Nelson’s back

Cole gently took hold of her hand and pried the knife away, closing it with a click

"No!" she protested

She struggled, trying to reach for the knife again She wanted it, damn it

Cole pressed the closed knife into her palripped it until it left indentations in her skin

She had to remain conscious This was too important It could irls She would do anything to spare them what she’d endured, and they’d fair much worse They didn’t have her team They had no one She had to save the

"PJ Ah hell, PJ Talk to us Don’t go out Not yet Come on"

It was Dolphin He’d hunkered down next to Cole And Baker She could hear hi over who stayed and ent to help Steele and Donovan go after the bastard who did this to her

She smiled faintly, so in shock that it seemed appropriate to smile even amid all the blood and horror of what had happened

But then she refocused and remembered the objective She reached for Cole’s shirt, shocked at hoeak she was Her fingers wouldn’t curl and she ended up flailing uselessly at his neck

He captured her hand and held it to his lips He quivered beneath her touch and she realized how hard he was shaking He was losing it Right here in front of everyone

"The girls," she said, rousing every ounce of her flagging strength "He ht"

"I know, baby We heard We heard every godda," he said in a tortured voice

It was a reminder, a slap to her face Yeah, she knew they’d heard, but his words just brought home how public her humiliation had been

"Have to save them"

Tears of pain crowded her vision, and she hated that she couldn’t be stronger She hated that these sons of bitches had ed to subdue her and force her to sub fast, and she had to irls would be taken care of If she didn’t, she’d see their faces right alongside the faces of her rapists every night in her dreams

"Promise you’ll save them," she whispered "Promise me No matter what happens to me You can’t let this happen to them They’re just babies So scared"

She choked off before she said, "like I was" But she knew they’d heard the unspoken words Could hear them in her tone

A loud clatter from the direction where Donovan and Steele had run made her teahtened on her and then Donovan was there, pressing in close

"Talk to me, PJ," Donovan said in a low voice "How are you, sweetheart?"

"C-cold" She turned her face upward, her head so heavy she could barely e the feat

He all but pushed Cole out of the way and took PJ into his own ar to wrap around her," he ordered

"What about the cuts?" Cole asked hoarsely

PJ struggled not to succu her "Where’s Nelson? Did you get the bastard?"

She’d never forget the look on Donovan’s face as long as she lived It was full of regret, rage and guilt

"He escaped He had a car parked behind the house, and our first priority is you We’ll find him, PJ I swear to you we’ll make that son of a bitch pay"

She closed her eyes, tears leaking down her cheeks in hot trails

"We’ll get you to the hospital," Donovan said "You won’t hurtShe couldn’t i Some hurts were so deep, beneath the skin Soul deep

"Not here Take me home He owns this city I don’t trust anyone here Just take irls"

Cole leaned down as Donovan carefully arranged a blanket over her body He smoothed her hair back and kissed her brow "I’ll do whatever you want, PJ Whatever you need, baby I swear it"

Steele knelt and fra hands His blue eyes bore into her with burning intensity

"We’ll get the girls, PJ But right noe’re going to take care of you"

She nodded weakly and closed her eyes, welco abyss where she floated free of pain and shame

CHAPTER 12

THEY bundled PJ into the back of the van, and Baker hopped into the driver’s seat while Cole and Donovan took positions by PJ

Cole ers without her protest this time, but he pocketed it because she’d been ada it Then he closed his hand around hers, unwilling to let her think even for a ht here, by her side That her entire tea her

"What do you think, Van?" Cole asked, trying to control the anxiety in his voice "That bastard cut her up pretty bad She’s lost a lot of blood, not to mention that he"

He closed his eyes and looked away, unable to say the word rape The bastards had raped her They’d put their hands on her They’d brutalized her And he hadn’t been able to do a daet her to the airfield," Donovan said griet her loaded and take off, the better I’ll work on her while we’re in the air"

"What about Sunday? What about those girls?"

"As soon as PJ is stable, I’ a call in to Sam He’ll have to call in Rio and his teaainst"

"I want those bastards," Cole said through gritted teeth