Page 15 of Midnight (Chasing the Sun #3)

Nate

I watch her father hit her hard. In almost in slow motion I see her fall to the ground and hear the sickening thump of her head hitting the concrete floor.

James is standing right beside me and he knew my instinct was to run and protect Harper, so as it was happening he locked me into a hold so I couldn't move. The rest of the men swarmed the scene to apprehend her dad and the men he was talking to.

The moment they have them in custody James lets go of me, and I run full speed towards her.

"Harper!" I yell out, trying to get her attention as I fall to my knees and slide the last few feet towards her.

There’s blood on the floor, she's pale, and unconscious. My training tells me not to move her until the paramedics get here, so I quickly go behind her and cut her from the chair, while holding her hand in mine.

"The ambulance just pulled up," James walks in and tells me before paramedics come rushing over.

Harper gets rushed to the ER and I refuse to leave her side. Even when they send her in for scans, I'm right there waiting for her, shamelessly using my badge to get me places that a normal family member wouldn't be able to.

After a few hours in the ER, they transfer us to a room upstairs stating that she has a serious concussion, but she's stable. Until she wakes up, I prop a chair next to her bed and hold her hand in mine. At one point I'm drifting off when James walks in still in uniform.

"We have the father in custody and the men that he was talking to are known sex traffickers in the area. Between the kidnapping charges and the footage, we have enough that we were able to get them charged on kidnapping and attempted sex trafficking. They’ve been sent to jail and it will be up to the jury to convict them," he tells me.

I'm relieved that they're behind bars. But I'm even happier that her dad won't be able to bother her anymore and is out of the picture. Yet it will all mean nothing until she wakes up.

Looking at Harper lying there lifeless in the bed, I think the time that he'll get in jail seems like he's getting off easy for what he did to her.

"Tell the guy that her dad set him up," I tell James without even looking at him.

"You know what that will do to him in jail, don't you?" he asks, his voice completely serious.

"Yes," I say again, without taking my eyes off Harper.

"It's been a rough few days. Are you sure you don't want to wait and decide on this later?"

"I'm absolutely sure I don't want Harper ever looking over her shoulder and worrying about him again."

"Okay," James says and I know he wouldn't do it for anyone else. But we are family.

The sex traffickers might be in jail, but they are powerful people and will remain powerful even from behind bars. Telling them that Harper's father set them up is basically signing his death warrant.

Harper

I'm finally heading home from the hospital. According to Nate I was unconscious and then in and out for about forty-eight hours before I truly came out of it. There's been a pit in my stomach all day about going home, but I haven't said anything to Nate.

Even though I know my dad's locked away behind bars, I think it's going to take me a while to realize I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder for him.

But when I walk into the house, I freeze. All I can see is that day where my father broke in and kidnapped me. Standing in the living room, the scene plays over and over again in my head.

"Harper!" Nate yells. I look over at him.

"What's wrong? I called your name almost ten times," he asks, panicked.

"I can't stay here. All I see is my dad bursting through the door. Nate, I just don’t think I can stay here."

He looks around and I can tell there are a million thoughts racing through his head.

"Pack a bag. We'll go to our house on Hummingbird Island and we'll get everything moved as soon as possible. You won't have to step foot in this place again."

True to his word, as soon as our bags are packed we're on the road yet again and crossing over the bridge onto the Island. It is the most peaceful feeling in the world.

"We're home," I tell him.

"We are definitely home." Our smiles are so huge as we pull in to our driveway.

It's been a long day, and it's almost midnight, but I'm finally home. I'm finally safe, and I couldn't ask for anything more.