Page 31 of Unbroken (Amber Ridge #4)

Noah turned to Colt. “Want to join us?”

“I’m just going to take a walk around first.”

“Got it.”

The second the two of them disappeared into the office, Randy whistled quietly. “Watch those two. I see a little something-something in their future.”

Colt frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t see it?” Randy shook his head. “Guess I’ve been watching too many of those rom-coms with the missus. I’m going to check on my guys.”

Colt’s gaze flashed back to the office door. No. It couldn’t be right. She was too young for Noah.

He stepped outside and his phone dinged with a text message.

Indie: I have to tell you something.

Shit. What was wrong?

Colt: Are you okay?

Indie: Yes, but your mom overheard me talking to Clara. She knows about the pregnancy. I’m sorry.

Colt: Why are you sorry?

Indie: Because you should have been able to tell her.

No. Not him— them . He’d planned for both of them to tell her together.

Colt: How’d she take it?

He waited a second for her response as he walked down the path. When it didn’t come through, he stopped.

Colt: You still there?

Nothing. Not even the dots to say she was responding. She might have gotten distracted with something or someone, but after the few weeks they’d had, he doubted she’d leave him hanging.

The sudden need to hear her voice drowned out every other concern.

He called her cell. It rang. No one answered. What the hell was going on?

He opened the Find My Friend app on his phone to see she was in the parking lot behind the print shop.

He was moving before he could stop himself, heading straight to his car. He didn’t care that he was probably overreacting. He didn’t care that his father was under watch at the hospital. He needed to see her. He needed to know that she was okay.

He sped into town, breaking every damn speed limit he passed. When he finally got there, what he saw made blood roar between his ears.

Indie was sitting on the steps at the back of a shop. She was leaning forward, and her back was heaving, like she was breathing fast.

A man was kneeling in front of her, his hands on her shoulders.

It wasn’t until Colt was parked and out of his car that he realized he knew the guy. He’d met him.

The new gym owner—Zane.

“What the fuck are you doing touching her?” Colt shouted, as he closed the distance between them.

The man looked up, standing, but it was Indie who made Colt’s blood run cold. Her cheeks were tear-stained, her neck red like fire.

The fuck?

He grabbed Zane by the shirt and shoved him into the building. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Colt, stop!” Indie shouted, jumping to her feet.

“Did he hurt you?” Colt growled, his hand already fisted and cocked, ready to hit the asshole.

Zane didn’t react. Not a single fucking muscle. “I saw her climbing out of her car like this. I came to help.”

Colt froze. “What?”

“It’s true,” Indie rasped. “He called the sheriff’s office and was waiting with me. I was going to call you once I caught my breath.”

Colt’s hands dropped and he turned to her. “What happened?”

A sheriff’s car raced into the parking lot, closely followed by another car carrying two deputies.

Jesse ran out and stopped beside Indie. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Her eyes filled with tears.

Fuck . Colt wrapped his arms around her, just holding her. Then, softly, he urged her back down to the steps. Both he and Jesse knelt beside her.

“What happened?” Colt asked again, trying to keep his voice gentle when it was the last thing he felt.

“I climbed into my car, where I was texting you, and suddenly a rope was around my neck. It was a man. He wanted to know where Gordon was. I told him, and he told me that if he doesn’t get the money he’s owed, he’ll be back to get it from Gordon’s family.”

That familiar rage crawled up Colt’s throat, begging to break free.

Indie had been hurt again. Threatened. She could have been killed .

“Did you get a look at the guy?” Jesse asked gently.

Indie shook her head, more tears in her eyes. “All I saw was dark hair and dark eyes. Then he put the rope around my neck and I just panicked. I’m sorry.”

“Hey. You have nothing to be sorry about.” Colt cupped her cheek, and when one tear fell, he swiped it with his thumb. “You got out of it and you’re alive. That’s all you had to do.”

“I’m pretty sure I saw the guy get onto a Harley-Davidson Road Glide,” Zane said. “He was parked in the side alley.”

Colt rose. “You saw him, but you didn’t grab him?”

“I saw a guy running and jumping onto a bike. Thought he looked suspicious. Came into the parking lot, saw she wasn’t doing too good. Decided the guy was probably gone, and thought it was best to stay with her and make sure she was okay.”

It made sense. And the anger wasn’t really aimed at Zane. It was all on himself.

Jesse asked, “You get a license plate or description?”

“Guy was six two, brown hair, athletic build. License plate A-B-Q two-two-four.”

One of Jesse’s deputies wrote it down while Jesse nodded. “Appreciate it.”

Colt lowered in front of Indie again. “We’re going to the hospital.”

She touched a hand over her belly, eyes widening. “Do you think—”

“I think we shouldn’t worry, but it’s best just to get checked out.”

She nodded quickly before leaning into him, and he just spent another moment holding her.