Wolfsbane (53 page)

“What?” Canyon stumbled back. “No. She was raped. Bruzon.”

“She wasn’t. Not this time.” Fiery eyes darkened. “You knew she was pregnant!”

“I … down there, at the base, yeah I saw the lab results. I thought … I thought she was raped and he got her pregnant.”

Max glowered. “You sick puke! That’s why you haven’t been here?”

“No, I haven’t come because … well, it doesn’t matter.” She wasn’t raped?

“You’re right. You failed. And now she’s in there right now bleeding—probably miscarrying your baby.”

Knees buckling, Canyon almost didn’t feel himself falling. He flung a hand out and caught himself. “You … no …” Mouth dry, he pushed his gaze to the door. “Is she okay?”

Max snarled. “Doc’s in there now. We don’t know.”

How … why didn’t she tell him it was his? Call him?
Because you haven’t talked to her since returning
. A month. It’d been pure hell. Every waking thought filled with her. Every dream serenading her into his life. And then smothered because of his vow to Range.

“I want to see her.”

“Midas.”

The wizened voice stilled him as Lambert came toward him. “Let’s wait, shall we, to see what the doctor has to say?”

Hand on the door, Canyon hesitated. What if she didn’t want to see him?
Would
she even see him? What if she hated him now more than ever? He’d made good on his promise to Range, and it might’ve cost him the only woman he’d ever loved.

Propped against the wall, his hand curled into a fist. “I
need
to see her.”

“Canyon, son.” The Old Man stepped closer. “Let’s make sure she’s in a condition to receive visitors, hmm?”

Tears stung. Burned. Slipped free thinking of her in there bleeding, possibly hemorrhaging as she lost the baby—
their
baby.

His eyes snapped closed.
What have I done?
Agony writhed through his chest. He’d spent the last four weeks holding back, keeping his distance. And she’d never had the chance to tell him. Unacceptable.

He’d abandoned her long enough.

Canyon jerked open the door.

“Midas!”

A woman—Max’s wife—stood against the wall, her stomach round. Her eyes widened as he strode into the room, using long powerful strides. Knowing if he slowed he’d chicken out, he ignored her panicked expression.

She rushed toward him. “Please, she’s already distraught—”

Canyon glared but kept moving.

He came around the edge of the curtain.

Writing on a clipboard, the doctor stood at the foot of the bed.

On her side, Roark lay clutching a ratty tissue. Blotchy red spots covered her face, apparently from heavy crying. Self-loathing took on a new name: Canyon. He’d done this to her. Put her in this position.

Maybe he should leave. Before she saw him. Before he upset her more.

He took a step away.

“Who are you?” The doctor’s voice snapped through the room.

Canyon looked at the doc. Glanced at the bed.

Roark’s gaze collided with his.

CHAPTER 37

R
elief warred with fear. Dani rolled off her shoulder, twisting her body at an odd angle that enabled her to see Canyon. Her heart rate bleeped through the room, thanks to the machine attached to her finger. The man who’d captured her heart—unflappable, gentle, quiet—stood at the foot of the bed, staring at her. Hard. By his taut expression and stance, she guessed he’d been told about the baby. What was he thinking? What she saw in his face, what was that? Was he upset? No she’d seen him angry. This wasn’t anger. Sickened?

Dr. Henderson glanced between them, obviously noting the chilling silence. Finally he spoke. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

Nostrils flared, Canyon’s eyes rolled to the doc with a warning look that dared him to interfere.

The doctor shrank away.

Canyon returned his blues to her face. “Roark.”

As he stormed around the doctor, Dani felt her pulse leap. “I’m sorry,” she blurted through sniffling. All the anger, all the hurt, vanished at the sight of him. Though it frustrated her, she was too tired of the drama. Too tired of fighting. She wanted peace.

The angst in his expression smoothed out, then knotted.

“Now, look,” Dr. Henderson said. When he caught his shoulder, Canyon rounded on him. Wrested free.

“It’s my fault,” she blurted out again as he came to her side. His handsome face blurred beneath hot tears. “I didn’t know.”

Canyon dropped onto the edge of the mattress and scooped her into his arms.

Fingers coiled around his shirt, Dani clung to him. Tears ruptured. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry …”
Why was she blubbering—had to be the hormones, right?

Large, powerful hands held her firmly against his chest. “Shh.” He kissed the side of her head. “It’s my fault.
I’m
sorry, Roark.” His biceps squeezed her in closer as he nestled his face against her neck. “I’ve been a fool.”

“You didn’t come see me. I didn’t know if you were done with me, if you hated me.”

He eased back and cupped her face in his hands. Ferocity filled his normally quiet demeanor. “You are the most important thing in my life.”

“I am?” Her voice croaked. Did he mean that? A stuttering breath wormed through her chest as she took in his face, ignoring the stabs of pain in her neck and ribs from the explosion injuries. Was that vehemence what she’d earlier mistaken for anger?

“I’ve been so stupid.” He smoothed her hair, his blue eyes darting over her face. “I tried to do everything in my own power, my way. And we see how good that turned out.” He smirked. “I’m sorry I didn’t honor you, didn’t treat you better. You deserve the best. It’s just that you make me crazy.”

Sniffling, she gave a soft laugh and slumped against him. “I’m good at that.” There, safe again in his arms, she let out another stuttering breath. “I thought you’d hate me.”

“Not possible.”

“Give me a few days.”

He arched his back out and looked into her eyes. “I
love
you, Roark. There’s no one else I want.”

She threw her arms around his neck again, relieved that he was here. That she wasn’t alone facing this horrible nightmare. “They think I lost the baby. I didn’t even know about it, but I already feel like this is the biggest loss of my life.”

Canyon held her close, his hands pressing her farther into his hold. “Shh. Together. We’ll face it together. You should lie back and relax,” Canyon said, his voice quiet.

Reluctantly she released him and eased against the propped mattress but held on to his arms, unwilling to let him go. “Why didn’t you come see me?”

He scooted next to her. “When I found out you were left behind—”

“Found out? You walked out of there.”

“I was drugged and dragged out.”

Dani blinked. Swallowed. “They showed me the video.”

“Roark, I don’t know what they showed you, but I didn’t walk out of
that prison on my own willpower.” His lips were flat, thin.

“You’re mad?”

He smirked. Swept a hand along her face. “Not at you. At them. I’d told them I wouldn’t leave you, and they put a dart in my neck and hauled me out.” He craned his neck forward. “Understand—that’s the
only
way they could get me out of there without you.”

Disbelief wove through her but she knew he wouldn’t lie. “That doesn’t explain why you didn’t come see me here. A month, Canyon, with bruised ribs and swelling on the brain.”

“In this, I’m guilty.” When she started to object, he kissed her. “Please—give me a chance.” A sheepish expression stole over his face. “After they left you, the only way to get back down there and find you was to recruit help from Range.”

Range? Range had helped?

“He said if I wanted his help, I had to agree to stay out of the way for the first month you were back.” He offered a lame grin. “He wanted a chance with you.”

“But I told you that night—”

“I know. But I was desperate to find you, knowing you’re a woman of your word. You said you’d kill yourself and I knew time was short. Also, since you’d told me you loved me, not him, I figured that month he was asking for wouldn’t change those feelings.”

“Wow.”

“But understand—the last thirty days have been the most brutal I’ve endured in a very long time.” Another classic-Canyon smirk. “And I’m pretty sure Range hates my guts right now.”

“He knows?”

A nod. “Not about the baby. But that I’m here. And I think his shattered leg didn’t help; he blew it on the jump back into Venezuela.”

Admiration warm and reassuring swirled through her. “So … you set off on a harebrained rescue attempt?”

“It wasn’t harebrained.” This time, a full-out grin bled into his face. “Okay, yeah. It was harebrained. But I didn’t care. I had to get you back.”

“You did that … for me?”

He leaned closer. “Yeah. Told you, you make me crazy.”

Dani smiled and whispered, “Ditto.”

His lips swept hers, testing at first, then firmer and loving.

Behind them, a voice cleared. Heat trickled into Dani’s face as she glanced over his shoulder and saw Dr. Henderson.

“I think it’s time for another sonogram.” Dr. Henderson motioned
to a nurse, who waited to the side with a machine. To Canyon, “If you’ll give us a few minutes …”

As Canyon eased off the bed, Dani snatched his hand. “No!” Her heart thumped erratically. “I want him to stay.” She looked at Canyon and threaded her fingers through his. “Please.”

“Like I said, we’ll face it together.”

The nurse wheeled the cart closer and plugged it into an outlet. Then she constructed a small tentlike partition from Dani’s waist down, protecting her modesty.

Canyon angled himself so he couldn’t see what they were doing, his gaze locked on hers and her hand gripped tightly in his.

Dr. Henderson manipulated her belly, then used the probe. Belly—weird. To think, a baby had been there. She’d never known. All the things she went through … Thank God the general hadn’t raped her again. It just seemed infinitely worse knowing she’d been carrying Canyon’s baby.

“My mom is going to rake me over the coals for this.” He shifted on his feet as the doctor worked. “Then she’ll crank the heat and baste me for the next few weeks.”

And a new worry folded into her bed of anxiety. What would his family think of her getting pregnant? “What will she do to me?”

“Look, what happened was wrong. I dishonored you—and I’m very sorry.” He roughed a hand over his mouth. “I wanted to do things right with you, to show you I could be the good guy, the hero. My mom is not going to hold a grudge against us for this. She won’t be happy, and she’ll remind us of what God’s Word says. But she’ll say that God forgives and loves us and so does she.”

With a halfhearted smile, she tried to move on. “I like your mom.”

“She likes you. Of course, she thinks you’re marrying one of her sons, but she’s thinking of the wrong son.”

Marrying?

“Okay.”

They both stilled, Canyon’s confidence and playfulness gone at the sound of Dr. Henderson’s voice, who came to the side of the bed where the raised rail provided the perfect prop for his hands. He looked at Canyon. “Are you the one responsible for putting this young lady in this position?”

Though she expected Canyon to rail or argue, he merely straightened—his face a shade darker with the crimson flush—and nodded, their hands still joined. “Yes, sir.”

But Dani wouldn’t tolerate him getting berated. “What’s the verdict,
Doc? Am I okay? Will you release me to go home?” She’d been waiting for that news the last several days.

“One thing at a time.” He let out a sigh. “Your uterine wall is still agitated.” He glanced between them. “Using the probe, I was able to see a heartbeat. But there’s still some bleeding.”

“Heartbeat?” Canyon’s face now paled.

A twinkle came to the doctor’s eye. “I am cautiously optimistic the pregnancy is viable.”

“Viable?” Dani whispered, her heart tripping and tumbling. “You mean …”

“You’re still pregnant.”

“I need to tell you about someone.”

Wariness crowded out Roark’s near-euphoric expression as she stepped from the bathroom where she’d changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. Canyon watched her glide across the room, his heart full … of trepidation.