Page 94 of Saving His Heart

Images flash before me like a movie reel. In slow motion, I see a glimpse of our first meeting, our first kiss. I see the moment I realized I loved her and the conversations I’ve been hearing while asleep assault me like a bullet.

“Because I love her, where is she? She hasn’t left yet, has she?” I’m trying to sit up, and a stabbing pain shoots through my chest. “Fuck—”

“Preston, I’m Dr. Montgomery. You have to stay still, don’t try to sit up yet. You still have staples in, and you don’t want to pull those out.”

“Where, Mom? Where is she?”

Dr. Montgomery tries to fuss around me, and I stop him in his tracks with a murderous look.

“Would you like me to come back?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say, as my mother says, “No.”

“Preston, you will let this doctor look you over, and then we can talk. While he is doing your exam, think long and hard about the truth of your answer.”

“What the hell, Mom? Of course it’s the truth. I love her.”

She holds up an envelope.

“But if that happens, I have a letter I’ll leave him.”Emory’s words hit me like a bolt of lightning.

“She doesn’t believe I love her?”

Sylvie Westbrook, never one to back down from a challenge, smiles sadly at me. “I don’t think so, Pres. So, what are we going to do to prove it to her?” Her smile goes from sad to devious in a split second, and I suddenly realize where all of my brothers and I get it from.

“Whatever it takes.”

“Good answer, son. The boys are on their way to help, and the girls are already on their way to Boston. We’ll get her back. Do you want to read her letter?”

“No. I think we’ve had enough letter writing in this family, don’t you?” I smirk. “I want her to tell me in person.”

Chapter 40

Preston

Iwake to muffled voices and know my brothers are here. Not just the Westbrooks, but Trevor and Dex, too. If you’ve ever had eight boys together in a room, you know it’s impossible to keep them quiet. When I open my eyes, I notice we’re still down a man. There’s only seven of us here.

“Where’s Loki?”

“We aren’t sure.”

“Yet. We aren’t sure yet,” Ash amends.

“He hasn’t been here?”

“No, Pres. We haven’t heard from him.”

I see every man in the room exchange a worried look.

“What? What aren’t you telling me?” I demand.

It’s my mom who steps forward. “Loki is listed as missing in action, according to Seth. They have multiple teams out looking for him.”

“For how long? How long has he been missing?” My chest aches, and it has nothing to do with open-heart surgery.

“Two weeks,” Ashton admits.

A silence falls over the room.