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"We’re not supposed to trust anyone," Travis whispered

Even as he said it, Donovan could see the wistful look in the kid’s eyes The desire to, for a few moments at least, lean on someone else

"Listen to rave voice "You and your sisters need help Cammie is ill Eve could be hurt You are hurt I understand you’re frightened And I understand that you don’t know me But I only want to help you and your sisters I swear it Now you need to let us get you out of here, and then I need to find Eve"

Donovan reached for Caain and this time Travis relinquished her, but his eyes tracked Donovan’s every move to hand her to Joe The moment Joe reached for her, Cammie let out a shriek and dove into Donovan’s chest, her tiny body shaking as sobs welled in her throat

"Shhh, sweetheart," Donovan soothed "I won’t let you go I’et you out of here Okay?"

"’Kay," she said in a faltering voice

Joe’s face was drawn in coirl in his brother’s arms

"Make sure Travis is okay and that he can even get to his feet," Donovan said as he pushed past his brother

He nearly slipped trying to right hi Ca precarious Swanny was there to steady hih he was careful to not touch Ca for Travis to pop out of the culvert He ri not to let the others see his discomfort, but he failed miserably

"Where are you hurt, son?" Donovan asked when Travis was beside him once more

"It’s not bad," Travis said in a firm voice "We have to find Evie She was hurt, and I had to leave her"

Tears choked his voice and threatened to slosh over the rims of his tortured eyes

Swanny put a hand to Travis’s shoulder and the boy glanced warily back at him

"We’ll find her, Travis," Swanny assured "Nohat 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 agree to send Swanny with you and Caht?" 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?"

Ca firaze 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 et 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 fro, 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 no co 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 hi 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 et"

Donovan nodded "If we don’t find her iht 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 hearEve’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 s Pieces of carpet Drapes

His flashlight bounced over the mattress froround 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," Joehands, Donovan reached to feel for a pulse at her neck He was so relieved to find the faint, erratic patter that he daether His brother would think he’d lost his mind, but then all his brothers already kneas 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"