Page 127 of Through the Storms

“Stop!” Chloe’s voice came out louder than she intended.

Dennis’s head whipped around.

“You need to stay back,” Chloe said between clenched teeth. Lana, Oakley, and Asher flanked Chloe, giving her more courage. “You left her home alone, so you will stand there and shut up while I check on my daughter.”

He started to open his mouth but closed it and looked down at his feet.

Chloe’s heart raced as she focused her attention on Mia’s ankle that hung at an unnatural angle. Chloe bit back the bile that rose in her throat. “Oh, honey, does it hurt?”

Mia nodded. “But it was better than being crushed by the ceiling.”

Chloe’s eyes widened, and she looked at Riley.

Riley shrugged and then grinned. “We were out in plenty of time.”

Mia chuckled. “Oh, yeah, I forgot that’s what we were gonna tell her.”

Chloe put her hand on her hip in mock outrage but couldn’t sustain it. She moved around to the right side of the pair and wrapped them in a bear hug. Tears flowed freely down Chloe’s face as Riley’s strong arm held her.

“Oakley,” Riley called. “We need to get a vehicle so we can get Mia to the hospital.”

“Already on it,” Oakley responded.

Upon hearinghospital,Chloe stepped back. Fear gripped her.

“She’ll be fine.” Riley put a reassuring hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “But that ankle is going to need to be taken care of.”

Several people had gathered around them, but Chloe’s attention was focused on Mia.

“Do you want to put her on here?” a man said. A team of four men carried a door that they’d been using as a stretcher.

Riley looked over her shoulder at Mia. “Can you lower yourself to that, or do you need your mom’s help?”

Mia’s arms tightened around Riley’s neck. “I want to stay with you.”

Riley’s eyes twinkled as she laughed. “You expect me to carry you all the way to the hospital?”

“Yep.” Mia smiled.

“Mia.” Chloe put her hand on Mia’s arm. “We have a stretcher.”

“It’s okay.” Riley winked. “It looks like they found a path. I can get her to one of the vehicles.”

Chloe’s heart went out to the pair. Obviously, Mia had found the same comfort in Riley that Chloe had. She brushed the hair out of Mia’s eyes. “I wanted to see you on your birthday but not this way.”

Mia grinned. “Yeah, this was a little much, Mom.”

“I’ll take my daughter.” Dennis’s voice boomed as he moved toward them.

Mia buried her face against Riley’s shoulder.

“Goddamn it, Dennis.” Chloe poked her finger toward him. “You need to back off.”

His face reddened, and he took a step back.

A car pulled to a stop about a block away, and Britt stepped out and waved.

Riley walked across the rubble. Oakley and Asher flanked her and kept her steady as she traversed the uneven pile. As much as Chloe wanted to push one of them aside to be close to her daughter, she resisted. Once they were on even ground, she edged her way in beside Riley.