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“Thanks.” I slid into the passenger seat.

My fists clenched and unclenched. I needed to do something, needed to hurt someone. Yolanda wasn’t due to arrive until tomorrow. Did Senator Kramer order her to hurt Kiera to get to me? The fucker didn’t even know Kiera was his daughter. Would that have stopped him? Or had Red Venom ordered the attack? Neither man knew who I was so they couldn’t have known about my vendetta. Had Yolanda told him about me?

But Yolanda didn’t know about my vengeance against Red Venom. I’d never shared it with her. Though she was part of my family, we didn’t hang out. She had her life, and I had mine. What changed her? What had I missed all these years?

Adrenaline and cortisol—stress hormones—pumped through me. I could feel my body reacting to this dreadful news. My heart rate increased, affecting my breathing, my thoughts. Though I knew how to treat people, telling them what to do to strengthen their bodies, I struggled to listen to my own advice. When things became personal and emotions were at play, it was hard to do what was right.

Right now I just wanted to kill them all.

Stay focused. Stay strong. Kiera needs you.

My world, my responsibilities to my empire, my video game, and to taking down The Trogyn all shattered, leaving only Kiera for me to worry about. The renewed fear spiked through me like thorns. But this time they were sharper and lathered with poison. There was no unknown moment like during the abduction. I knew where she was, and I understood the complex battle that would require to save her.

“She’ll be fine,” Arrow said, turning down a street. “The girls are with her. Stay focused on how you’d treat any patient. That’ll help you remember your skills.”

I looked at my friend with gratitude for understanding the chaos within me.

The intense anxiety crippled my thoughts, but how would that help Kiera? He was right—I had to look at her as though she was a patient I didn’t love. Objectivity would help me get through this. Objectivity would not make me crumble.

As I played back all the time I’d spent with her, remembering the love she’d given me, I felt like the luckiest man. She’d told me she loved me. She’d shown me her love in countless ways. I had everything I needed in Kiera.

Fear was an enormous monster taking chunks out of me right now, but I had to fight back. I wanted to be strong for her.

“You’ve got this, man,” Arrow pulled into the parking lot. “You’re a great doctor, and you know that. What’s the first step in urgent care?” He stared at me with calm eyes. “Youknowwhat to do. Focus on your skills. This is when you can follow the rules in the books. That’ll help right now.”

Going by the book had never been my preference, but those academic guidelines would help me see through the clutter.

“Thanks.” I dashed out, glanced at the ambulance blocking the front entrance, and entered.

“Who’s with her, Patty?” I asked my receptionist, who had just gotten off the phone with someone.

“Dr. Boland and Tiffany are with her.”

I walked toward the back of the large examination room. Arrow fell into step with me. We found Audri and Vivian sitting on the couch in the waiting room.

Spotting me, they got up from their seats, wanting to talk.

“We’ll talk later. Every minute counts right now.” I turned to Arrow.

He read my thoughts. “Go. I know what to do.”

I needed him to interview Audri and Vivian to get all the details before they forgot.

When I saw Kiera lying on the examination bed, hooked up to too many machines, my heart stopped for a moment. The image was too real. The horror of it squeezed my heart until my chest hurt and my legs wobbled. I dropped into the chair beside the bed and kept my gaze on her.

“We’ve stabilized her for now,” said Dr. Elias Boland, my colleague of many years.

“Do you know what got into her system?” I asked.

“Not yet.”

“Her blood pressure was very low.” Tiffany tapped the monitor. She’d been a nurse at the clinic since it opened. “I took some blood for testing. I sent it to the lab down the street. We’ll get results soon.”

“Thank you.” I appreciatedher thoroughness.

Kiera would need constant monitoring to ensure she remained stable. What the fuck did Yolanda do to her? I needed to know everything.

A knock on the door sounded, and Patty peeked in. “Sorry to bother you, but your next appointment is here, Dr. Boland.”