Page 5 of The King of Hearts (The Raven Group #1)

CHAPTER THREE

HER

I ’m in the kitchen with Lea, our cook, having helped her prepare a light meal for our upcoming guests, when there’s a commotion at the front of the house. My eyes meet hers as I drop the dish towel on the counter. Lea knows what’s coming, and we share a pained look before I rush out of the room.

Just as I reach the foyer, Dad’s pulling open the door.

I come to a stop when my oldest brother, Bishop, walks in holding a woman.

I know it has to be the mother, but I’m having a difficult time determining that fact.

The woman in his arms is so small and frail that she could easily pass as a young teen.

I can’t see her face because it’s turned toward Bishop’s chest. She’s wearing a pair of black leggings with no shoes and an oversized t-shirt.

The sleeves of the shirt come to her elbows, and purple and black bruises pepper the skin I can see.

Her long blonde hair is a tangled mess and hangs over Bishop’s bicep.

Ryker comes in next, and my heart stutters to a stop when I see the child in his arms. Hair as blonde as her mother’s, and body just as frail.

The baby girl wears a pink nightgown with white flowers that goes to her knees.

Her arms are bare, and her legs are exposed from the knees down.

Thankfully, from what I can tell, there’s no marked flesh.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been touched in some way.

“Lead the way, Sav,” Dad says, pulling my attention to him.

I spin around and walk quickly to the stairs. Every few steps, I look over my shoulder. I don’t know why. It’s not like I’m worried they aren’t following.

I take them to the room that’s directly across from mine. It used to be Bishop’s. I chose it because it’s close to mine and has its own bathroom.

I walk to the queen-sized bed, keeping out of the way so Bishop can lay the woman down.

Ryker goes to the other side and gently lays the little girl beside her mother.

I thought about having a youth bed delivered, but I figured the mother would want her child close to her.

Especially considering we don’t know what trauma either of them have endured.

When Bishop steps back, I get my first look at the woman’s face.

Bile rises in my throat when I see the condition she’s in.

Bruises of all sizes and colors cover every inch of her porcelain skin.

One eye is swollen shut and is crusted with so much blood and bodily fluid that she probably couldn’t open it anyway.

There’s a gash near the corner of her mouth that looks like it might need stitches, and her nose appears to be broken.

Deep red lines in the shape of fingers mark her neck.

My gaze flies to the little girl lying beside her. She’s on her side, her sweet, innocent face free of any signs of abuse.

Mother and child appear to be sleeping, but I don’t really know for sure. They could have been drugged. Whatever the case may be, they’re safe now in their unconscious state.

Only a fraction of the tightness in my chest loosens. There’s no telling what this mother and child’s story is, but something tells me this isn’t the first time they’ve been in trouble.

One thing I do know, they’ll never be hurt like this again. The Raven Group will ensure it.

I turn and face the rest of the room and find Bishop standing behind me, a little off to the side.

He stares at the bed with his hands shoved into his pockets, his eyes taking in the woman and child.

To most people who don’t know him, he would appear calm and detached.

It’s the slight pulsing of the thick vein in his neck and the barely noticeable tightening of his eyes that give away his true feelings.

He’s angry.

No, he’s livid, enraged even, and looks on the verge of mass destruction.

I don’t blame him. I’d love nothing more than to wedge a blade into the heart of the person who did this. To watch the life fade from their eyes.

I hate violence, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil, especially for those who work for The Raven Group.

I look around the room and find Dad and Ryker over by the door.

They’re close to each other, talking, their voices too low for me to hear what they’re saying.

I walk over to them, intent on finding out what happened to the woman and child.

Before I can get a word out, my younger brother, Cassio, walks into the room with Dr. Bale close behind.

Dr. Bale doesn’t spare any of us a glance as he quickly goes to the bed.

He has one of those black medical bags you often see doctors carrying in movies and TV shows.

Dr. Bale has a private practice on Hollow’s Reef, but he offers his services to The Raven Group when needed.

He and Dad have been friends since high school.

Dad and Mom moved to Hollow’s Reef about twenty years ago.

The Raven Group wasn’t officially formed yet, but the actions of the group were.

Years later, Dad asked Dr. Bale to come to the island to act as the company’s physician.

Ninety percent of the population on the island uses him as their primary doctor.

I return my attention to Dad and Ryker. “What happened to them?” I ask.

Ryker’s gaze meets mine. “We don’t know.

” The deep timbre of his tone reveals nothing on how he feels about the situation.

He’s always been a vault, never showing any emotion.

“I wasn’t there when Bishop found them. He called me because he knew I was on the mainland.

He found them behind an old apartment building in the city, wedged between a wall and a dumpster.

” His odd, silvery eyes move from me to the bed and back again.

“The woman was already unconscious when I made it to them.”

He stops when Bishop joins our group, and my brother continues the story.

“The child was clutched in the woman’s arms and was crying so hard she was hyperventilating, and she passed out. I was going to call an ambulance, but the woman became hysterical, insisting that she didn’t want the cops or the hospital involved.”

I frown and switch my gaze to the bed. Dr. Bale sits on the mattress by the woman’s waist. He has the chest piece of a stethoscope pressed against her sternum over her t-shirt. Her eyes are still closed.

“Did she say anything else?” I ask, turning back to Bishop.

“No. Once she got her point across, and I agreed to no hospital or cops, it’s like she deflated and lost consciousness. That’s when Ryker showed up. She’s been out since then, and the child hasn’t stirred either.”

“Do we know who she is? Did she have identification on her?”

“No.”

“What are we going to do with them?”

Dad is the one to answer. “Fix her up, wait for her to heal, and get her story.” He scrubs a hand over the top of his head.

Right now, he appears older than his fifty-four years.

It’s not often we see victims right after their attack.

We usually don’t have any contact with them until after they’ve physically healed and some time has passed. “Then give her a choice,” he continues.

I look back at Ryker, still emotionless as he stares across the room.

I’ve often found it strange that he always comes across as apathetic and unaffected.

I’ve seen this man do monstrous things, all the while keeping a straight face.

I don’t think it’s because he’s capable of turning off his emotions.

I believe that part of him is simply broken.

Or maybe it was never there in the first place.

Bishop turns toward the bed, taking in the sleeping woman and child lying there.

Had I not known him all of my life and knew the kind of man he is, the expression on his face would scare the shit out of me.

My eyes follow his stiff body as he spins away and leaves the room.

I know this is hitting him hard, bringing back painful memories he wishes he could forget.

I want to follow him to make sure he’s okay, but he wouldn’t tell me if he wasn’t anyway.

He likes to bottle up his emotions, refusing to let anyone in.

I leave Dad and Ryker and go to the other side of the bed.

The little girl looks to be about four or five years old, if I had to guess.

She’s still curled up on her side, facing her mom, her blonde locks laying on the pillow.

Her hands are pressed together, as if in prayer, tucked beneath her cheek.

She looks so sweet and innocent. She should always look like this, even while she’s awake.

But something tells me neither mom nor daughter has slept this peacefully in a long time.

That changes today. They’ll never be scared again. Not like I know they had to have been when whatever happened to them.

I look across the bed and narrow my eyes when Dr. Bale lifts the woman’s shirt. I don’t like him exposing her while she’s unconscious. He must sense my discontent because his head lifts and his eyes meet mine.

“Calm yourself, Savina. This is as far as I’m going.” The material stops just below her breasts. “I’m just checking her ribs. I’ll wait for her to wake and ask before I go any further.”

I give him a stiff nod, my eyes locked on the condition of her abdomen. From where the shirt stops below her breasts to the top of her leggings is a map of multicolored bruises. She looks like she was repeatedly kicked.

Jesus, what kind of person would do this to another human being?

Not a person, but a purely evil being.

Dr. Bale finishes his exam and gets up to come around to my side of the bed.

I want to deny him access to the little girl.

I feel oddly protective of her. But I know he needs to check her over, and I know he would never do anything inappropriate.

Dr. Bale delivered me and my brothers and hundreds of other babies on the island, and still to this day, he’s our family doctor.

I move to the side, giving him room to step up to the bed.

I hover over him, unable to push away the need to watch his every move.

I hear movement behind me and look over my shoulder.

Ryker has moved further into the room, standing close behind me.

His gray gaze meets mine for a moment before I turn back to the doctor.

His exam of the little girl is quick and revealing.

He didn’t do a full body exam, only as much as he did her mother.

She doesn’t appear to have a mark on her, except for a bruise midway up her right thigh.

Dr. Bale doesn’t need to say it. We all know what that mark is and where it came from.

Someone put their hands on her. It doesn’t matter that it’s the only mark on her tiny, innocent body as far as we can tell. One touch is one touch too many.

There’s no way to explain the pure rage that runs through me at seeing that mark. And from the violent vibes filling the room, I’m not the only one who feels that way.

After putting away his instruments, Dr. Bale moves from the bed and goes to where Dad and Cassio are standing. I walk over and listen to what he has to say.

“The woman has several fractured ribs,” he states, addressing Dad since he’s the boss.

“Her nose is broken, but I don’t want to reset it until she’s awake because it’ll be quite painful.

I’d like for her to get as much rest as possible.

Her right shoulder is also dislocated. I’ll reset that when I do her nose.

Without a proper assessment because of her unconscious state, I can’t say for certain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a concussion.

” His eyes slide to me. “She shouldn’t be alone for the next few hours. ”

He knows my position in The Raven Group, so he knows I’ll be the one to stay with her. I nod without saying anything.

“She has multiple contusions, but they aren’t too concerning.

None of the wounds need stitches. The cut near her mouth will leave a nasty scar, but it’s not deep enough to require sutures.

I noticed she has several scars. Some are quite old, while others are from more recent injuries.

” He looks over at the little girl. “Physically, the child appears to be unharmed other than the bruise on her thigh.”

It’s not lost on anyone in the room that he used the word “physically”. Mental wounds can be more damaging than ones inflicted by physical touch.

“I’ll come back in a few hours. I’ve left a painkiller that shouldn’t make her too drowsy on the nightstand, should she wake before I return. She’s going to be in a lot of pain, so I highly encourage her to take it. Call me if you need me before I return.”

“Thank you, Markus,” Dad says.

He nods before leaving the room.

The three of us turn to face the bed. We’re all quiet for several moments, each with our own thoughts.

“I’ll have one of the staff bring in a rollaway,” Dad says to me. “Cassio, I want you on standby in case she wakes. We don’t know how she’s going to react waking in an unfamiliar house.”

“You got it,” Cassio replies.

“We’ll figure everything else out later.” He turns to Ryker. “Find out what you can.”

Ryker jerks his chin up in acknowledgment. If there’s any one member of The Raven Group capable of finding out secrets, it’s Ryker.

A few minutes later, the others have left, and a rollaway sits against one of the walls near the bed. I settle on the thin mattress and tuck my legs under me. The rollaway is just a formality. I don’t plan to sleep tonight. I don’t think I could, even if I tried.

Not when there’s a woman who’s been beaten half to death and her child lies nearby.

Instead, I sit and stare at the shadows that dance across the wall from the trees outside the window.